The Truth About Teeth Whitening

With the holiday season upon us, we always find a surge in patients asking us about teeth whitening at Craigentinny Dental Care. So here is the low down on  one of the most straightforwards cosmetic dental procedures.

With many millions of tooth whitening procedures having been carried out by dentists worldwide we can say with some confidence that it is simple, safe and fast. With take home whitening or 1 hour whitening  to choose from here are a few things that you should  know.

1 Hour Teeth whitening
1 Hour tooth whitening works wonders to kick start the process, but unless you follow up with at home whitening trays it is highly likely that the results will not be as long lasting as you might wish. All tooth whitening dehydrates teeth which is why they look so much better immediately after treatment yet many patients report a bit of a fade back in the two weeks afterwards. Particularly if the 1 hour treatment is not followed  up.  See some examples of tooth whitening at our dental practice in Edinburgh.

Take Home Teeth Whitening
The at home systems where you wear custom made tooth whitening trays overnight are in many ways the most effective and kindest to your teeth as they use lower concentrations of gel to achieve the necessary results. For the very best results with this system you need really well mad and snugly fitting bleaching trays.

Deep Bleaching
For the whitest “Hollywood style look” combining 1 hour whitening with at home trays in a process called deep bleaching can work wonders. While not to every ones taste,   this combination gives you  the opportunity to reach the lightest shade on the regular dental shade guide as a bare minimum. Experienced providers often offer a shade B1 ( the lightest )  or your money back promise. Here is just one example of deep bleaching in action.
As a patient you need to know that any system that uses lights – be it Laser whitening , LED, or  halogen acts the same way. The light source  is warming up the active ingredients in the whitening product so it is more effective. In 1 hour systems we do use much more concentrated tooth whitening agents so an experienced pair of hands and familiarity with the system counts for a lot.

How long does it last?
On average tooth whitening, when done well, is believed to take around 7 years on average to relapse back to where it came from. Obviously there will be quite a bit of variation depending on your diet and tooth cleaning habits. It is usually possible to maintain your final results with a simple touch up for 1 or 2 nights per year using at home whitening trays. At my dental practice in Edinburgh we offer this service free of charge to patients who become members of the practice.

Is Teeth Bleaching Safe?
In the right hands yes it is. Naturally we hope that you will chose our Dental Practice in Edinburgh for this treatment but if you are further afield bear in mind that only dentists are legally permitted to carry out dentistry – of which tooth whitening is part. Teeth whitening by a dentist is safe and  effective. Since a mistake in treatment can cost a dentist their livelihood,  we  tend to take the process seriously. This means using materials from reliable, traceable sources, having great infection control procedures (and believe me this is much much more than just wearing gloves), as well as insurance to protect you in the unlikely situation that a problem does occur. Tooth whitening in any other location is a riskier endeavour especially  if you do experience problems during or after treatment.

Enjoy the summer months and whiten with care!