Your smile is one of the first things people notice when they meet you. A whiter, brighter smile is beautiful and is a simple way to light up your face. A beautiful smile can help you feel better about yourself and make a memorable impression on others.
Lifestyle and the ageing process can cause staining and discolour your teeth. Many things can contribute to this, such as drinking coffee, tea, and red wine, smoking and eating heavily coloured foods and sauces such as curries and tomato sauce.
At York Road Dental Practice we offer 3 types of whitening system.
Home whitening system
The process involves a custom made tray and concentrated gels, where the treatment may take up to 2 weeks. Results can be seen over just a few days into treatment. Most individual will be happy after just 2 weeks of whitening. However for those who have darker teeth or have different variation of colour teeth, this process may take longer than 2 weeks. Your dentist/hygienist will usually tell you prior to your appointment if you require a longer treatment course. Gels can be purchased to top up from York Road Dentist.
Chairside whitening system
The chairside treatment involves you coming into surgery, where a higher concentration of whitening gel is applied by the dentist/hygienist and an intense light is used. The treatment lasts around one hour and provides instant results in most cases. This type of system is only effective for selective cases, so if you want instant result with minimal hassle of wearing the tray, this may be for you. However to reach optimal whiteness, you may have to either have more sessions or combine this with the home whitening system.
Combined whitening Approach
At York Road Dental Practice we have been providing whitening for many years, and even though there are many types of whitening system out in the market, we find that the combined approach usually produces the most satisfactory result.
What is the difference? This involves you doing the home whitening system for 2 weeks, then on the final day to come to the dentist/hygienist to perform the Chairside whitening for you. The role can be reversed so that the patient does the chairside first then the home whitening. However from our experience, the home whitening then chairside approach is the best, as the teeth are already pre-activated therefore the chairside will be much more effective.
Will it be painful?
Most people will not find whitening painful. However, you will need to see a dentist/hygienist to determine whether your teeth will be sensitive prior to treatment. If you have any cracks in your teeth or broken fillings, this will need to be repaired before whitening can be done.
At York Road Dental Practice, we will give you de-sensitizing tooth paste to minimize any discomfort during your treatment. If sensitivity was to develop, this should only be temporary. Unfortunately sensitivity can be related to your age, the younger you are, the more sensitive your teeth can be. However it is not always the case.
How white can it be?
Again, this can vary between each individual. For most people, if the procedure is carried out correctly, they will expect to see teeth several shades lighter, in some cases, even more than 8-10 shades.
However we do recommend that the patient avoids eating coloured food during the treatment to maximise the result.
Unfortunately any existing fillings, Crowns or Veneers will not whiten at all, and these may need to be changed in order to match your brighter teeth.
How long does it last?
Once you have completed the whitening treatment you should expect teeth to maintain a whiter shade for a period of time and in some cases up to 2 years. However, this is different from individual and can be affected by different life styles. Unfortunately if you do smoke, drink lots of black coffee, or consume lots of food that are heavy in colouring, the result may not last as long as someone that does none of the above.
Good cleaning with a whitening tooth paste and regular cleaning by our hygienist can maintain the whiteness longer, and if you are using our home whitening system, you can always buy top up gels to maintain your whiteness.
How much does it cost?
- Enlighten from £625, guaranteed whiter smile.
- Home whitening system £385
- Chair side whitening £449
- Combined Whitening system £550
- Top up Gels £20-£30