Tooth whitening is a well established procedure in cosmetic dentistry, and is performed commonly in our surgery.

It is performed to lighten the internal colour of the teeth, which may have discoloured due to aging and consumption of staining substances such as coffee, tea, cola drinks, tobacco, red wine etc. Tooth discolouration can also occur during tooth formation due to the consumption of tetracycline or excessive fluoride.

All professional whitening systems utilize the active ingredient hydrogen peroxide. This has been safely used for many years in the treatment of gums and other oral soft tissues. As the hydrogen peroxide breaks down, oxygen enters the enamel and dentine, bleaching coloured substances within the tooth while the structure of the tooth is unchanged.

Two systems of professional tooth whitening are available at our surgery-In office whitening and home whitening.

In office whitening involves the application of a hydrogen peroxide containing gel to the tooth surface which is subsequently activated by a bright light. The entire procedure takes about an hour. The results are immediate. It is sometimes recommended that In-office whitening is followed up by home whitening.

Home whitening involves the wearing of the whitening gel in custom made mouthguards for an half an hour during the day. Results take one to two weeks but some patients can require longer, even up to six months to remove tetracycline stains or other heavy discolouration.

Following any professional treatment, your teeth willalways remain lighter than they were originally, but to keep them looking their best, occasional (12-24 monthly) touch ups will be required. This involves a few applications of home whitening.

The amount of whitening which your teeth can achieve does vary from person to person and it can be difficult to predict how white your teeth will become.  A very small proportion of patients’ teeth do not respond to this treatment at all.

As mentioned, tooth whitening is a safe and effective procedure, but it is normal to experience some tooth sensitivity during treatment which will resolve on cessation of the whitening procedure.  A fluoride gel Tooth Mousse or toothpaste for sensitive teeth can be used to relieve this symptom.  Some people also experience some short term gum irritation. It is important to realize that only natural tooth structure lightens. Fillings, veneers and crowns will not lighten. Also, yellowish to brown staining will lighten better than greyish staining.

Several whitening preparations are available from supermarkets and chemists. Some of these products utilize the active ingredient hydrogen peroxide but of a much lower level than the professional systems, so it may take weeks to months for the teeth to lighten only slightly. Other non-professional whitening products are simply abrasives which act to remove external staining from the tooth surface and don’t actually lighten the internal colour of the tooth at all. These products can damage the teeth. It is always safer to use professionally administered systems.

In some situations, whitening is not suitable but it may be possible to do composite bonding or porcelain veneers to improve the colour of the teeth