If you were thinking about having your teeth whitened what information would you want to know before proceeding?
We get asked so many different things before our patients start our teeth whitening system: Will my teeth be sensitive? Will the whitening last? What sort of shade can I achieve? Will it be hard to sleep in?
All results are personal to you but there are a few things to consider before you start;
Our professionally made custom-fit home whitening trays and gels can whiten your teeth in as little as 2 weeks and keep your results for years with some simple home maintenance. We do not offer in-surgery lightening at the practice as we found that some patients experience greater sensitivity to the treatment compared to our gentler at-home teeth whitening treatments which everyone seems to get along well with.
Talking of sensitivity (see the flawless link there!!) most of our patients experience very little sensitivity whilst whitening, if they do this can be easily managed using a special toothpaste for sensitive teeth (which we provide). We recommend whitening daily but this can be reduced if you are experiencing sensitivity: simply alternate with toothpaste for sensitive teeth, such as Colgate Pro Relief.
Your new shade can be maintained with periodic top-ups which you do at home – the frequency depends largely on whether you smoke or drink tea, coffee or red wine regularly. To do this, just use one of our top-up kits for a couple of evenings until you get back to a shade you’re happy with.
Some patients worry that they will find the trays bulky and difficult to tolerate, but the trays are actually extremely thin, and after a few moments you won’t even realise you have them in! (In fact Rachel wears hers at work and manages to talk (a lot!!) with no problems!)
The shade you can achieve varies from patient to patient, the beauty of home lightening is that you can tailor the results to suit you, and once you are happy with the shade of your teeth you can just stop! You will, however, need to bear in mind that the treatment only whitens your natural teeth. Any fillings, crowns, bridges or dentures will be unaffected by this but Zoe or Kirsty will inform you of this before you proceed and advise you about this.
One last thing to think about:
Under EU law it is illegal for anyone other than a dentist or hygienist to provide tooth whitening of any kind, whether they claim to be qualified and insured or not.
Seeking cheap illegal tooth whitening can result in permanent damage to the teeth and gums so please be sure that your teeth whitening is only carried out by a legitimate dental practice.
If you have any questions or need any more information, we’re always just a phone call away. Call us on 01782 307 066 or visit our website at www.dianadental.co.uk. You can also find more on our dedicated teeth whitening page.