Teeth whitening is the most popular
therapeutic cosmetic dental treatment in the
The third alternative, teeth whitening is becoming more popular in this country and is the treatment of choice for healthy straight and regular teeth because it is non-invasive, non-destructive and very safe.
Teeth whitening is swift and effective. There are no needles or drills or temporary crowns. As a process to whiten teeth, compared to crowns and veneers it is significantly cheaper. Most patients are delighted with the results and even more delighted that they don't have to suffer invasive dental procedures to eliminate their dark toothed smile. Teeth whitening has one downside, it fades and therefore maintenance or top-up procedures are required periodically. The dentist will discuss this with you and you can choose how to proceed.
Power whitening has recently advanced from a gray area to a hard science with guarantees. The latest BriteSmile system is THE acclaimed World leader in whitening technology. Its advanced formulation has two major advantages over other whitening systems:
Guarantees whitening
Reduction of "dehydration" associated with some other systems
Significant whitening is achieved with a one hour procedure, the darker the teeth initially, the greater the whitening effect and hence, the lighter the teeth initially, the less the lightening effect. You will be shown how much we expect you teeth to lighten at the initial consultation. If you are thinking of having the BriteSmile procedure please read all of this page right down to the end and the Safety page. If you want to know what to expect, look at the Cases. If you want to investigate the uniquely weird legal situation surrounding teeth whitening in the UK then look at the legal page. If you have any questions use the Contact page.
The suitability of the patient to undergo teeth whitening is determined using a standard dental medical history followed by a clinical examination of the patients mouth and oral tissues. Not all patients are considered to be suitable cases to undergo teeth whitening immediately. Sometimes, there are complications that have to be addressed first. The most common are:
Teeth already light enough
Tooth decay
Broken or lost fillings
Crowns or veneers on front teeth
Poor gum health
Extensive tartar
Above average routine dental sensitivity.
See the Portfolio to see how we have dealt with cases involving, fillings, crowns, veneers and gum disease in conjunction with bleaching.
The tooth whitening procedure takes approximately 90 minutes and normally consists of the following steps:
measure pretreatment tooth color using a VITAPAN™ System shade guide.
Pre-treatment photo taken
a cheek retractor is placed to expose all smile line upper and lower teeth.
The patient bites down on a special fiber-optic positioning device.
a standard light cured isolation material is placed on gum tissues.
The pH 6.5 15% peroxide gel is placed onto the tooth surfaces.
The teeth are illuminated with the light for twenty minutes.
The above two steps are repeated for a total exposure time of one hour.
check retractors etc. are removed
patient brushes and rinses.
post-treatment shade is measured.
Post-treatment photo taken
Since patients will be sat in the same position for an hour the bleaching clinic seating has full Tempur cushion coverage to ensure maximum comfort during the Brite Smile procedure.
Pain and sensitivity following the Brite Smile procedure is reported in a number of cases. The degree of pain may be such that you have to take painkillers, however the pain always fades away within 24-36 hours.
It is very important not to consume any colourants in the first 24-hour period following the BriteSmile procedure. We will give you an instruction card detailing what you can and cannot eat and drink etc. This is important when considering your appointment day - make sure you can conform to the 24hour post-operative instructions below.
In most cases, using the Brite Smile power bleaching system we expect an instant lightening of between 8 and 10 shade units. The expected rebound effect would be as follows:
First month - lose 1 shade units
Next six months - lose 1 shade unit
Subsequent six month periods - lose 1 shade units
These are estimates based upon averages. Everyone responds differently, so your rebound effect may be less or greater than the averages stated above. Rebound means that after about two years your teeth may have returned to the colour prior to bleaching.
To maintain white teeth rebound MUST be managed, this is achieved through any combination of:
1) careful diet control avoiding high colourants,
2) meticulous oral hygiene,
3) using BriteSmile whitening toothpaste
3) using home whitening trays,
4) annual repeat BriteSmile procedure.
