Teeth whitening is a growing market in the UK along with adult orthodontics (braces) as patients strive for straighter whiter teeth! Here we will discuss the different aspects and types of tooth whitening available along with our expert advice and we will go onto discuss adult orthodontics in the straightening teeth section

Why Tooth Whitening?


​Feel teeth have discoloured over time/previous smoking

Teeth have always been more yellow/grey than you would like

Improve confidence when talking to people or smiling

Getting married or mother of the bride pre-wedding (very popular)

one or more teeth have discoloured due to previous root treatments as a result of trauma or caries (decay)

Have just discovered its possibilities whereas previously unaware

Types of Teeth Whitening


​Excessive smoking that can lead to staining again quick

Current gum disease/bleeding gums which may worsen 

Current decay in teeth that needs treating

Very sensitive teeth or gums already

Leaking fillings that may need replacing

Allergies to any of the ingredients 

Unrealistic expectations of what is achievable

NB - all this can be discussed with your dentist and sorted prior to tooth whitening

Types of Teeth Whitening


​1. Home tooth whitening

2. In surgery (sometimes called Laser) tooth whitening

3. Internal tooth whitening (for whitening individual root treated discoloured teeth from the inside of the tooth usually; is possible in surgery or at home)

Home tooth whitening

Laser tooth whitening
This is where the following stages are carried out
1. Patient assessed suitable for tooth whitening and teeth cleaned
2. Before photos may be taken
3. Impressions (moulds) of your upper and lower teeth are taken and made into stone models of your teeth
4. These are used to make individual custom plastic whitening trays which fit over your teeth
5. You return to the dentist, the trays are tried in
Tooth whitening
home whitening trays
6. You are given a whitening kit including instructions and tubes of whitening gel
7. Your dentist will go through all instructions and demonstrate how and what to do
8. Generally you then take away are wear the trays with the gel in them every night for 2-4 weeks and sometimes longer
9. Results are reviewed at a subsequent appointment and further whitening carried out if wanted
10. Final photos then may be taken to assess and monitor change in tooth shade.
This is where the following stages are carried out
1. Full assessment of suitability is carried out by dentist and teeth cleaned
2. Before photos may be taken
3. Some form of protective gel is placed on gums and something is placed in mouth to move lips out of the way such as optragate in picture below
4. Eye protection glasses will also be placed
5. Strong (usually 6% Hydrogen Peroxide) light activated whitening gel is applied to teeth to be whitened (some argue the light activation makes minimal difference to final result)
6. The gel is left for an amount of time then washed off and repeated a couple of times, the entire process will usually take 1-2 hours
7. The whitening gives immediate results but will often need following up with home whitening anyway in order to give lasting results.
8. Final photos often taken before leaving surgery.

Zoom tooth whitening
laser whitening in progress

Internal tooth whitening

1. Here, after your tooth has been root treated, the filling is removed out of the back of the tooth (usually front tooth)
2. Either trays are made and you put whitening gel in them as well as in the back of tooth; which will lighten it from the inside and outside
3. Or a gel soaked piece of material is sealed inside the tooth and then you return to have this replaced a few times until the tooth is at the shade you want, followed by home bleaching as described above (the gel used is generally the 10% carbamide peroxide or 6% HP but your dentist will decide)

Internal tooth whitening
Internal whitening

Home tooth whitening Vs Laser whitening

                The maximum gel concentration used by dentists and trained dental professionals is 6% Hydrogen peroxide, this is a recent law and so higher than this is now illegal, it is also illegal for someone other than dentists or dental professionals to undertake tooth whitening and so be very careful if you choose to have whitening done elsewhere e.g. in beauty salons as it may be cheaper to buy but may well be illegal and unregulated/unsafe. If in doubt just ask your own dentist. Our dentists preferred and recommended method for the vast majority of cases is home whitening, for the following reasons:
  • Lower concentration gel used so generally less sensitivity following procedure
  • Less risk of any unexpected damage to gums or teeth again due to the lower concentrations
  • Longer lasting results than laser whitening in our experience
  • Patient is given control and responsibility for their own whitening at home and so greater involvement in their procedure
  • Less expensive to patient as laser whitening will require home whitening as well anyway

Advantages of the Laser/In surgery whitening
  • Results same day, good if need teeth whitened for that same weekend although generally will be rather sensitive for 48 hours or so following procedure
  • Does not require compliance from patients of remembering or committing to wearing trays every night for 2 or more weeks.

More and more surgeries are getting rid of laser whitening and just focusing on home whitening due to the superior longer lasting results and reduced expense to the patients; your dentist will be able to tell you what they offer and go through instructions with you again.

Different Whitening Systems and what you should know

             As with anything, dentists will use different companies to supply their Home whitening kits and so your kit may be different from your friends who had whitening done at a different surgery. The different companies produce their own gels and all work slightly differently. Some have desensitising agents in the gel to help prevent sensitivity, some work a little faster than others, some will say 6% Hydrogen Peroxide while other will say 10% or 16% Carbamide Peroxide. 
          
           I would not get drawn in by these differing terms and ingredients. All these gels will have been approved for dental use in the UK and the dentists generally have tried a few different ones and settled on using the one that gives them the best results for their patients. 

         Cost of treatment varies between practices also and will usually be anywhere between £200 and £800 for home whitening and £450 - £1000 for in surgery whitening which may be more depending on whether you have a home whitening kit also. The cost incorporates the system used, the whitening trays, casting models and surgery time including review appointments and so on. Each dentist will have worked out costings based on their systems and some will have introductory offers or offers if having other treatments. 

There are a number of high street whitening treatments available along with hundreds of whitening toothpastes. Results with these are usually minimal if any at all from my experience of discussing them with patients but I do get some patients that swear by certain high street treatments. My advice would be to try a high street whitening toothpaste or gel (probably from boots or superdrug to be safe and not online) if you want and then let us know if you get good or bad result in the comments section below. In general I would expect very little change from these kits as the concentration of whitening agent will be very low if existent at all.
Extra useful points
  • All whitening will cause some temporary sensitivity in some or all teeth unless your dentist assures you otherwise
  • as a result you should use a sensitive toothpaste and avoid extremes of temperature in your food and drink whilst whitening your teeth and for a short time afterwards.
  • You should avoid things that may adversely stain your teeth during whitening to give the best results and this includes: curries, red wine, coffee, black tea, smoking and anything else common sense would tell us (basically anything that leaves a cup of plate stained afterwards)
  • You should ask your dentist any questions you might have when you see them so you are completely clear on what to do and then read and reread the included instructions in home kits before starting use at home
  • You should only place a minimal amount of gel in the corresponding trays where teeth are to be whitened as it spread out when you put the trays in and any excess you have to wipe away will be wasted, there should be a very small amount of excess that needs wiping away after inserting the tray
  • your teeth may have little white patches on after a day or two of whitening but these will go and your teeth will become all one shade again as you continue
  • If results are not happening as quickly as you would like or you're unhappy remember each individuals teeth are unique and some respond differently to the whitening gel it may mean that you need to purchase some additional tubes of gel from your dentist and discuss with your dentist at your reassessment appointment how long to proceed for.


We hope that you enjoyed that and found it useful.....remember any further questions either ask your own dentist or one of ours by clicking below and including as much information as possible: