Teeth Whitening
Brighten your smile with at-home or professional teeth whitening.
If you've been longing for whiter teeth, you're not alone. Teeth whitening has become increasingly popular in recent years, as more people recognise the impact it can have on their smiles.
Patients today have more teeth whitening options than ever before. From in-practice procedures to kits for teeth whitening at home, patients can safely and comfortably enjoy the benefits of a brighter smile.
Your trusted dentist will review your whitening goals along with your oral health and recommend the best teeth whitening treatment to meet your needs.
What is teeth whitening?
Teeth whitening is a cosmetic procedure aimed at improving the appearance of teeth by applying a gel, which is then activated by lights or lasers (with precautions taken to protect the gums) that breaks down stains on the enamel and dentin, lightening the colour of your natural teeth.
Teeth whitening options
In-chair teeth whitening
In-chair teeth whitening requires one or more visits to a dental practice. You’ll be in the dental chair for about an hour while your dentist applies a professional-grade whitening solution to your teeth.
Depending on the type of solution used, your dentist may also use a bright light to maximise results. Following the application of the solution, your dentist will provide directions for avoiding staining your teeth for the following day or two, then offer general advice to help keep your teeth white in the long term.
Take-home teeth whitening
An alternative option to in-chair whitening is a take-home whitening kit that includes custom dental trays and whitening gel. Your dentist will provide instructions for applying your whitening gel to achieve the desired results.
In most cases, it takes longer to achieve results with at-home whitening kits because they are less potent. However, patients often like the convenience of whitening their teeth at home.
What to consider when getting your teeth whitened
Have you tried whitening toothpaste and other products promising pearly whites, but you're not seeing results? It might be important to start asking yourself if professional teeth whitening might make the difference you've been looking for:
- Does the condition of your teeth adversely affect your self-esteem?
- What method of teeth whitening fits best in your budget?
- How does your schedule align with the different choices for teeth whitening?
- What level of whitening do you want?
- Do you have any underlying health problems?
- What process for teeth whitening makes the most sense for your schedule and household situation?
Your dentist will want to know your answers to these questions, so be sure to think about your goals and budget before you attend a teeth whitening consultation.
Interested in teeth whitening?
Dental whitening can make a massive difference for a person with discoloured teeth. If you are tired of having dull, yellow teeth, contact our friendly team and schedule a consultation.
Frequently asked questions
Your whitening treatment begins with an initial consultation at our practice, where our dentist will take an impression of your teeth from which your custom-made whitening trays are created. These trays are then filled with the whitening gel and are to be worn for short periods of time each day. When our dentist hands you your at-home teeth whitening kit, it contains everything you need for a whiter and brighter smile, along with instructions.
Whitening is only recommended for adults with healthy teeth and gums. Active decay or gum infections will need to be addressed first. Additionally, we recommend avoiding whitening agents while pregnant or breastfeeding.
Our home whitening gels contain 18% carbamide peroxide. Most over-the-counter products are restricted to 2%, making them less effective against tooth stain.
Your take-home kit will include your moulds, whitening trays, bleaching gel and a tube of sensitivity toothpaste.
No. Porcelain and composite restorations will retain their natural color and do not respond to bleaching gels. However, surface stains can be polished away during your routine scale and clean. If you prefer your dental work to be brighter, it will need to be changed out to match your surrounding enamel.