Even with the most diligent oral hygiene regime, your teeth may not remain a brilliant white. Indeed, some people’s teeth may never have had that brilliance as just as hair colour varies from person to person, so does tooth colour. Some lifestyles will keep teeth whiter from longer – avoiding smoking, red wine and tea for instance is conducive to having a set of pearly whites. Tooth whitening is a popular treatment at our central London specialist dental practice, especially as a finishing touch after restoration or straightening work. Here are just three of the most frequently asked questions we hear.
Are tooth whitening results permanent?
If you have had professional tooth whitening, you can expect your treated teeth to brighter for around three years before you might think about doing it again. Looking after the results by going easy on food and drink that stain – red wine, curries and coffee, for example – will keep them whiter for longer.
Is tooth whitening painful?
While some report heightened sensitivity or minor patches of white on the gum line, the procedure itself should not be painful – and any side effects should disappear within days. At our specialist dental practice, we consider comfort a top priority for our London patients and will endeavour to make the tooth whitening process as easy and painless as possible.
Can anyone perform tooth whitening?
No. As a ‘dental procedure’, it is only legal for qualified dental professionals to offer and perform tooth whitening. Furthermore, the products that contain a higher level of hydrogen peroxide are only available to professionals; over-the-counter tooth whitening kits may show an improvement but the concentration of hydrogen peroxide is too low for this to be truly discernable. If you are unsure if someone is a professional, ask for their GDC number and run a check at the General Dental Council.
