Tooth Whitening
 Tooth whitening is a way of lightening the colour of teeth without physically removing any of the tooth surface. It cannot change the colour of the teeth, but may lighten the existing shade.
Removal of stains caused by food and drinks-mostly red wine, tea, coffee and tobacco stains, can greatly improve the appearance of teeth. An appointment woth one of our hygienists should help!
Certain stains can leach into the teeth due to small surface cracks in the enamel. Certain antibiotics can also alter the internal colour of your teeth. In such circumstances, these stains cannot be removed by polishing alone, nor by tooth whitening.
Ultimately the colour of your teeth is down to their make-up. The inner layer of the tooth-the dentine- is quite yellow in colour, so if this layer is particularly thick, then teeth will appear slightly darker. Such an example is your canine tooth. This tooth is quite thick, and therefore appears slightly darker than the rest of your front teeth.
Whitening Toothpastes
There are many types now on the market. Most are effective at removing staining rather than changing the colour of the teeth. Most people find a course of trial and error brings them a toothpaste which works best for them.
Professional Tooth Whitening
Whitening product is applied to your teeth by your dentist. The whitening effect is caused by a chemical reaction inside the surface of the tooth, by the action of carbomide or hydrogen peroxide.
The reaction involves oxygen bubbles entering the surface of the teeth, causing a bleaching solution.
There are several types of professional whitening products available. Ask your dentist which products are used at the practice.
Professional whitening is not covered by the NHS, so there is a private charge for this treatment.
It is important that if you do have your teeth whitened- you realise that some people experience slight sensitivity of their teeth afterwards, so may need to use a sensitive toothpaste or mouthwash for a few days afterwards.
As with all types of bleaching or colouring- the effects fade over time, so further applications may be necessary. Of course, dietary stains and smoking, will reduce the effect of the whitening more rapidly.
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