If you have been to see Tom at St Stephens Dental Practice then you may have noticed a poster about tooth bleaching on the door of his surgery. If not then here is all the information you need to know about Teeth Whitening…

WHITENING IS SAFE

If carried out by a trained dental professional, whitening is perfectly safe. Based on their knowledge of your oral health your dentist will discuss with you the options available, decide if tooth whitening is appropriate for you and develop an overall treatment plan that gives the desired effect.

ONLY A TRAINED DENTAL PROFESSIONAL CAN WHITEN TEETH

It is illegal for anyone other than dentists or their teams to carry out teeth whitening. Anyone else offering teeth whitening will not have the right training and knowledge. They will probably be using products that are not licensed for use by any other than dental professionals. Existing dental problems will be overlooked and not diagnosed. Teeth and gums could be damaged with no hope of help if there are problems.

THE PREFERRED OPTION

Whitening will not remove or damage the surface of your teeth or change their shape. It is often a better option than alternatives such as veneers for inherently changing the tooth colour if that is all that is required, because it does not involve permanently removing tooth tissue. Tooth structure is maintained and is thus easy to look after.

SELECTING THE RIGHT PRODUCT FOR YOU

Your dentist is trained to know which whitening products will be safe for your teeth and gums as they will be correctly licenced dental products only available to dentists. Products provided by non-dentists often are not GB licensed and bought through the internet. They are not British dental products with enough safety data and evidence to support their use and lack a CE stamp. They can result in damaged teeth, burned gums and/or blistered lips or even more serious consequences. Using products that are not appropriate for you will produce poor results.

HOW IT WORKS

A carefully controlled concentration of Carbamide Peroxide “bleach” is applied to your teeth using bespoke trays that fit in your mouth. Your dentist will be able to discuss with you the level of whitening you want to achieve and give you an idea of how many treatments you may need to achieve the shade you want.

WHAT TO EXPECT

You may experience some sensitivity for a short time during your treatment but this is normal and will soon fade away. Not everyone has this symptom and it goes away when bleaching is finished. We can supply you with products that can ease this sensitivity.

OVER THE COUNTER KITS MAY NOT BE SAFE

The products you can buy online or from high street shops often fail to declare the precise chemicals used so it is very difficult to assess their safety or effectiveness. Because of this they should not be considered safe. These products won’t produce the same good results you can expect by visiting your dentist.

ASK YOUR DENTIST ABOUT WHITENING
Phone on 01227 452668 or Email to ststdental@gmail.co.uk