Teeth Whitening Birmingham

Your dentist will check your teeth to assess their suitability for whitening. Scans are taken of your teeth and sent to a lab where they will make customized plastic trays. On your return visit, the trays will be fitted and we will show you how to apply the whitening gel.

This depends on the amount of lightening that you desire and the original shade of the teeth. If your teeth are quite dark or very yellow/grey stained, they will take longer to whiten. The trays can be worn overnight or one to two hours during the day. Most teeth will whiten after 2-3 weeks and your teeth will usually get 4-5 shades whiter with this treatment.

Sensitivity of teeth is the most common side effect of home teeth whitening. If your teeth become very sensitive, you should stop whitening your teeth temporarily. Sensitive toothpaste can be placed into the whitening trays for an hour a day. You may also experience sensitivity from teeth with leaky fillings, cracks, chips or cavities. You must see your dentist immediately if you suspect this.

Normally the new white colour of your teeth holds well. The whitening effect will not last as long effect if you smoke or drink lots of coffee, red wine and cola drinks. Most patients top up their whitening a couple of nights each month to keep the teeth looking bright.

You may need some of your existing fillings, caps, or crowns replaced to match the new colour of your teeth, as they will not whiten. Sometimes additional treatment is needed to “touch up” your new smile, such as composite bonding.

Safety studies have shown that whitening the teeth using the dentist-prescribed home whitening technique is perfectly safe for the teeth, cheeks, gum and tissues of the mouth.