Teeth whitening

Whitening lightens natural teeth. It's the simplest cosmetic treatment there is, and also the most oversold. So before anything else, the two facts that matter most. First: it only works on natural tooth surface, so crowns, veneers and fillings keep their colour, which changes the plan if any of them show when you smile. Second: results vary from person to person, and anyone who promises you an exact shade is guessing.

What we offer is whitening done properly: a check of your teeth first, an honest opinion on whether it will give you what you want, and then the method that suits you.

In-chair whitening

In-chair whitening happens at the practice in a single visit. Your gums are protected with a barrier, a stronger whitening gel is applied to the teeth with a whitening light used as part of the treatment, and the whole thing is done within the appointment. You walk out with the result. It suits people who want the change quickly, or who know they won't keep up a nightly routine at home.

The trade-offs, plainly: it costs more than a take-home kit, and the stronger gel makes temporary sensitivity more likely.

Take-home whitening

For take-home whitening we make trays moulded to your teeth (thin, custom-fitted mouthpieces) and give you a milder gel to wear in them at home, typically for a stretch of days to a few weeks depending on the system and your starting colour. The change is gradual, which some people prefer: nobody asks what happened, your teeth just slowly look better.

Take-home costs less, tends to be gentler on sensitive teeth, and the trays remain yours. Topping up later needs only more gel. It does demand consistency; the gel can't work from the bathroom drawer.

Will it work for me?

Whitening works best on natural teeth with yellowish surface staining: the ordinary accumulation from coffee, tea, red wine and smoking. It works less predictably on greyish discolouration, and not at all on:

• crowns, veneers, and fillings: they keep their colour, so a whitened smile can leave an old front-tooth filling suddenly visible
• discolouration inside a tooth, for example after a root canal. That needs a different approach; ask us
• staining on exposed roots where gums have receded

This is exactly why we check your teeth before selling you anything. Whitening over decay or leaking fillings hurts, and whitening around visible dental work disappoints. If whitening won't give you the result you're hoping for, we'll say so at the consultation and tell you what would.

One more honest note: results fade at the pace of your habits. Coffee, tea, red wine and cigarettes re-stain teeth; how long your result lasts depends more on your cup count than on anything we do. Top-ups with your take-home trays are the practical answer.

Sensitivity

Some sensitivity during or after whitening is common, typically a passing twinge with cold, sometimes brief zings in individual teeth. It's temporary and it settles. We manage it rather than pretending it away: gentler gel or shorter wear times, breaks between sessions, and a desensitising toothpaste before and during treatment. If your teeth are already sensitive, tell us first. It changes which method we suggest, and you may want to read our sensitive teeth section too.

Whitening under a dentist's eye differs from a supermarket kit in one main way: the agents we may use are stronger than anything sold off the shelf, which is exactly why the check-up comes first: the strength is safe when your teeth and gums have been examined and the trays actually fit. Shop-bought kits are weaker by design; they're not dangerous, they're just working with less, and one-size trays put gel where it shouldn't go.

Take-home kits

We use Philips Zoom whitening exclusively, for in-chair and take-home whitening alike. At the consultation we'll explain which option suits your teeth and show you how the take-home kit works.

Frequently asked questions

How white will my teeth go?

Lighter than they are; by how much depends on your starting colour, the cause of the staining and the method. We'll give you an honest expectation at the consultation, based on your teeth rather than a brochure.

Is whitening safe for my enamel?

Used correctly on examined teeth, dentist-supervised whitening does not damage enamel. The caveats are real, though: it needs healthy teeth, intact fillings and supervised strengths, which is why we check first.

Why not just buy whitening strips at the shop?

You can. They're weaker, so results are slower and smaller, and without an examination you may be whitening over a problem or around dental work that won't change colour. If budget is the deciding factor, a dental check first and a shop kit after is still safer than a shop kit alone.

Does whitening work on stains from smoking?

Usually yes, for surface staining. And the result fades faster if the smoking continues. We'll say that kindly, once, and leave the maths to you.

I have a crown on a front tooth. Can I still whiten?

Yes, but plan for it: the crown won't change colour, so we whiten first, let the shade settle, and then match a new crown to the result if the difference shows. Doing it in that order avoids paying for a crown twice.