Treatments
Treatments
Do you have stained teeth that make you feel self-conscious about smiling? Teeth whitening can be a good solution for certain types of tooth staining.
Teeth can be stained by foods, drinks, smoking and certain medications. Teeth whitening is a safe procedure that can lighten the colour of your teeth by using a safe dental bleaching agent. Individual results vary and are based on your initial tooth colour and the nature of your tooth staining.
We deliver two types of teeth whitening:
1. Power Whitening
Here your teeth are whitened in the dental chair. A protective barrier is placed on your gums and lips, and a gel is placed on your teeth. A lamp is positioned over the teeth and this activates the bleaching process. Watch this clip to see how it works. After one hour you can expect your teeth to look a few shades brighter and is a popular choice with many patients who have an important event coming up where they want to look their best.
Here are some before and after photos of what you can expect from a typical procedure:
2. Home Whitening
Here we custom-make a lightweight plastic mouth tray for you that fits snugly over your teeth. You then put a whitening gel inside the tray and wear it at night or for a few hours during the day. Results are normally seen over 2 weeks and your teeth will also appear whiter and brighter.
Enlighten® is one of the newest and best whitening programs to date. This combination of a home and in-surgery whitening system using specially designed custom made 'super sealed trays' have produced results which have astounded patients and dentists alike!
The Enlighten® whitening system can be used at home alone or as a combination with an in-surgery power session at the end of your program.
Following a consultation or discussion with one of our team. One of our team members will take mould/impressions of your mouth which we will use to create your Enlighten custom fit bleaching trays, which will be ready to collect a few weeks later on your fitting visit.
We will demonstrate for you in person how to use your trays and gels during your appointment and ensure they fit correctly. We will also start your desensitising treatment and show you how to use your home desensitising products included in your premium whitening. Finally we will provide you with care information and advice to take home and arrange your review appointment.
Depending on your whitening package patient can choose to have an insurgery session at their end of their home whitening period or not. Either way we welcome our patients back to review their final result.
We offer our patients a standard and a premium option for teeth whitening now.
Home teeth whitening is where you apply a special teeth whitening gel into a personally created gum shield or 'tray' and wear it overnight for 1 – 2 weeks. At FHDC we recommend the Boutique at home whitening system.
This is a cheaper alternative to combination teeth whitening, but it does takes longer to achieve the results that you get with a combined home and in-surgery whitening system such as Enlighten.
One of the advantages of home teeth whitening is that once you have been provided with your personal teeth whitening trays, you can top up the whiteness of your teeth by purchasing top up whitening agent syringes from our practice.
What is the teeth whitening agent?
The active chemical in the teeth whitening agent is 16% carbamide peroxide. This gel releases oxygen free radicals (which whiten the teeth) over a longer period of time, due to its sustained release. This gradual approach will still give fantastic results, due the length of time the gel stays active.
Why aren't my teeth white?
Some people have naturally darker teeth. Your teeth can also be stained on the surface by food and drinks such as tea, coffee, red wine and blackcurrant. Smoking can also stain teeth. Tartar can also affect the colour of your teeth. Some people may have staining under the surface, which can be caused by certain antibiotics or by tiny cracks in the teeth which allow the stain to penetrate the teeth.
What are 'personal whitening trays'?
Teeth whitening trays look like a gum shield or mouth guard. Your dentist will take an impression of your teeth and send this away to a dental laboratory so that they can use this as a mould to create trays that are designed for your teeth. This ensures that you have a perfect fit and that the whitening agent can be evenly administered onto your teeth without leakage.
Are there any side effects?
In a very small number of cases patients might find that their teeth become sensitive during or after the treatment. There could be discomfort in the gums, you might get a sore throat or tiny white patches on the your gums. These symptoms are usually temporary and disappear after a few days of the treatment finishing. The most frequent side effect is a small amount of sensitivity that your dentist can help you with by applying a desensitising gel on your teeth.
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