Teeth whitening

Whitening of teeth is very popular and easy to do.

There are many methods of doing this, some of which do not have any long term clinical trials to support them. Use of high powered lamps is one of these. They do whiten the teeth in the very short term but this is due, largely, to the heat produced which dessicates (dries out) the enamel, giving an immediate result. This will fade quickly someway back to the original shade.

If the whitening agent is too concentrated this can cause the teeth to be very sensitive to temperature changes or other stimuli. This is what could very well happen with whitening strips bought over the counter at chemists, or used in beauty salons. In addition, the high concentration could cause problems with the surrounding gums.

It should be realised that only a dentist can legally do teeth whitening. If done by a non-dentist in a salon, or other such place, this is strictly illegal.

The best method is one which takes a little time but gives far longer lasting results and is well worth the effort. The dentist takes an impression of the upper and lower teeth. Special flexible close fitting plastic trays are made to fit EXACTLY over the teeth and shaped round the gum margins. The whitening gel is put into these trays and they are worn at home, for two hours each evening for two weeks.

This picture shows the upper and lower models of the teeth with the transparent gel trays on them. The blue colour is a paint layer on the front of the model teeth. This provides a space inside the tray for the gel.

These pictures are of the tray for the upper teeth. Above on the left the view is from the outer surface.	On the right is looking at the inside. This is where the gel is placed against the front surfaces of the teeth spaces.

After one week the teeth will look whiter. After two weeks most patients will have obtained the amount of whitening they want. The trays can then be put away safely, as when the whitening fades a little after 12-18 months more gel can be used in the same trays to re-whiten the teeth again.

Patients should realise that any existing fillings or crowns in or on the front teeth may look odd next to the newly whitened teeth. These may have to be remade to make them 'whiter' to match the new shade of the teeth. You would be advised of this before whitening starts. In addition, a hygienist visit before starting whitening is essential to make sure all deposits and stains are removed.