Getting Your Teeth Whitened – The Facts
Some insights into teeth whitening
These days, it seems like every celebrity has the perfect smile.
From A listers to Z listers, that perfect Hollywood beam seems to be within everyone’s reach, including all of us non-famous folk. So it’s no wonder here at our NW8 Abbey Road Dentist we’re getting more and more lovely customers coming through our doors asking about teeth whitening – who doesn’t want a gorgeous grin?
What Is Teeth Whitening?
Teeth whitening is classed as ‘cosmetic dentistry’. This is because it is not an essential, dental procedure. People used to have it done mainly to combat stained teeth, however we’re seeing more people than ever come in because they want that dazzling Hollywood smile, even if their teeth are already fairly white in the first place.
Teeth whitening can help people achieve whiter teeth, however the amount of lightening that can be achieved is very individual to the person and depends on their genetics, natural teeth tone and condition of their teeth. At our friendly dental practice we would always recommend a customer comes in for a chat to decide whether or not their teeth are suitable for a whitening procedure.
Home Whitening Kits
Many dentists provide bespoke, certified and safe home whitening kits, however it is possible to buy many home whitening kits online, from shops and from various other outlets.
These types of home whitening kits are all the rage and many celebrities endorse various brands at the moment (I think we’re all a bit tired of certain reality TV stars appearing with teeth whitening products in the media!) Although these kits may well whiten your teeth a little, generally they will never be strong enough to give you a really spectacular result because they can only use 0.1% hydrogen peroxide under current EU rules. The British Dental Association also recommends any person is cautious about using any home tooth whitening kits not bought from a registered dental practice, so we would always recommend you speak to us before using one. It is also worth remembering that it is illegal for anyone to carry out tooth whitening unless they are a qualified dentist; this includes beauticians so be wary of special offers from unqualified individuals or companies.
Professional Tooth Whitening
We offer professional tooth whitening here at our Abbey Road Dentist in NW8. We would be happy to have a chat with you if you are interested in our teeth whitening services. We offer whitening at the practice, or custom made whitening trays to be used at home. Before we do anything one of our hygienists or registered dental professionals will perform a thorough assessment of your teeth and gums to check your suitability. We use a tooth whitening system called Enlighten which is particularly popular with customers because you don’t have to stop drinking coffee or red wine after using it. If you’re interested, we would be more than happy to have a chat with you about how good it is!