Beechcroft Dental Practice

Whitening

Amalgam fillings

Brushing

At Beechcroft we can offer two types of whitening. You can either make an appointment with the dentist to have the whitening process carried out in the chair, or we can make you special whitening trays which you take home and complete the whitening process yourself.
We aim to provide a consistently high quality of dental care, backed up by proven and evidence-based procedures, whilst ensuring our costs remain competitive.

Home whitening

The best method of using the whitening product involves leaving the trays in overnight. How long you should wear the trays for depends on the amount of lightening that you require and the original colour of the teeth. If the teeth are dark yellow or grey, it will take longer for the whitening to be effective. Most commonly the trays are worn for 10 to 14 nights, but they can be worn during the day usually for a minimum of 1 to 2 hours.

How long does the whitening last? Will I have to whiten my teeth again?

Normally, the new white colour of your teeth will keep quite well. The effect is dependent upon what has caused the teeth to discolour in the first place. If you drink lots of coffee, red wine, cola drinks or smoke, the effect may darken slightly. Smoking causes the teeth to darken anyway and the effects will be diminished, so it is preferable to reduce smoking during and just after whitening.

Does whitening harm teeth?

Safety studies have shown that whitening teeth, using the dentist prescribed home whitening technique is perfectly safe on teeth, gums and tissues of the mouth.

However, tooth whitening is not for everyone. Where front teeth are already crowned or veneered or have very large fillings present, or where the teeth are excessively worn and there is tooth surface loss, whitening may not be recommended.

How will my teeth feel and what about my smile?

Normally teeth feel very clean after the whitening procedure. Your smile will appear brighter and your gums will look more healthy as the whitening materials used have an indirect effect on the gums. In some rare instances, teeth will only lighten a little. If this happens and you are wearing the whitening trays as recommended, you may need to try a different whitening product or a slightly higher concentration of the whitening material.

For any other questions or concerns, please contact the Practice.