Teeth Whitening

Give your smile a makeover

Bring brightness to your smile

Many people ask their dentist how they can make their teeth whiter. That’s because an improved smile is on most patients’ priority list when visiting the dentist. Bright white teeth are a significant part of what makes a smile appealing, and a teeth whitening treatment is the most conservative way to make your teeth whiter. It’s effective, affordable and, most importantly, safe.

Discolouration of the teeth can be due to several factors. The outermost layer of your teeth is enamel. Most of us start out with thick, sparkling white porcelain-like enamel. With age, enamel becomes worn down and more transparent, allowing the yellow colour of the inner tooth structure; the dentine, to show through. The commonest causes of staining are due to external factors like smoking, heavy consumption of tea, coffee, red wine, and poor oral hygiene. Age alone does not make our teeth yellow, but as we age, the layer of tooth under our enamel begins to show. This part of the tooth is less white, and that’s why the teeth can appear discoloured. Also, over time, gum recession may be more prevalent, exposing part of the tooth root, which is also more yellow than tooth enamel.

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The benefits of Teeth Whitening

With Southcot Dental

We fully appreciate that stained or discoloured teeth can have a negative effect on your self esteem. Here at Southcot Dental in Larkfield, our experienced and loyal team offer a personalised tooth whitening service. It’s important to us that you’re safe and comfortable throughout the treatment process and that you achieve the results you expect; a brighter, more attractive smile, with added oral health benefits. We care about how you want your teeth to look and so strive to provide you with whiter teeth, and consequently more confidence in your smile.

Boosts confidence in your appearance

Reliable results

Improves your oral health

Stronger, healthier teeth

Safe and comfortable treatment

Effective and affordable

Frequently Asked Questions

Your questions about teeth whitening answered

Is teeth whitening treatment suitable for everyone?

Under the expert guidance of the Kent-based Southcot Dental team, our teeth whitening is considered safe for most people. (Pregnant and breastfeeding women may be advised to wait until a later date to have the treatment.) Clinical studies show that teeth whitening is one of the safest cosmetic procedures it’s possible to have. You can improve your appearance with minimum risk.

As for the sort of results you can expect, that varies according to the individual. Teeth whitening works on most types of staining, but in cases of discolouration from trauma, additional dental treatment is likely to be required.

How long will my teeth remain bright?

You should be able to enjoy your new brighter smile for up to 2 years after treatment. However, a top-up treatment can keep discolouration at bay for even longer.

Is teeth whitening treatment painful?

If you’re having teeth whitening treatment in our practice, we’ll ensure that you’re as relaxed and painfree as possible throughout the process. If you’re carrying out the treatment at home, we’ll provide you with bespoke, custom made trays that will fit your mouth in a snug and comfortable way.

How can I prevent staining my newly whitened teeth?

Certain foods and drinks are known to cause staining. These include tea, coffee, wine, curry and some berries. Eating and drinking these products in moderation, together with careful maintenance of your teeth, and regular brushing, can help prevent the re-introduction of heavy staining. Giving up smoking will also help you keep your teeth whiter for longer!

So, how can you get whiter teeth? Good oral hygiene and six-monthly dental check-ups and cleans are paramount in maintaining whiter teeth. Extrinsic staining can sometimes be removed by a professional clean and polish, whereas intrinsic staining will typically require further treatment.

What are the risks involved?

Whitening can cause a temporary increase in sensitivity to temperature, pressure and touch. Patients at greatest risk for whitening sensitivity are those with gum recession, significant cracks in their teeth, or failing restorations resulting in leakage. Post-whitening sensitivity lasts no longer than a day or two.

Gum irritation can occur as a result of contact between your gum and the whitening agent. Such irritation can last a few days, and in these cases we advise you to stop whitening and allow your gums to recover before carefully starting again.

Unfortunately, there are products out there that are not appropriate and can cause you harm. Your wellbeing is our priority. This is why we only use registered and regulated products for teeth whitening. We’ve used and had great results with Philips Zoom Whitening systems for many years.

What happens during a teeth whitening appointment?

Your teeth will be prepared by your dentist, before a hydrogen peroxide-based bleaching agent is applied. This gel will remove the stains and lighten the teeth. You’ll leave our practice with teeth which are visibly lighter and brighter.

There are many whitening options these days. The safest way however is to use a custom made home whitening system. This way you whiten your teeth gradually over about two weeks.

The process of undertaking at-home bleaching begins with your dentist taking upper and lower moulds of your teeth to make custom-fitted whitening trays, for your teeth. Once you have received the trays, the procedure is very simple. Either on a daily or nightly basis you will need to wear your trays containing the appropriate whitening gel, as provided by us.

The duration of wear can range from a few hours per day while you watch TV or read a book; to overnight while you snooze. This procedure is repeated daily or nightly over a few weeks.

At-home whitening carries numerous advantages, but principally it places the control of whitening in your hands, allowing you to dictate how “white” your teeth become, before moving onto your “maintenance” phase.

It also doubles up later on as your maintenance system, allowing you to touch up the whiteness of your teeth. In addition, it allows our more sensitive patients to tailor their whitening procedure to their comfort.

Keep in mind that if you have fillings, crowns, or bridges on your front teeth these will not change in colour. You can discuss with your dentist the options available in this case.

Your patient journey

Consultation

Before your treatment, you’ll come and meet a member of our friendly Larkfield dental team to talk about the procedure. This is a chance for us to ensure we can best accommodate your individual needs as effectively as possible. We want this to be a valuable experience, as well as the opportunity to ask any questions you might have.

Treatment

On the day of your treatment, you’ll be shown into our safe, clean practice rooms and made comfortable. Any anaesthetic required will be administered ahead of the treatment and we’ll ensure that you fully understand the steps of the relevant processes that will take place. Our expert and approachable team have all had training to help support nervous patients.

Aftercare

Following your treatment, our practitioner will advise you on how you can best maintain your new look. We don’t expect there to be any side effects, but should there any individual issues, we’ll thoroughly assist and support you.