Restoring the shine to your smile with tooth whitening

Restoring the shine to your smile with tooth whitening

04/03/2022

There are many reasons why teeth may become discoloured over time, environment, genetics and lifestyle can all play a part, but our tooth whitening Burnham is here to help, returning your teeth back to the pearly white lustre of early days! Let’s find out how.

What is tooth staining? It is a broad description based on changes in the appearance of enamel, usually dark, often brown or black blemishes can appear. It can suggest a wide range of things, possibly a build-up of plaque and tartar at the start of a cavity, or smoking or dietary tannins could be involved, as could metabolic by-products or dietary build-up like fluoride in fluorosis. Depending on the cause, treatments are different and it’s why we always carry out a check-up before starting tooth whitening Burnham. It is always best to correct degenerative underlying conditions, before trying to tackle any cosmetic symptoms.

Dental whitening treatment

Assuming there are no underlying conditions that need to be addressed, a standard chemical whitening is deemed to be the best solution. Treatment time should be expected to take between 30 and 40 minutes. If it is your first session, it may be a little bit longer as we will have to produce a custom-fitted tray that will hold the solution in place during treatment.

During an in-clinic session, we will be using a high concentration bleach, and we are also able to offer you at-home bleaching sessions if you prefer, which may take longer. We prefer a combination of both 2-week periods of at-home whitening as well as sessions in the practice. This seems to be the best compromise including the optimal parts of both methods, with the gradual and natural-looking shade change of at-home whitening with the expediency of clinic work. This also minimises the damage that can be caused from over bleaching and dehydrating teeth causing short-term discolouration and under pigmentation, as well as tooth sensitivity.

Possible side effects and maximising results

Most whitening treatments are only effective for 6 months, but this can be prolonged depending on changes in lifestyle. This is particularly true if the initial staining was caused by factors under your control.

Apart from the normal dental hygiene routines of flossing and regular brushing, tooth staining can be minimised by avoiding smoking and chewing tobacco products like pann, as well as drinking high tannin beverages or if you must have them preferably, drinking them through a straw.

Difficult cases and the role of veneers

It is important to realise that tooth whitening Burnham has its limitations and shouldn’t be seen as a magic bullet or an instant solution. There are many examples of tooth staining that cannot be resolved either using chemical techniques or abrasion techniques, where the outermost layer of the enamel is removed and the exposed enamel is polished effectively, resurfacing the tooth.

In these complicated cases (often involving genetic and metabolic factors) the entire tooth has been affected, leaving only one practical solution. Veneers are an extremely effective, if high cost option, that we would only advise if less invasive and more convenient options have been exhausted.

If you have any further questions about dental whitening techniques or how our clinic might be able to help you, please feel free to get in contact.