Tooth Whitening

If you have Invisalign treatment or orthodontic treatment with braces we will carry out home whitening and provide you with one week's worth of home whitening gel completely free of charge.

Whitening procedure

Since opening the practice in 2008 Ethicare Dental has built a strong reputation for itself in the field of whitening. As a tooth whitening clinic Ethicare Dental we carry out teeth whitening for residents for Putney and Wandsworth, but our reputation is such that patient come to us for tooth whitening all across London. We have run courses to teach hygienists how to carry out whitening and show them the various techniques involved. Tooth whitening techniques when carried out by a dental professional are perfectly safe and there are no long term side effects. The alternatives to whitening i.e. veneers and crowns are far more destructive and should only be considered if whitening alone could not achieve the same aesthetic result.

Tooth whitening is a great way of getting fantastic looking results with no damage to tooth structure. Both home and in-surgery techniques are employed at the practice.

HOME WHITENING

This involves taking moulds of your teeth and constructing custom fitting teeth whitening trays. We also employ the use of "Supersealed trays". These are the ultimate in custom fitting trays and keep saliva out and keep the gel enclosed around the teeth. This produces a more even tooth whitening results and can extend the productivity of the gel giving you more value for money. There are 2 types of active ingredient in the gel that is provided for home whitening. Hydrogen peroxide has a shorter half life and is used as part of a day time whitening regime for usually half an hour at a time depending on the percentage of hydrogen peroxide- once or twice a day. Carbamide peroxide has a longer half life and is used in night time whitening formulas. Again depending on the percentage it can be used 3-4 hours at a time or overnight. Home whitening has been used with great success since the 1980's and is generally accepted as the gold standard in whitening. Home whitening will produce a whiter longer lasting result than in surgery whitening. Patients can carry on whitening at their discretion and will always have a way of topping up the whitening effects at a later date. Home whitening is usually carried out over a two week period though some forms of discolouration may benefit from extended periods of home whitening.

Instructions for home whitening.

COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT TOOTH WHITENING

Does tooth whitening at the dentist cause long term damage to the teeth?

No, the whitening products purchased or used at Ethicare Dental are near enough pH Neutral and so there is no long term damage to the enamel. Some other products purchased in chemists or online are acidic and these can cause acid erosion if used long term.

Why is it necessary for a dental professional to carry out tooth whitening when I can get it half the price at a tanning salon, shopping centre or online?

These days the general dental council permits dentists and hygienists to carry out professional tooth whitening. Patient selection is important, which is why we carry out a free consultation prior to any whitening. If you have not had a check up in the last 6 months we would need to carry this out as well as possibly carry out bitewing x-rays as you will not be a suitable candidate for whitening if you have decay or loose fillings until they are made healthy. If the teeth are covered with stain or tartar or the gums are inflamed or you are suffering from active gum disease this will need to be treated first prior to whitening. Teeth with existing fillings or crowns will not whiten so you may not be a suitable candidate. A non dentist will not be able to examine any of these things and whitening clinics in shopping centres are not set up to carry out any of these pre whitening procedures. At Ethicare Dental we believe in carrying out tooth whitening in a safe and ethical way.

Will my teeth whiten, how white will they get and how long with the tooth whitening effect last?

Most patients will get whiter teeth following home whitening but it is difficult to guarantee or predict the exact outcome. Only tooth structure covered with enamel will whiten, so if the enamel has been lost for any reason this part of the tooth is unlikely to whiten and more likely to feel sensitive after tooth whitening. Therefore teeth which have been severely worn down though grinding or acid erosion may not whiten particularly well. If you have white fillings at the front of your mouth or crowns, these will not whiten and so may need to be changed following whitening. Teeth which have suffered tetracycline staining may require longer periods of home whitening as would teeth with grey/brown discolouration. This depends on the severity of tetracycline staining. Most patients will gain some brightening effect as a result of carrying out whitening but results differ from patient to patient.. 

Most tooth whitening gel manufacturers suggest topping up 1 night every 2 months to get back to the whitening results following the original 2 weeks of whitening. How long whitening lasts depends how frequently patients use products which cause staining.

Does tooth whitening cause sensitivity?

This depends on the individual but most people will suffer some degree of sensitivity. The reason sensitivity occurs is that a reversible inflammatory reaction is set up within the tooth. Thankfully at Ethicare Dental we are expert at dealing with sensitivity. Home whitening produces lower grade sensitivity, but the sensitivity can be
reduced by constructing supersealed trays and by applying desensitisers prior and during the home whitening. Sensitivity following In office whitening can be more severe but only tends to last a day or 2 after the process.

PROMOTIONAL OFFERS

We often carry out promotional offers for for cosmetic procedures like tooth whitening. For instance if you cary out Invisalign or fixed Orthodontic treatment you will get 1 weeks worth of home whitening gel for free. Please see our special offers page for our current promotions.

Before and after: