Yellowing and discoloured teeth are one of the main reasons that we try to hide our smile but with the simple teeth whitening and other cosmetic dental procedures available today, we can help you to smile with confidence.

As we get older our teeth naturally become darker. If we drink tea, coffee, red wine or consume other food or drink with strong colouring, our teeth may become discoloured earlier in our lives. Another major cause of discolouration is smoking, which can make your teeth appear yellow. Tooth decay, fillings and tartar build-up can also contribute to discolouration.

Here at Tara Martin Dental Care we offer various whitening treatments to help you to achieve the shade you want. The effects of the whitening treatments can last from a few months to a few years and the results vary from person to person.  You will be surprised with the difference simple tooth whitening can make!

It is recommended that your teeth are examined by a dentist before starting any tooth whitening treatment. If you have any tooth decay or gum disease this will need to be treated before starting treatment. Bleaching won’t work on false teeth, crowns, veneers or fillings (even tooth colour fillings), however the fillings can be replaced after treatment with lighter ones to match your new tooth colour.

Is it Safe?

Tooth whitening is very safe but it is always recommended that you get your teeth checked by a dentist before starting any kind of whitening treatment. Sensitivity with hot or cold may occur during treatment but quickly goes once treatment has finished. There are gels and pastes we can apply to counteract any sensitivity.

External Bleaching

Tray Whitening

After you have had your teeth checked by the Dentist, the first thing we do is take impressions of your teeth.  This enables us to make personalised trays which fit your teeth exactly. 

We will supply you with syringes of whitening gel to put in these trays and you are given full instructions on how to use them.

 There are different strengths of whitening gel available.  We offer either a daytime or a nighttime gel.  The nighttime gel will produce a quicker result but the daytime gel does not need to be worn for as long.

If you do suffer with sensitivity we may recommend that you use the daytime bleach which will may take longer to achieve the results you want, but will reduce the chances of sensitivity. 

You will need to regularly wear the trays for between 2-4 weeks. Results vary from person to person - older people or people with very dark teeth may require a longer whitening period and more tubes of gel which we do sell individually. If you develop any sensitivity, we sell individual tubes of desensitising gel that can help you through the process of whitening your teeth without pain.

Power or laser whitening

Power or laser whitening is also carried out at the practice. We use the world renowned Zoom© system as seen on TV’s “Ten Years Younger”. This whitening treatment is carried out in the surgery and takes around one and a half hours of treatment time.  It involves 4 different applications of the gel which is assisted by boosting from the Zoom© light. You may also need to finish off with a few sessions of tray whitening at home and you will be supplied with the trays and gel to do this.  You may see faster results using this method but the final results cannot be guaranteed and sensitivity is more likely.

Internal Bleaching

If a tooth has darkened because it has previously had a root canal treatment it may benefit from internal bleaching.  This involves removing some of the filling from the back of the tooth to gain access to the root filling and inserting bleaching gel into the tooth, over the top of the root filling. A temporary filling is then put over the top. This process is repeated regularly until the desired shade is achieved, after which a permanent filling is then placed back in the tooth. Different teeth respond differently and results vary, so treatment time also varies from 4 to 10 weeks.

Often a combination of internal and external home tray bleaching may be required if your teeth have generally darkened but you also have one noticeably darkened tooth that has previously been root filled.

Please give us a call on 01407 764599 if you would like any further information or would like to book an appointment.