Professional Teeth Whitening Treatments
Why having this popular cosmetic treatment performed by a dentist is safer, and more effective, than attempting a DIY approach
One of the most straightforward ways to give your teeth a visible boost is to have them whitened. You will, no doubt, have seen numerous advertisements on TV for whitening toothpastes and other similar products.
There is no doubt that these companies are tapping into a lucrative market, but unfortunately, the products on offer can produce disappointing results, as we shall see in a few minutes.
At the Synergy Clinic, our professional teeth whitening treatment is one of our most popular. We offer two ways of achieving this; either a one hour ‘in clinic’ treatment, or a custom kit that you can use at home, but which takes a little longer to achieve the same level of whiteness.
Teeth whitening toothpastes
Before we look at the treatments that we offer at our Addlestone dental clinic, it is worth investigating the pros and cons of using a whitening toothpaste. These are now widely available and it is natural that patients are tempted to use them. Unfortunately, any improvements produced are likely to be relatively minor and users may well be disappointed. There may even be some risk to the health of your teeth in some cases.
There are two ways in which a whitening toothpaste may attempt to whiten your teeth. Some may include additional abrasive elements that are designed to remove surface staining from your teeth. These can also damage the enamel surface of your teeth, especially if you brush too often or too hard. Others use a whitening agent similar to that used by dentists. The difference is that, because this ingredient is potentially dangerous if misused, toothpaste manufacturers are restricted by law in the amount that they can use, and can only use a fraction of the amount that professionals can. The end results are likely to fall a long way short of what the user had hoped for.
These toothpastes may have a useful role however, if used following a professional whitening treatment, and may help to extend the length of time before the results of the treatment start to fade. We are happy to discuss this with you during your treatment consultation.
(more…)