Teeth Whitening London

Ultimate White Teeth

Originally more widely used in cosmetic dentistry, dental bleaching, or as it's more commomnly known - tooth whitening, has now become popular with general dentistry and the wider public alike.. As we lose our whiter first teeth, the mineral structure change that comes with natural ageing tends to darken our adult teeth.

Lifestyles and habits can impact greatly upon our teeth. Bacterial pigments, foodstuffs and tobacco along with certain antibiotic medications can add to teeth staining or a reduction in the brilliance of the enamel.

The USA has been at the forefront of dental care and cosmetic enhancement for decades. Teeth whitening is common practice among Americans, who are always amazed at our cavalier attitude towards our teeth in general.

Things have changed dramatically over recent years, and what was once the preserve of the rich has filtered down to all of us.

There are several methods used to whiten teeth - bleaching strips, bleaching pen, bleaching gel, laser bleaching, and natural bleaching.

Most home whitening is carried out using a medium strength (23%) bleaching gel. This is normally applied to the teeth using thin guard trays. Oxidizing agents such as hydrogen peroxide were initially popular. In most cases this has been replaced by the less vigourous carbamide peroxide. Kinder to gums and skin tissue.

The oxidizing agent penetrates the porosities in the rod-like crystal structure of enamel and oxidizes interprismatic stain deposits; over a period of time, the dentin layer, lying underneath the enamel, is also bleached.

Power bleaching uses light energy to accelerate the process of bleaching. This has to date, been carried out in a dental surgery, but is now (thanks to the introduction of small, affordable light-machines) being added to the home whitening process. The effects of bleaching can last for several months, but may vary depending on the lifestyle of the patient.

Please be aware that smoking and the ingestion of dark coloured liquids such as coffee, tea and red wine, will all effect the long term success of your whitening regime.