The tooth whitening process involves applying an oxidizing gel to your teeth surfaces, which breaks down the proteins trapped in enamel. These proteins, once broken down, dissolve out of the enamel structure resulting in the teeth becoming whiter…. without causing any damage to their structure.

WHICH TOOTH WHITENING TREATMENTS ARE BEST FOR YOU?

At home
One method is to whiten your teeth at home. A weak (10-15%) carbamide peroxide gel is applied to special dental mouth guards, that are worn on the upper and lower teeth for a few hours during the day or evening over a period of a week or two.

In the dental practice
Many patients, particularly those in the City of London, prefer the faster and more ‘instantaneous' technique of ‘in surgery' power tooth whitening. At The Bright Side we use a more concentrated (25-35%) hydrogen peroxide gel applied directly to the teeth surfaces after the gums have been isolated and protected with a liquid rubber mask. An intense special light of appropriate wavelength is shone on the teeth. The full tooth whitening procedure is completed in under two hours.

Combination treatments
To achieve a more predictable and longer lasting result, combinations of the above treatments can be tailored to suit your specific needs. This is called deep bleaching.

Relax…Chill out.
During the ‘in surgery' power tooth whitening procedure, you can use this time to ‘chill out' for an hour and a half. Listen to your choice of music through good quality headphones or watch a DVD movie with our special eyeglasses.

The changes to expect
If your teeth have darker or more resistant staining, you may need more than one visit to achieve the optimum level of whiteness. A second session a week or two later can be the one that achieves the truly stunning results.

We usually record the degree of colour change by taking before and after photographs. Most people very quickly forget the previous colour of their teeth! A graded shade guide will also show you to what extent your teeth have whitened.

Changes should last a couple of years on average, maybe longer. One or other technique can then be repeated as necessary.

Dental whitening/bleaching procedures can increase teeth sensitivity for up to 24 hours afterwards. The reaction is very individual ranging from almost imperceptible to significant. So sometimes it is advisable to take an analgesic pill and/or we can provide you with a desensitising gel.