Teeth Whitening
Discussion
Has anyone had it done? I don't mean kits you can buy online, I mean proper teeth whitening in a dentist surgery.
I'm wanting it done and don't mind paying £300-£400 for good results.
Keen to hear from anyone who has had it done by a professional? Price/advice/thoughts/results etc would be handy!
I'm wanting it done and don't mind paying £300-£400 for good results.
Keen to hear from anyone who has had it done by a professional? Price/advice/thoughts/results etc would be handy!
Are you considering the laser teeth whitening or the normal bleaching method?
My orthodontist recommended that I didn't use the laser, as it happens so quickly you will not have any control over the colour you end up with, more often than not, the results being unnaturally white.
On his advice, I got some 10% carbamide peroxide from the internet and did it myself. The only problem with the internet kits is that you will have to form the moulds for the solution to sit in yourself. I used the retainers made by the orthodontist, so didn't have that problem.
Also, if you have sensitive teeth, be careful with any strong bleaching agents. As far as I know the laser method also uses bleach.
My orthodontist recommended that I didn't use the laser, as it happens so quickly you will not have any control over the colour you end up with, more often than not, the results being unnaturally white.
On his advice, I got some 10% carbamide peroxide from the internet and did it myself. The only problem with the internet kits is that you will have to form the moulds for the solution to sit in yourself. I used the retainers made by the orthodontist, so didn't have that problem.
Also, if you have sensitive teeth, be careful with any strong bleaching agents. As far as I know the laser method also uses bleach.
Yep
Smoked for 23 years and when I gave up it was one of the first things that I did. All very successful, wore the moulds for an hour or so every evening for some 3 weeks IIRC. The results were pretty impressive, had no issues with sensitivity and 4 years on, my teeth are still in good nick.
My dentist checks that I'm happy with the colour every visit, benefit being that should I ever have a further course of whitening treatment, just a matter of paying for the peroxide gel. Which I 'spose I could always just purchase over the 'net, or buy a weaker solution at Boots or something.
From memory, I reckon it cost me just over £300, which considering the positive comments was a bargain.
Regards
Smoked for 23 years and when I gave up it was one of the first things that I did. All very successful, wore the moulds for an hour or so every evening for some 3 weeks IIRC. The results were pretty impressive, had no issues with sensitivity and 4 years on, my teeth are still in good nick.
My dentist checks that I'm happy with the colour every visit, benefit being that should I ever have a further course of whitening treatment, just a matter of paying for the peroxide gel. Which I 'spose I could always just purchase over the 'net, or buy a weaker solution at Boots or something.
From memory, I reckon it cost me just over £300, which considering the positive comments was a bargain.
Regards
Yep. Excellent results from the mouth guards used every night for two weeks, then topped up once a quarter with one application. People comment on my lovely teeth at parties. For the top- ups, you can get extra supplies of the peroxide online which is quite a bit cheaper than from the dentist.
I was having veneers put on my front two teeth (fell and smashed them as a kid and the patch ups were a little worse for wear), so i needed to whiten the rest first before i had the veneers made.
Mine were quite badly discolored- not from smoking or lack of care, they had just yellowed over time.
On the advice of my dentist- who i trust totally- i elected for the trays with solution in every nite and now the occasional top up. Worked extremely well and quite quickly, and as i was having impressions taken during the veneer process anyway it was no extra hassle getting the whitening trays made for me.
The only side effect was increased sensitivity while doing it- other than that no complaints.
The first comment i got when all was done was that my teeth looked 'very american' , which suits me fine as before they looked very british.
A good dentist is worth every penny and worth seeking out - unlike the f***ing moron i saw for years who insisted that that my teeth couldnt be whitened at all(ever), and the only solution to my front two was total removal and replacement with two false teeth, or a crown on both.
Mine were quite badly discolored- not from smoking or lack of care, they had just yellowed over time.
On the advice of my dentist- who i trust totally- i elected for the trays with solution in every nite and now the occasional top up. Worked extremely well and quite quickly, and as i was having impressions taken during the veneer process anyway it was no extra hassle getting the whitening trays made for me.
The only side effect was increased sensitivity while doing it- other than that no complaints.
The first comment i got when all was done was that my teeth looked 'very american' , which suits me fine as before they looked very british.
A good dentist is worth every penny and worth seeking out - unlike the f***ing moron i saw for years who insisted that that my teeth couldnt be whitened at all(ever), and the only solution to my front two was total removal and replacement with two false teeth, or a crown on both.
Edited by GCH on Saturday 30th March 01:32
The law is that only a registered dental professional can carry out tooth whitening and the maximum strength of hydrogen peroxide is 6%. A dental hygienist or therapist may carry out to the prescription of a dentist.
Anyone else, beauticians, booths in malls etc are illegally practising dentistry and unregulated and uninsured. Should something go wrong, you will have no recompense.
Some may claim to use a non peroxide gel, but they don't realise the chemistry of their product sodium perborate breaks down to hydrogen peroxide, but no way of regulating the strength.
Again buying online, how do you actually know what you're getting? I saw a pt recently with terrible gingival burns after buying gel online, she didn't even read the label.
Therefore in chair or laser whitening is pretty redundant, some dental companies are releasing in chair products which work at a lower %, but I would always go with home/tray whitening. Safe, predictable and you retain the trays to top up later.
I would also like to point out that from 1st may you can see a dental hygienist without seeing a dentist first, although I would strongly recommend having regular check ups in adjunct!
Anyone else, beauticians, booths in malls etc are illegally practising dentistry and unregulated and uninsured. Should something go wrong, you will have no recompense.
Some may claim to use a non peroxide gel, but they don't realise the chemistry of their product sodium perborate breaks down to hydrogen peroxide, but no way of regulating the strength.
Again buying online, how do you actually know what you're getting? I saw a pt recently with terrible gingival burns after buying gel online, she didn't even read the label.
Therefore in chair or laser whitening is pretty redundant, some dental companies are releasing in chair products which work at a lower %, but I would always go with home/tray whitening. Safe, predictable and you retain the trays to top up later.
I would also like to point out that from 1st may you can see a dental hygienist without seeing a dentist first, although I would strongly recommend having regular check ups in adjunct!
Does anyone have specific links for products they have used? I want to get mine whitened and have retainers, however my dentist will only do it for me if I pay for them to do moulds (my teeth straightening was done at the local hospital), I feel this is a money making exercise as the retainers should surely be perfect for the job but they insit they will only do it if I use a mould they have made.
I do suffer from sensitive teeth and am concerned about this getting any worse with treatments applied so any advice along these lines would be appreciated. I have tried pearl drops "hollywood smile" toothpaste and it has made no noticeable difference.
I do suffer from sensitive teeth and am concerned about this getting any worse with treatments applied so any advice along these lines would be appreciated. I have tried pearl drops "hollywood smile" toothpaste and it has made no noticeable difference.
You're taking a huge risk buying unknown products on line. Do you know the side effects? What if you received chlorine dioxide? Trading standards tested products advertised at 0.1% which were actually 7.9% hydrogen peroxide. If you have sensitive teeth you really should enlist the help of a dental professional.
As for pearl drops, abrasive, will contribute to sensitivity. In my experience the whitening toothpastes don't work.
Start using sensodyne repair and protect, without rinsing your mouth after brushing, control the sensitivity before whitening.
Of course we're all money grabbing b
ds, I accept PayPal for online advice 
As for pearl drops, abrasive, will contribute to sensitivity. In my experience the whitening toothpastes don't work.
Start using sensodyne repair and protect, without rinsing your mouth after brushing, control the sensitivity before whitening.
Of course we're all money grabbing b
ds, I accept PayPal for online advice Here is mine 
I hsd exactly the same issues- whitening toothpaste did literally nothing, and i was very sceptical of ordering online after seeing some horror stories.
If you trust your dentist then go with what they suggest- i know mine isnt out for maximum money as he has steered me away from more expensive solutions in the past (and he drives a 911 turbo already!)
I hsd exactly the same issues- whitening toothpaste did literally nothing, and i was very sceptical of ordering online after seeing some horror stories.
If you trust your dentist then go with what they suggest- i know mine isnt out for maximum money as he has steered me away from more expensive solutions in the past (and he drives a 911 turbo already!)
When the technician makes the mouth tray for whitening he places a blob of wax over each tooth on the plaster mould of the patients teeth. This means that when the tray is formed over the top it's left with a corresponding little resevoir area over each tooth.
This space allows the drop of whitening gel to stay in place and do it's job rather than being squeezed out by a close fitting mouth guard.
This space allows the drop of whitening gel to stay in place and do it's job rather than being squeezed out by a close fitting mouth guard.
I;d be careful with home kits - you could be buying any crap online
http://www.essex.gov.uk/News/Pages/Teeth-Whitening...
http://www.essex.gov.uk/News/Pages/Teeth-Whitening...
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