Having stained or discoloured teeth is a common but frustrating problem for many of us and even with the best home teeth cleaning in the world, some degree of discolouration is likely over time. Some of this problem might be caused by actions that we take, such as smoking, whilst others may be caused by things that we consume, such as red wine for example. Enlighten whitening for whiter teeth and an attractive smile!
Unfortunately, even with the best tooth friendly lifestyle possible, we will all end up with teeth that are more discoloured than when we were younger. This is a natural part of the ageing process but thankfully, is one that we don’t have to put up with if we choose to take action.
What action can we take to whiten our teeth?
There are teeth whitening toothpastes available of course, but, as any dentist will tell you, these are likely to have only a minimal effect as they contain very little whitening ingredient, largely for safety reasons. There are ‘off the shelf’ teeth whitening kits but these are not without their risks; largely that the trays are not custom made and there is a risk of the bleaching agent coming into contact with your gums and causing painful irritation.
All is not lost though, and patients of AR Smiles in Eltham can now take advantage of the fast acting teeth whitening treatment that we offer at our local dental practice.
Combined teeth whitening
Our patients can take advantage of the highly successful Enlighten teeth whitening treatment. Unlike many others, this takes full advantage of the possibilities of a whitening procedure by combining a mixture of home whitening and in house whitening. This enables our patients to get the very best whiter smile possible!
Home teeth whitening
Unlike the ‘off the shelf’ solutions, our home teeth whitening treatment is fully customised. This means that we take impressions of your teeth so that comfortable but secure fitting trays can be made that will hold the whitening solution. This is important as it helps to prevent the whitening agent, which is a form of bleach, from coming into contact with the soft tissues of your mouth which could cause some painful irritation.
The other factor is that, having this done at a registered dental practice means that we can target the degree of whiteness that you want. While some patients want the whitest that their teeth can possibly be, others prefer a more subtle shade that is less obviously noticeable.
Naturally, with this treatment, you also get the experience and help of our dental team throughout the whole process, enabling you to have whiter teeth in complete confidence. Once you have the trays at home and have been shown how to apply the gel, it usually takes around two weeks to see the final results after wearing the trays for a few hours each day as instructed.
In surgery whitening
Following the two week home whitening, you will then be invited back to our Eltham dental practice for the second stage of the Enlighten teeth whitening treatment. In this stage, your teeth will continue to be whitened using an in house treatment carried out by our experienced cosmetic dental team.
Your gums will be fully protected to help prevent any contact with the whitening gel. This gel is then placed on the teeth and is activated using a special light which speeds up the process. After just one hour, the gel and the gum shield will be removed and you will have fantastic looking teeth from a simple one hour painless treatment.
While most professional teeth whitening procedures will produce good results, Enlighten can whiten your teeth up to sixteen shades, producing a fantastic looking whiteness that you could perhaps only have dreamed of.
Porcelain veneers
Although Enlighten offers some amazing benefits for most of our patients, it may not be suitable for everyone. Patients who have very heavy staining such as that caused by years of heavy smoking, or who have other damage to their teeth in the form of chips and cracks for example, may not get the full benefit of this treatment. We will discuss the desired outcome with you so that you are happy with the outcome but patients in these categories may benefit more from porcelain dental veneers which are fitted to the teeth.
In effect, these replace the ‘flawed’ enamel on the front of the teeth. Although it does require some dental surgery, it offers a long lasting and attractive solution for those patients who need a little extra help in achieving the smile that they want.
If you are unhappy with the way that your teeth look, whether this is through discolouration or any other problem, we are able to help you. If you would like to discuss your dental issues with one of our friendly and experienced team, please call AR Smiles today on 020 8856 7759 and we will arrange a suitable appointment for you.
