Professional teeth whitening
In Petts Wood, Orpington
Over time, teeth can become darker due to certain foods and drinks, smoking, trauma to the teeth or yellowing due to aging and thinning enamel. Whether you are looking to improve discolouration, or to enhance the shade of your teeth, our whitening treatments are a safe and effective way to restore your smile.
At Caring Dental, we provide two professional treatment options: Boutique home whitening, and Philips Zoom in-surgery whitening. Both offer impressive results with stain removal and colour improvement, without damaging your teeth and with little or no sensitivity. Your dentist can help you decide the most suitable treatment for the results you would like, in a way that’s most convenient for you.
The teeth whitening process
Your initial visit
It all begins with a consultation with one of our dentists, to discuss what you would like to achieve and to explain our teeth whitening options to you in more detail.
If you haven’t been a Caring Dental patient before, your dentist will complete a dental examination, possibly including X-rays, to check your oral health and ensure tooth whitening is suitable for you.
- The shade of your teeth is noted, and we will show you a comparison with the colour you can expect after treatment.
- We will take a 3D digital scan of your teeth and send it to the dental laboratory, where your whitening trays are custom-made using a flexible material that fits comfortably around your teeth.
- Based on your consultation and personal preference, you can then choose either home whitening or in-surgery whitening.
Teeth whitening options
Boutique home whitening
- When you return to collect your bespoke whitening trays, we will first check they are a perfect fit and that you are comfortable wearing them.
- Your dentist will then demonstrate the treatment for you, and provide advice and instructions on how to continue at home. Patients usually achieve good results in 3-4 weeks.
- Your dentist will help you choose between:
• Boutique by Day (6% hydrogen peroxide) – 1.5 hours of wear-time per day.
• Boutique by Night (10% carbamide peroxide) – wear overnight for 6-8 hours.
Philips Zoom! in-practice whitening
- Return to the practice, and relax in the dental chair while the professional whitening gel and blue light treatment brighten your teeth. This is done over four 15 minute cycles, with short intervals between. Afterwards, you will be able to see instant results!
- You will then be given your bespoke whitening trays, checking that they are a perfect fit and you are comfortable wearing them.
- Your dentist will demonstrate the treatment for you, and provide advice and instructions on how to continue at home. You will be given some Zoom! Day White gel to continue the whitening process at home, once a day for the next week or two.
Maintaining your brighter, whiter smile
For both home and in-surgery whitening, you keep your bespoke trays so you can choose to continue your treatment at home, anytime you wish.
For most patients, we usually recommend doing this once or twice a year, buying a simple top-up gel kit, which would normally last about a fortnight.
Gift vouchers available
Looking for a thoughtful gift? Surprise someone special with a teeth whitening gift voucher from Caring Dental.
You can choose a voucher for the full cost of home or in-surgery whitening or any amount you wish as a contribution (please see our fees menu for current pricing). We can also include a message of your choice, to add a personal touch. The voucher can then be printed, ready for collection or to be posted, or we can email it, either to you or directly to the recipient.
Many patients appreciate teeth whitening for weddings, birthdays and Christmas, or simply as a special treat. Whatever the occasion, why not brighten someone’s day – and their smile!
Please contact us if you have any questions or to place your order, thank you.
Teeth whitening FAQs
The safest way to whiten teeth is by using gel prescribed by a dental professional. Whitening products that you can buy outside of your dentist only contain 0.1% hydrogen peroxide and very little active ingredient to whiten your teeth.
Some products don’t contain any whitening ingredients and contain harmful ingredients such as lemon juice, citric acid and bicarbonate soda to dissolve stains which can be damaging to teeth in the long term.
Professional products contain safe levels of hydrogen peroxide which are more effective, gentle on enamel and custom made.
How does it work? The tooth absorbs the hydrogen peroxide and breaks down the colour molecule to turn the tooth white from the inside as well as removing the stains from the outside.
Some sensitivity is normal however this can be reduced dramatically with the addition of desensitizing agents. Zoom! take home gels have a unique desensitizer known as ACP that is shown to reduce sensitivity without compromising on result. Twice as many users/patients reported no sensitivity when using NiteWhite ACP versus whitening without ACP.
There’s a range of reasons teeth become discoloured. Genetics, your environment, even taking certain medication can all have an impact on the whiteness of your smile.
The most common reason is surface stains on your enamel. This is down to everyday food, drinks and lifestyle choices. Over time, these stains can work their way to the layer below enamel, known as dentin. When this becomes stained, the whole tooth looks darker because of the translucency of enamel.
There are professional treatments or over-the-counter whitening toothpastes. Prescribed teeth whitening treatments from Philips Zoom! can give you a smile up to 6 shades whiter and take place either in-practice or at home. The first step is a consultation.
Teeth whitening treatments that tackle stained dentin, the layer below your surface enamel, contain ingredients such as hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. These react chemically with the carbon that causes dentin to yellow, leaving your teeth whiter from the inside out.
Our whitening treatments are formulated to give you long-lasting results, but the results will vary depending on the type of whitening you opt for. Lifestyle choices, such as drinking drinks that stain teeth, will make them yellow again over time.
Most patients do not experience any sensitivity, but for those that do, we recommend brushing with a good quality desensitising toothpaste, for two weeks before and throughout your whitening treatment. Your dentist will be happy to discuss any sensitivity issues with you.
Ready to whiten your smile?
At Caring Dental, we want our patients to smile with confidence. We would love to discuss whitening options with you, so why not come in for a consultation? Call us today on 01689 664600, or you can simply book online.