Is whitening safe for my teeth?

Teeth whitening is one of the safest procedures on the market; this is because it is cosmetic in nature and has no invasive, surgical elements to it. Furthermore, there are very few side effects associated with tooth bleaching, none of which are a real risk to your health. You might experience some slight sensitivity or mild tenderness around the gum line, but this is usually a minor complaint that disappears after a couple of days. If it’s the side effects that are worrying you, the best way to lower the risk even further is to visit an experienced dentist, who is fully trained and certified to carry out the procedure. The Pearl Dental Clinic employs only the very best technicians, who are registered and qualified to provide you with a whiter, brighter smile in less than an hour.

If it’s so low-risk, can teeth whitening really be that effective?

Just because bleaching procedures carry a very low risk of injury or ill-effects doesn’t mean that they are going to be completely unsuccessful, the best in modern technology has been developed over many years, in order to provide you with the safest, most effective treatment possible. Most patients who undergo teeth whitening find that three fifteen minute sessions are enough to significantly whiten their teeth by up to eight shades, more in some cases. However, if you suffer from deep staining that has built up over a long time, you may need to return to the clinic for further treatment, in order to see the best results.

It’s easy to see why you might consider some so-called ‘miracle’ treatments too good to be true, but if you decide to book a teeth whitening session, you will be pleasantly surprised. If you’re still sceptical, ask about previous patients and your dentist should be able to provide you with some photos of both before and after the bleaching procedure, so you can see what a difference it really makes. Some clinics may also offer you a home bleaching kit, for you to use to top up your whiteness a few times a year, rather than returning to the surgery for repeat treatment.

I’ve heard that teeth whitening can damage your teeth, is this true?

Out-dated whitening techniques were certainly capable of doing quite a lot of damage to the teeth, but you shouldn’t get these mixed up with the modern products available on the market today. For one thing, the DIY kits that were on sale were not medically certified and could be purchased over-the-counter from any pharmacy or cosmetics store; this led to countless people buying them and performing treatment on themselves, without a qualified professional on hand. Furthermore, both application and performance between the two are drastically different.

Previous teeth whitening products concentrated on scrubbing away the dark molecules, which can be extremely harmful to the delicate enamel, and could occasionally strip away sections of minerals if used too aggressively. Modern methods approach the problem of discolouration in a completely different way, rather than scouring the enamel until the stains are reduced, the new teeth whitening systems rely on a tiny amount of peroxide to break down the molecules and restore the natural whiteness. With heavy discolouration, it’s practically impossible to get rid of it without some type of bleaching component, scrubbing alone will only wear away the surface of the teeth and cause numerous problems.

Don’t listen to people who like to tell scary stories about past experiences with teeth whitening, it’s likely that they have had ineffective treatment with out-dated methods, or they have just been severely misinformed. In addition, if you have heard the procedure referred to in similar terms as skin peels, you should disregard this idea as well; stripping away the outer layers of the tooth won’t reveal a younger layer underneath, our teeth are constructed and replenished in a completely different way to our skin, no dentist would ever use this method in an attempt to whiten teeth, it would be both unsuccessful and extremely harmful. You can help yourself by ignoring these rumours, and by doing some research into the subject yourself, a little education goes a long way.

It is ok to use bleach as part of teeth whitening treatment?

The bleach component is often something that worries people considering this type of procedure, but it’s really nothing to lose any sleep over. The bleaching gel is made up of several ingredients and only a small percentage of peroxide, too small to do any lasting damage to your health. The solution used to whiten your teeth is not the same as your cleaning products at all, it is much less powerful and it doesn’t even smell like bleach. The worst thing that can go wrong with the gel is if it comes into contact with the soft tissues in your mouth; gums, cheeks, tongue, then it can sometimes cause minor burns and white patches to appear, this is an unfortunate side effect, but it’s not particularly common as most reputable clinics use professional grade gel, which has a high viscous level, designed to keep it from slipping off the teeth and onto the gums.

Despite the minimal safety concerns over teeth whitening, dentists do recommend that if you are pregnant or breast feeding, you avoid the treatment – this is not because it poses an immediate risk to you or your child, it’s just an effort to prevent even the smallest trace of bleach getting into your system and causing problems. Children and young adults are also advised to avoid teeth whitening, mainly because their teeth are still growing and could react badly to extensive exposure to bleach, and also because the milk teeth will fall out eventually anyway, making it a pointless endeavour – in any case, it’s unlikely that those under the age of eighteen will need such procedures, unless they have not been taught correct cleaning habits from a young age.