The Safest Way to Whiten Your Teeth

Once seen as a specialist treatment only available to celebrities, professional teeth whitening is now commonplace. This is not surprising as it is a painless treatment that provides amazing results.

Benefits of Teeth Whitening

1. White teeth can make you look younger. Staining from years of drinking red wine, coffee, smoking and general ageing can make your teeth yellow. A bright white smile is youthful and appealing.
2. White teeth can give a boost to your confidence. Worrying about how your teeth look can make you feel self-conscious and less likely to smile in public.
3. Smiling is contagious and makes people warm to you. Smiling has also been shown to result in the release of endorphins. People with white teeth are much more likely to smile than those with stained ones.
4. White teeth always look good in photos and who doesn't want that!
5. If you are happy with the way your teeth look, you are more likely to look after them. This can result in better overall dental health.

 One of the main hurdles to this treatment in the past was cost. However, in the last few years, prices have come down substantially making it much more affordable. This is because most of the treatment can now be carried out at home. This makes it much more convenient for people who don't have time or don’t want lengthy dental appointments.

Safe Teeth Whitening

Safe, professional teeth whitening treatment will usually start with an appointment with your local dentist. They will create moulds to produce trays that will fit snugly around your teeth. The trays need to be a good fit because they will contain the whitening gel which will make your smile dazzling white! Whitening gel usually contains hydrogen peroxide which will gently bleach your teeth over 2 to 3 weeks. Your dentist will prescribe you a safe level of hydrogen peroxide in order to protect your teeth and gums. It is usually best to wear the trays overnight but even wearing for a few hours a day can also give fabulous results.

Dangerous DIY Teeth Whitening

There are many online websites offering unregulated teeth whitening kits that have not been medically tested. The main attraction of these kits is that they are cheap. The kits come in lots of different formats e.g. whitening strips, whitening pens, syringes with trays etc. The bleaching element is usually hydrogen peroxide in varying strengths. The legal limit for hydrogen peroxide by professional dentists is 6% but in 2021 an investigation by Which? discovered a bleaching kit online containing 30.7% hydrogen peroxide! This level of hydrogen peroxide is hazardous. As well as causing tooth sensitivity it can damage the enamel of the tooth requiring expensive root canal treatment.

Teeth whitening is a fantastic treatment that can improve self-esteem and make you look younger. However, you only get one set of adult teeth so it is worth protecting them. That is why we would never recommend taking a chance on a DIY kit. Visiting your dentist is always the safest option for teeth whitening. They will help you achieve fantastic results without compromising the health of your teeth and gums.