TEETH WHITENING

First Alba Healthcare is delighted to offer you professional whitening from top industry supplier, Boutique Whitening.

Tooth whitening can be a very effective way of lightening the natural colour of your teeth without removing any of the tooth surface. It cannot make a complete colour change, but it may lighten the existing shade.

There are a number of reasons why patients might want their teeth whitened.

Your teeth can also be stained on the surface by food and drinks such as tea, coffee, red wine and blackcurrant. Smoking can also stain teeth.

‘Calculus’ or tartar can also affect the colour of your teeth. Some people may have staining under the surface, which can be caused by certain antibiotics or by tiny cracks in the teeth which take up stains.

Professional bleaching is the most usual method of tooth whitening. We will be able to tell you if you are suitable for the treatment, and will supervise it if you are. The ‘active ingredient’ in dental bleach is usually hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. As the active ingredient is broken down, oxygen gets into the enamel on the teeth and the tooth colour is made lighter.

This type of treatment can be done within three to four weeks. However, there are now some new products on the market which can be applied for up to eight hours at a time. This means you can get a satisfactory result in as little as one week.

There’s also laser whitening or ‘power whitening’. During this procedure a rubber dam is put over your teeth to protect the gums, and a bleaching product is painted onto your teeth. Then a light or laser is shone on the teeth to activate the chemical. The light speeds up the reaction of the whitening product and the colour change can be achieved more quickly. Laser whitening is said to make teeth up to five or six shades lighter.

The effects of whitening are thought to last up to three years. However, this will vary from person to person. The effect is less likely to last as long if you smoke, or eat or drink products that can stain your teeth. Ask us for our opinion before you start the treatment. We’ll be happy to advise on how you can achieve your gleaming new smile!