Teeth Whitening

Introduction to Teeth Whitening

We all know that a beautiful smile can make a huge difference to a person’s confidence and self esteem. Studies have proven that people with whiter teeth smile more readily and tend to make more eye contact whilst engaged in conversation. Have a look at the Before & After Teeth Whitening images of some of our Dublin patients below (our sincere thanks to these patients who have kindly allowed us to share these images with you).

Why Whiten Teeth?

• With time and age your teeth have yellowed.
• Your teeth are stained from things like drinking coffee & tea and from smoking.
• You’ve always wanted a beautiful white smile to boost your confidence and self-esteem.

Just like we all have different hair and skin colour, we also have different tooth colour. Some of us have yellower teeth than others, especially as we grow older. Natural tooth color can also be affected by many factors.

What causes teeth to stain?

• The natural aging process.
• Smoking, drinking coffee, tea, red wine, and eating pigmented foods such as tomato ketchup, curries, cherries, blueberries etc.
• Build-up of plaque and tartar on the teeth.
• Ingesting too much fluoride (more than 2 parts fluoride per millionparts water) when teeth are forming, which gives teeth a “mottled” look.
• Treatment with the antibiotic “Tetracycline” during childhood.
• Trauma to the teeth that may cause a brown, gray or black colour.

Professional Teeth whitening is an easy, non invasive, cosmetic treatment which produces beautiful results. The specially formulated whitening gel is used to remove stains that have built up over years; Professional Teeth Bleaching has been proven to have no long term negative effects on the enamel of teeth, on the dentine of teeth or the gums.

Frequently Asked Questions

1 . How white will my teeth go at the end of the treatment?

This depends on a number of factors and results will vary between patients. Generally speaking, we will get your teeth to as white as they were when you were a teenager (sometimes whiter). Our system will get your teeth to as white as they will naturally go.

2 . How soon will I see results?

Most people see results from the whitening procedure within a couple of days.

3 . Does it hurt to have your teeth whitened?

It is normal to feel some slight sensitivity both during and after Teeth Whitening. This is because the teeth whitening gel we use helps to open up thousands of tiny ‘tunnels’ in your enamel, which in turn allows the dentine to be penetrated (the dentine is what controls the colour of each tooth). After teeth whitening treatment, it takes about 24 hours for these tunnels to fully close and during this time people can experience some sensitivity when breathing in sharply, or whilst eating very hot or very cold foods. However, most people will only experience mild sensitivity; some experience none whatsoever. A very small percentage of people feel severe sensitivity which can be uncomfortable but will pass without any long term side effects within a few days.

4 . Will the teeth remain permanently white?

No. Results will generally last for 1 to 2 years, sometimes longer. Be wary of some clinics who will say that results will last for three years or more – we have found this not to be the case. Teeth will always stain due to lifestyle (e.g. drinking lots of tea or coffee), wear and tear and aging.

5 . Is the process harmful to teeth?

Absolutely Not! The effect on teeth is no different to the effect from commonly ingested foods or regular dental procedures.

6 . Will the gel whiten crowns, veneers or false teeth?

No. The procedure will only remove intrinsic staining from natural teeth. However, the gel may help remove all extrinsic staining from teeth, including false teeth. This means that your false teeth will appear ‘cleaner’ .

If you are planning to have a crown, bridge, filling or false tooth, it is recommended that you first have your teeth whitened. We can then match the shade to your new colour.

7. Do “Teeth Whitening Toothpastes” work?

All toothpastes rely on mild abrasion to remove surface stains between your trips to the dentist or hygienist . “Whitening toothpastes” have special chemical or polishing agents that provide additional stain removal, although in our experience, they tend to have limited effect and many patients tell us they feel they are a waste of money. A professional cleaning by your dentist or hygienist also uses abrasion and polishing to remove most external staining caused by food and tobacco.

8. What about whitening teeth in just ONE HOUR?

Here at Shelbourne Dental Clinic, we firmly believe that take-home kits with well made custom fitting trays designed to fit exactly to the patient’s mouth are the most effective method of whitening.

After Care & Teeth Whitening Tips

To get the best results from having your teeth whitened, we recommend the following:

• Avoid any dark staining foods or drinks i.e. Tea, Coffee, Red Wine, Coca Cola.
• Avoid dark foods like bolognaise, beetroot, tomato ketchup,  foods with soy sauce, red meat or chocolate. Anything that might leave a stain on a white shirt!
• Avoid Smoking.

Which Systems Do We Use?

At Shelbourne Clinic, we use several systems and methods; the teeth whitening system we most currently favour is Nite White ACP from Discus Dental. The highly effective formulas of Nite White ACP can transform smiles to their whitest in only a few days.

Nite White ACP is the first take-home whitener to combine amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP), potassium nitrate and fluoride for enhanced whitening results. ‘ACP’ is clinically proven to reduce sensitivity, rebuild tooth enamel and reduce fade-back which is often experienced after a whitening treatment.