Dental Veneers Or A Teeth Whitening Procedure?

Your treatment options for a whiter, brighter smile in Canterbury.

Some of you reading this blog will remember the days when, aside from brushing your teeth well, the idea of having whiter teeth simply wasn’t an option; at least unless you were rich or famous, or possibly both. The younger generation though increasingly see this as an essential part of their self image and, in time, teeth whitening treatments may be a routine part of dentistry, with most patients having some form of this treatment.

It is understandable that everyone wants to have the best smile possible and a large part of this will relate to the colour of your teeth. There can sometimes be some confusion by patients as to what treatment is best for them though. There is a great deal of advertising on this subject, much of it online,  and some patients may opt for the wrong treatment and possibly regret it later. In today’s blog then, the cosmetic dental team at Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic offers some advice to help you make an informed choice as to which might be the most appropriate treatment for you.

Scale and polish

Although this is not a cosmetic treatment as such, and is largely aimed at prevention and treatment of gum disease, it is important that patients understand that there are various options available to help lighten the colour of your teeth. As you will see later, some treatments are not reversible and so it makes sense to start with the least intrusive treatment. You can then move on to the next option if this one doesn’t produce the results required.

A scale and polish removes not only tartar from the teeth and gum line, but a significant amount of surface staining too. It is a non-invasive treatment that will also help the health of your teeth and gums and is therefore a ‘win win’ situation. It is also very affordable and costs around £60. This is a great place to start and even if it doesn’t produce the aesthetics you desire, we are sure you will be delighted how clean and fresh your mouth feels afterwards and may encourage you (hopefully) to have this done at regular six monthly intervals to help you avoid gum disease.

Teeth whitening treatments

This is probably the most popular cosmetic treatment that we provide at your convenient Canterbury dental practice. It has been popularised through various forms of media and people now understand that they don’t have to put up with dull and discoloured teeth.

A teeth whitening procedure is non-invasive and the results last for some time before the effects start to fade. Some patients have this treatment as a one off for a special event, whilst others have ongoing treatment to maintain a whiter smile over a long period of time. The treatment is perfectly safe for the vast majority of people though it is important that we are up to date with your medical history to avoid any complications that might arise. For example, although there is no concrete evidence to support any harm, you are not allowed to have this treatment if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. For the vast majority of people though, it is a safe and highly effective teeth whitening treatment.

Dental veneers

We have left this one until last as although it is very effective, especially for those whose teeth are badly stained or discoloured, or whose teeth have cracks and chips in them, it does also usually require some minor invasive dentistry to be carried out. Veneers are made from a fine layer of porcelain which is shaped to look like the front veneer of a tooth. In order to fit these, it is usually necessary to remove an equivalent thickness of the stained or discoloured enamel from your natural teeth. Once this has been done, scans and impressions are taken of your teeth so that your custom veneers can be produced in a dental laboratory. This usually takes a week or so and you will be given temporary veneers to protect your teeth in the meantime.

Once your new veneers are ready, the temporary ones will be removed and your new veneers fitted using a highly efficient dental adhesive. Finally, they will be shaped and polished to leave a natural appearance.

This is a highly effective treatment and the veneers can last you for ten years or so providing that you take care of them as instructed.

We hope that this blog provides our Canterbury patients with sufficient information to understand their treatment options better. If you are unhappy with your discoloured or stained teeth, we strongly advise that you avoid online ‘treatments’ and advertisements. We also advise against travelling abroad for these treatments due to the risks involved. Some of you may recall the stories about ‘Turkey teeth’ where some patients were very unhappy with the results. For many reasons, it is best to take the advice of your local UK dentist who will be able to examine your teeth and offer advice on the best route to take to improve them.

If you would like to find out more about any of these three treatments, or to arrange a consultation about any other oral health related matter, you can contact us by calling the Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic today on 01227 463529.