Whiter Teeth For Our Canterbury Patients

Whiter Teeth For Our Canterbury Patients

Give your smile a significant lift with this safe and popular procedure.

Whereas once upon a time, dental care was simply about keeping teeth healthy for as long as possible, its scope has now expanded to cover their appearance too.

Naturally, having healthy teeth is the most important issue, and with the wealth of preventative advice and the wide range of restorative procedures available, this has become more straightforward than previously. With regular care, healthy teeth and gums are largely achievable.

Although it important never to ‘take your eye off the ball’ when it comes to oral health issues, those whose teeth are healthy may also consider ways to improve their appearance too. There are a wide range of cosmetic dental procedures available that can help with this. Some are quite complex and require relatively long treatment periods, such as orthodontics to straighten teeth, but for those seeking a faster way to give their smile a boost, there is one popular treatment in particular which works extremely well.

Teeth whitening

At Bradley and Partners Dental and Implant Clinic, one of the most popular cosmetic dental treatments that we offer is teeth whitening and there are a number of possible reasons for this. It is one of the most affordable treatments, it is non invasive, and finally, it is a fast acting procedure. Using a whitening agent that not only whitens the surface enamel, but also lightens the parts of the tooth below the enamel, our fast acting treatment will leave you with a new whiter smile in very little time at all.

Whether you are looking to have a really white smile, or simply improve the colour a few shades, we can adjust the treatment to meet your needs.

Why have your teeth whitened?

Some people might say that we should leave our teeth their natural colour. This is a fair argument, and nobody is forcing anyone to have this treatment. The reality though is that our teeth are often stained by external forces such as the drinking of tea and coffee, to say nothing of smoking. If these habits have been maintained for a long period of time, it may be that dental veneers are more suitable to make a significant improvement, but due to the non invasive nature of a teeth whitening procedure, we will always consider this option first.

For most people, a tooth whitening procedure is designed to give them a more attractive smile and is, by and large,  for aesthetic purposes only. What some of our Canterbury patients find though, is that it also helps them with their confidence. As it is said that people make judgements about us within the first few seconds of meeting, an attractive white smile could make a real difference in situations such as a date or a job interview.

Why not just use a whitening toothpaste?

This is something that a lot of patients ask us when discussing whitening treatments. There is no real reason why you shouldn’t use a whitening toothpaste, unless, of course, you want to actually be able to see real results! The fact is that as toothpaste can be bought at any supermarket, the amount of whitening ingredient allowed in these products is very low indeed. As it is a form of bleaching agent, you really wouldn’t want your young child to be able to reach for the tube and eat the toothpaste, would you?

The same can be said for ‘off the shelf’ whitening products. These often have trays that the whitening agent is put into and then worn for a time. There are two issues with this method. Firstly, once again, the quantity of whitening ingredient is much more restricted than a dentist can use, although more than is in the toothpastes. Secondly, the trays are, by necessity, ‘one size fits all’ and may lead to leakage of the bleaching agent onto your lips and gums. This can cause painful irritation if not caught quickly.

Either of the above methods will be less effective (and potentially less safe) than those carried out at our Canterbury dental practice. We should also note that, despite being illegal, there are still some individuals offering this treatment in various ‘salons’ around the country. Do not use these, however cheap they may be. Some have been reported to have used a bleaching strength far greater than is safe which could cause you to have painfully sensitive teeth for the rest of your life. It simply is not worth the risk and the reason why the only people who can now legally carry out this procedure are registered dentists.

If you are unhappy with the way that your teeth look, perhaps due to discolouration, why not make an appointment to see one of the cosmetic dentists at Bradley and Partners Dental and Implant Clinic so that we can discuss this with you and find the best way forward.

To arrange an appointment at our Canterbury practice please call us during opening hours on 01227 463529.