Teeth Whitening – The Pros And The Cons
Are you ‘on the fence’ as to whether teeth whitening is for you or not? If so, please read on….
The teeth whitening procedure is now well established and very popular. There have been problems in the past with it being provided by sometimes less than scrupulous ‘whitening clinics’, but laws have now been passed that mean it can only be provided by a qualified dentist or supervised dental clinician.
This means that you can now be sure of receiving the treatment both effectively and safely.
Although the treatment is now widely used, there are still a significant number of people who have yet to take the first step into cosmetic dentistry, but who might also be unhappy with the way that their teeth look. This treatment is often the first one that people use when they decide to do something to improve the appearance of their teeth, and, in today’s blog, we take an honest look at the pros and cons of this particular procedure that is available at our Canterbury dentist.
The pros of teeth whitening:
Visual impact
There is really only one reason to have this procedure and that is to improve the appearance of your teeth. Dull or mildly discoloured teeth can be transformed with this fast acting treatment carried out by the fully trained clinicians at Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic. You can expect to see an improvement in the whiteness of your teeth by up to eight shades with this procedure. Those with more heavily stained and/or chipped teeth may be recommended to have porcelain dental veneers fitted instead for better results.
Confidence
With a whiter and more attractive smile often comes an increase in confidence. If you have been a little reluctant to smile because of your teeth, it can be taken as a sign of unfriendliness by some people. With your new brighter and whiter teeth, you should feel much more confident in smiling and as such, likely to be seen as a more welcoming person. This could even impact your life in a positive way. We never know when we are going to meet the person who will change our lives, whether that be in a work or personal situation, and your new smile could just prove to be a winner.
A non-invasive procedure
One thing that puts some people off having cosmetic treatment is that it sometimes requires invasive dentistry which may especially deter more nervous patients. If you are ‘on the fence’ about having this particular treatment for this reason, worry no more. A teeth whitening procedure is non-invasive and should cause no pain, although a little additional sensitivity may be felt for a short while afterwards. This is usually easily managed and soon disappears.
Fast acting
Unlike some treatments, such as orthodontic teeth straightening, which can take a year or more, this procedure is quick and you will see the results in no time at all. If you are planning to give your smile a boost for a one off occasion such as a wedding, please contact us in advance so that we can arrange to carry out the treatment at an appropriate time to give you the best results for the day.
Your teeth, your choice
Many people associate teeth whitening with a brilliantly white smile that looks unnatural, but this usually only occurs with celebrities who are happy to take things to extremes. While you can certainly go to the maximum whiteness that can be achieved, a lot of patients choose to have a more moderate whiteness so that the improvement is more subtle and natural looking, We can adapt the treatment to achieve the degree of whiteness that you want and this can be discussed during your initial consultation at our Canterbury practice.
And the cons….
It is only fair to also point out the disadvantages of having this treatment though thankfully, they are very few.
Temporary results
Although the results of this procedure are quite long lasting, it won’t be forever. If you smoke or drink and eat a lot of staining food and drinks, your period of whiteness will be shorter than those who don’t. The treatment also whitens the inner part of the tooth and this will naturally darken again over time. The good news though is that the treatment can be safely repeated as often as needed. We will be able to give you an estimate of how long your whiteness will last based on our discussion with you and an examination of your teeth.
Sensitivity
As mentioned earlier, a small number of people find that their teeth feel sensitive following the treatment. This is usually temporary though and should subside soon afterwards. It is advisable to allow a little extra time for any sensitivity to fade if you are planning the treatment around a wedding or holiday for example.
Suitable candidate
While the procedure is safe for most people, it is recommended that it is not carried out on under 18s or on pregnant or breastfeeding women. It may also not be suitable for people who have some dental problems such as tooth decay etc. We will need to make sure that we treat any issues before the treatment starts, and where there are significant fillings etc, we may suggest other teeth enhancing treatments such as veneers or crowns, depending on the situation.
Cost
While a tooth whitening procedure is generally very affordable, it is not available on the NHS and has to be paid for privately. As with all of our private treatments, we offer a range of payment plans to help you spread the costs.
We hope that the above will have answered any questions you may have had about this treatment and our team are always happy to answer any others that you might have. If you would like to find out more about how we can help you have a great looking smile, why not arrange to have an initial consultation with us? To do so, please call Bradley and Partners Dental and Implant Clinic today on 01227 463529.