Over time, teeth can lose their natural whiteness, becoming stained and discoloured. Staining is caused by tiny traces of colour from tea, coffee, red wine, smoking and other highly pigmented foods getting trapped in the pores of the tooth enamel. Brushing and the hygienist’s tools can’t dislodge them. Teeth whitening in Northern Ireland provides a way of bringing back the teeth’s natural whiteness and can be done using a variety of methods.
What’s involved?
Patients can arrange a consultation with their dentist about the procedure. They can also choose how light they want their teeth to be from a shade card. Dental clinics such as Blue Sky, can provide competitive teeth whitening in Northern Ireland services for patients.
Different ways to whiten the teeth
The safest way to get teeth whitened is with the help of a dentist. Kits can be bought over the counter, but the content of active ingredient is very low and so there may be no effect. Also, the whitening trays won’t fit very well and gel may spill out and damage the mouth.
People can get their teeth whitened at the dentist in around an hour. The lips and gums are protected with plastic barriers and then the gel is painted onto the teeth before being activated by a UV lamp.
Treatment can also be carried out at home with a less concentrated gel that goes into custom-made whitening trays. These are worn for a short period every day and it takes 2-3 weeks for the desired shade to be reached.
Maintaining teeth and gums
Providing the teeth and gums are healthy, teeth whitening can be a safe way of removing stains and getting teeth back to their normal colour. Whitening is not a permanent treatment, but it can last longer if patients are careful with the food and drink they consume after their teeth whitening treatment, as some foods can cause staining. Taking care to brush and floss regularly is important.
Patients who get custom-made whitening trays can top up their treatments every few months simply by buying more gel from their dentist. Other patients can go back to their dentist for a top-up treatment.
