Teeth whitening queries answered
It is safe to say but one of the most common complaints that our team receives concerning cosmetic elements of the teeth is that they are just not white enough. Thanks in part to Hollywood and other media influences, more patients than ever before are seeking treatments to have their teeth whitened.
And this is not a bad thing from our perspective, as whiter teeth equate to a healthier smile!
At Dee Kay Dental, our team can offer teeth whitening Sheffield to all of our patients via bleaching or abrasion methods. These methods will help remove staining and give you a gleaming smile that will turn heads. Great!
But if you are embarking on having your teeth whitened, you will likely have some questions, especially if you have sensitive teeth or are using an at-home whitening toothpaste. Here, we aim to answer common queries that we receive about teeth whitening Sheffield.
Enjoy!
Can at-home whitening get the same results?
In short, no; you cannot get the same results from at-home toothpaste as you would from professional teeth whitening Sheffield.
This is because the concentration of hydrogen peroxide and other bleaching agents in whitening toothpastes are not as high, and, therefore, you can use them for months at a time with minimal effect on the colour of your enamel.
When you come to our team to have your teeth whitened, we can whiten them up to 10 shades in two weeks, whereas even the strongest of toothpaste that you can get at your pharmacy can typically whiten teeth by two shades.
When will the results be noticeable?
If we are using bleach-based whitening, the results will be evident after the first trip to our dental team. But we will often ask you to top up the whitening at home over the next 14 days with trays and a weaker form of the bleach that we have used.
Overall, our whitening process using bleaches takes two weeks, and the results can be striking. We will also offer most of our patients a top-up paste to use at home alongside custom whitening trays, which will help to keep the results of the whitening for longer.
Will it cause sensitivity?
The bleaches that we use at our surgery have built-in anti-sensitivity agents, which will help to reduce any discomfort you may feel after having your teeth whitened.
If you are having abrasion-based whitening, this is more likely to create sensitivity issues, but it’s only recommended for teeth that have been stained due to illness or medicine.
Can I have my teeth whitened if I have composite fillings?
You can have your teeth whitened if you have composite fillings, but the composite itself cannot be whitened. So, the fillings may need to be replaced to match the shade of the surrounding tooth.
How long will the results last?
The results of dental whitening will last anywhere from 3 months to 3 years and will depend heavily on your lifestyle, how often you maintain the whitening effect with the at-home bleach and whether you attend checkups with our team.