Thinking Of Having Your Teeth Whitened?

If you are, there are a few ways that we can help our local Wickford patients.

Summer may have gone, albeit with a few hopefully sunny days before the winter gloom sets in fully. Autumn might be a time when we wrap up more and socialise less, but, as parents will be all too aware, it won’t be long before the Christmas period is upon us again with parties and family get togethers. Now would be a good time then, to take a moment and look at the options available to improve your smile in time.The pre Christmas period can be quite a busy time and that includes for cosmetic dentists so make sure that you book your appointment in plenty of time so that you can look your festive best.

Let us take a look now, at some of the teeth whitening solutions that we can offer you.

Scale and polish

We’ll start with a treatment that isn’t really designed for teeth whitening but can be useful in this area as well as being essential for a healthy mouth, and especially in avoiding gum disease. The treatment is a non invasive one that removes tartar from the teeth and gum line but also removes some staining from the tooth surface. We recommend that all patients of the Cygnet Dental Practice have this done anyway and you might find that it provides a level of whiteness that you are happy with. It should be remembered though that it will only remove some teeth staining and not deeper discoloration which we will mention next.

Teeth whitening

Our popular teeth whitening procedure will also help to remove surface staining from the teeth, although it works best where this is mild to moderate. We will address more severe staining next. There is another factor which can contribute to discoloured teeth though and this happens as we age. The part of the tooth below the enamel starts to take on a darker shade. This is natural and unavoidable. The problem is that this becomes more visible through the translucent tooth enamel and can make our teeth look dull; sometimes with a yellow hue.

By using a whitening gel that is placed into customised ‘trays’ that you wear over your teeth, the gel will gradually start to lighten this part of the tooth. The trays are made from impressions that we take of your own teeth so should be comfortable. You need to wear them for a few hours a day and you should start to notice results in around one week, with the full effects being seen approximately a week after that. We will be available during this time if you have any questions or concerns about your treatment.

Veneers

A teeth whitening procedure is long lasting but will eventually fade. To maintain constant white teeth, you will need to repeat the treatment at intervals. For those looking for longer term whiteness, and for those with more badly stained teeth, porcelain dental veneers may be a better option.

This treatment does require invasive treatment, unlike the previous two, but offers a solution that should last for around ten years, after which you may need to have new veneers fitted. The veneers themselves are very fine layers of porcelain that are fitted to the front of the teeth which have previously had an equivalent thickness ‘shaved’ from the surface. The veneers are made from impressions we take following that. They will then be attached using a special and powerful adhesive and are then trimmed and polished to provide you with a great looking smile.

A quick note. This might sound like an ‘easy’ procedure and may be part of the reason why some people try to save a little money by having it done abroad. A quick look at the ‘news’ section of Google results for ‘Turkey teeth’ will help you to realise why this is often not a good idea!

White fillings

For many years, amalgam fillings have been the norm. This is partly due to the fact that they are very strong. Unfortunately, they are also dark in colour and even on rear teeth, can often be seen when laughing or yawning. We now offer white teeth fillings that offer a high level of strength and which can be used in most situations where a tooth filling is required. Take a look at the fillings page of the Cygnet Dental Practice website for more information.

If you have been thinking about having whiter teeth, the best way to do it is to book a free non clinical consultation with us. We will be able to examine your teeth and explain the most suitable options for you. If you would like to do this, please contact our Wickford dental clinic by calling us today on 01268 733078.