Tooth Whitening

Here at Brigstock Dental, we custom make lightweight plastic trays that fit snugly over your teeth. The whitening process will always include a bleaching agent, which is usually hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. This bleach used by dentists is strong and can deliver better and longer-lasting results.

You put the whitening gel provided inside the trays and wear it at night or for a few hours during the day. Results are normally seen over 2 weeks. Your teeth will appear whiter and brighter.

Whitening has no effect on dental restorations such as fillings, crowns or implants. Staining caused by tartar and discolouration due to cracked teeth may also be unaffected by whitening.

Teeth whitening should only be prescribed and supervised by your dentist. You must also be over 18 and have healthy teeth and gums to benefit from the positive effects of whitening treatment.

We use a selection of the leading tooth whitening treatments at Brigstock including Enlighten Whitening and Zoom Whitening.

The white colour and brightness of teeth whitening depend on your individual teeth and the length of your treatment. In general, you can expect the effects of teeth whitening to last for several months.

Tea, coffee and red wine, as well as eating coloured food and smoking, can also affect the intensity and duration of your results.

There are two main types of whitening that you can choose from:

• External Bleaching
  This involves having the bleach applied to the outer layer of your tooth enamel. The product when applied soaks into the enamel, which can lighten the tooth colour. This process can be sped up using either lasers or LED lights, depending on which is more appropriate to your needs.
• Internal Bleaching
  Sometimes, we will decide that it is more beneficial for you to have bleach applied inside your tooth. This can be used in cases where there is just one tooth that has become discoloured, which could be as a result of treatments such as root canal. A small hole will be drilled into your tooth, and the bleach can be inserted into it, helping your teeth to become whiter from the inside.