Teeth Whitening

Teeth Whitening is an effective way to brighten natural teeth discoloured or stained by aging or chemical damage.

A dazzling smile is a greatest asset everyone can have.

T32 Dental Centre offers the latest teeth whitening procedures:

Home Whitening

This is safe, quick and inexpensive. Using this technique, you can choose to lighten your upper and lower teeth or just your upper teeth. This gives you the advantage of targeting the sections of your teeth that show when you speak or smile.

How it works:

Our dental surgeon will take an impression of the teeth section you wish to whiten. We then use this impression to make a customised “tray” at our on-site dental laboratory. This takes only a few hours and you may even request to collect them on the same day. We will also provide you with whitening gel to place inside the tray. The tray holds the gel against your teeth to whiten them.

Most people can expect good results after using this treatment for 1 hour a day for 14 to 21 consecutive days. You can stop the process when you have achieved the desired teeth brightness.

Maintenance:

After this process, you only need occasional treatment (usually once every 2 to 3 months) to maintain your set of sparkling teeth.

In-office Whitening

This is a procedure that uses light-activated whitening gels and specially filtered lights.

How it works:

Our dental surgeon will first examine your teeth to ensure that this procedure is suitable for you. If it is, you will return for a whitening appointment where your teeth will be polished to remove any surface stains, plaque and tartar. Next, we will coat your gums with a light-cured barrier to protect them from the whitening gel during the procedure. Once the gums are adequately protected, the whitening gel is applied to the tooth surface and activated by a high-intensity light.

The entire process only takes one hour and most people will step out of our dental centre with a dazzling smile. However, each individual is different and some patients may need an additional session at our centre.

Maintenance:

As part of T32’s whitening protocol, we recommend that all our patients maintain their new smile with regular use of the home whitening trays.  These are customised for you and should be used together with the whitening gel we provide, to achieve additional whitening and continued maintenance of your smile. With proper and regular usage, teeth can retain its whiteness for years to come.

The T32 advantage: We have our own in-house technicians who will craft each tray for every patient at T32’s on-site dental laboratory using only the highest quality materials. This ensures excellent fit and greater satisfaction levels among our patients.

Frequently Asked Questions on Teeth Whitening

1. Are there any side-effects associated with Teeth Whitening?

   Teeth whitening is an extremely safe and straightforward procedure. The most common side effect experienced is sensitivity, the intensity of which is likely to vary from patient to patient. Teeth whitening will not affect the integrity of tooth structure and existing fillings; however, existing fillings, veneers or crowns present in the front teeth are unlikely to lighten to the same degree as natural teeth and may need to be changed accordingly.

2. Is Teeth Whitening safe for Pregnant and nursing mothers?

   Teeth whitening is generally perceived to be a safe procedure for pregnant of nursing mothers. This is because the active ingredient in whitening gel, Peroxide, breaks down to water and releases oxygen radicals, which penetrates the tooth and whitens it. There are no studies to indicate that teeth whitening poses any risks to a developing foetus, however, as the first trimester is a crucial period for the development of the foetus, we generally recommend caution.

   It is completely safe for new mothers to use whitening gels whilst still nursing.

3. Is Teeth Whitening suitable for young children?

   Caution is generally advised when carrying out whitening procedures on children. This is because their permanent teeth may not yet be fully developed.

4. What are the side effects of using whitening gel or undergoing the high-intensity light treatment?

   Before teeth whitening gel is applied, a patient's lips and gums will be protected. This means that, other than short term tooth sensitivity, there are generally no other side effects experienced.

5. Will my teeth become more brittle after the teeth whitening treatments?

   Teeth whitening does not affect the integrity of teeth, therefore it will not lead to teeth becoming brittle.

6. Are there any situations whereby I would be unsuitable for the in-office whitening procedure?

   Every patient is different, for example, abnormalities in the development and structure may result in innate weakness in the natural teeth. For this reason, we advise patients undergo an individual consultation before committing to any dental procedure.

7. Do I have to give up drinking coffee if I wish to keep my teeth white after the procedures?

   We do not advocate that patients forgo coffee in order to maintain white teeth. Our dentists will advise you on various ways to maintain your new smile; generally regular professional cleaning and use of the maintenance trays will help remove any superficial stains, including nicotine stains caused by smoking.

8. How white should my teeth be? How can I determine the ideal level of whiteness for my teeth?

   The ideal level of whiteness varies between individuals. Our dental surgeons will be able to advise on individual cases.

9. If I wear the tray with whitening gel for several hours a day, instead of 1 hour per day, can I achieve whitening at home in a shorter period of time than 14 days?

   As a general rule of thumb we advise against over-using the whitening tray and gel, which would include prolonged usage in a single day. We do this because we are following the protocol recommended by the manufacturers.

10. I have tried teeth whitening toothpaste and teeth whitening kits and these have not helped me at all. How do I know that the in-office or home whitening treatments will be effective?

    The main difference between store bought products and professionally dispensed products is in the mode of application and concentration of the whitening gels used. Professionally dispensed gels are of a higher concentration and thus, deliver a more predictable and noticeable result.

11. My teeth are discoloured due to tetracycline. Can these procedures remove the stains?

    We expect some degree of whitening to occur, even on tetracycline stained teeth. However, depending on severity of the stains, it may not be possible to remove all of the stains.

12. What about hygiene standards at T32 Dental Centre?

    We understand the concern and importance placed on personal safety. T32 Dental Centre uses autoclave sterilisation and disposable/non-contamination techniques to ensure the highest hygiene standards are met.

13. Does this procedure hurt?

    Most patients experience no discomfort, some do, however, experience mild temporary pain.

14. How much does this procedure cost?

    At T32 our approach is to customise treatments for each individual person. We believe that, by doing this, we are able to ensure maximum value for patients as they are charged only for the treatments they need and not for general dental packages, that may include treatments or services not needed. So the cost will very much depend on each specific patients programme.