One of the first things you notice about your teeth is that over time, your pearly whites may have discoloured. You make the same observation on the street when you meet someone with a beautiful white smile. It catches your attention instantly.

"I wish I had one of those", does cross your mind. Doesn't it?

Some teeth are stained due to antibiotics or chemicals in drinking water during childhood, but for most people, our teeth begin to discolour, appear stained and yellow, as we grow older. Tooth Whitening attempts to reverse these effects and achieve a whiter, brighter more youthful smile.

Tooth Whitening, now the most popular form of simple and affordable Cosmetic Dentistry, is the quickest, most effective way to enhance the appearance of your smile. There are two distinct protocols for bleaching teeth.

a) Power bleaching - in approx 2 hours chair time
b) Take Home bleaching – self application of bleach at home / while out walking over a few hours a day, using dentist fabricated mouth trays

Disclaimer: Bleaching of teeth may sometimes result in super white teeth or areas which may be less bleached. The chemistry of individual teeth determines the outcomes. Therefore, prior to bleaching, Dr Loy examines each patient for signs of unusual enamel chemistry or decay.

The Power whitening process: A bleaching product under the supervision of a health professional can lighten your teeth up to 8 to 10 shades within just one treatment. The Whitening Gel is carefully applied to your teeth and is then activated by a special light for 20 minutes. This process is then repeated twice more before you go home with a sparkling white smile. During this time you can sit back, listen to your favourite music, watch a movie on the overhead screen and enjoy your visit

The Take Home whitening process: At your first visit, impressions are made of your upper and lower teeth, so that a laboratory can fabricate snug fitting transparent mouth trays. At your second visit, these are issued to you with syringes of bleaching gel, and a full set of instructions. You are recalled every few days to monitor your progress. Take home bleaching costs less than Power bleaching. We have observed that patients experience lesser sensitivity with this process.

The jury is out on which is 'better', but it serves to endorse that the end results are pretty much the same. Power bleaching takes 2 hours with you in the dental chair for a long appointment. Some teeth and can experience (totally reversible) sensitivity.

Caring 4 Smiles Dental Group® offers patients the Take Home whitening process.

Bleaching is not done when a female patient may be pregnant, or if there is gum disease and untreated dental decay.

If you have a question about Tooth Whitening, give our Practice Manager a call on (09) 6315416 or click here to email us for an initial consultation visit. You will be required to complete a new patient registration form to facilitate your visit.

………………… imagine stopping Traffic with a smile !