Let’s talk tooth whitening. 

Time and time again you will see adverts for teeth whitening but do you really know the full pros and cons of doing this?

Who can whiten my teeth? 

Only dentists and hygienists working under the prescription of a dentist can whiten your teeth. It doesn’t matter if Sandra from your beauty salon has done the course…its illegal…simple as. Don’t believe me? This is what the GDC has to say https://www.gdc-uk.org/patients/illegal-practice/working-legally/tooth-whitening

Bear in mind they cant sell you the gel either!!

Now that’s cleared up. Which is better, Home whitening or Laser whitening? 

Pros of home whitening 

  • You can decide how white you want your teeth to go. Yes everyone’s teeth take to the bleach differently but you can stop the process at anytime and you can keep going if you feel you want a whiter result. 
  • If your teeth are sensitive you can either stop the whitening or slow down the process to control the sensitivity. 
  • It takes 40 minutes to an hour a day. You can multitask as you do this rather than having to sit in the surgery for an hour or so. 
  • The average cost of home whitening is £150.00 to £250.00
  • The results are long lasting. You can up the whitening if need. 

Cons of home whitening 

  • As with all whitening, your teeth may not take well to the treatment. There is no guaranteed outcome. You can also experience temporary sensitivity. 
  • You have to do it at home. 
  • The gel can cause superficial burns if you overfill the trays. This is more user error than product error. 

Pros of laser whitening 

  • It’s done in one or two dental appointments 
  • Your teeth will be white on the day 

Cons of laser whitening 

  • The average cost is £480.00 to £580.00
  • You have to spend an hour or so at the dentist 
  • The results are not long lasting and you can’t “top it up” easily. 
  • Results are not guaranteed 
  • You can’t control the sensitivity 

Laser whitening is not something we offer as we have found the results are not worth the cost to the patients. Now you have all your facts you can decide for yourself which option you would be better suited to. 

The most important thing to remember is only dentists or hygienists can legally carry out tooth whitening and your teeth MUST be checked by a dentist before the treatment is carried out! 

Want to find out more? You can visit our website www.ewanbramley.com or www.gdc-uk.org.