How Does Professional Teeth Whitening Work?

A dull, yellowing, or stained smile can harm your confidence. If your teeth are discoloured, you may become self-conscious about smiling, laughing, and speaking. 

Thankfully, you don’t have to live the rest of your life with a smile you dislike. If your teeth have lost their sparkle, you may be considering a cosmetic procedure to restore their brightness and shine. Professional teeth whitening treatments are the most popular and effective way to do this. 

So, how does teeth whitening get results? And what can you expect from the treatment process?

In this guide, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about professional teeth whitening.

How Do Teeth Become Stained or Discoloured?

Staining and discolouration is a common problem faced by many people. Stains are commonly caused by food, drink, and lifestyle factors. Coffee, tea, red wine, curry, chocolate, and tobacco are all repeat offenders when it comes to causing stains. In addition, certain medications and illnesses can also leave their mark. 

Discolouration can occur as you age. The enamel coating on the outside of your teeth can become thinner as you get older. Instead of seeing the perfect white outer layer, the darker dentin below shows through. 

How Does Professional Teeth Whitening Work?

At Durham Dental, we use Enlighten, a popular teeth whitening treatment that achieves a B1 Vita shade, the most natural white possible. Enlighten uses safe and powerful whitening gels containing hydrogen peroxide to whiten your teeth gradually. 

Before your treatment begins, we’ll assess your teeth to ensure Enlighten is right for you. We’ll look for cavities and weak enamel, which could cause pain or sensitivity during treatment. 

Next, we’ll take scans of your teeth. These will be used to create bespoke whitening trays. These trays are like mouthguards that you’ll wear during your treatment. The trays will hold the whitening gel against your teeth to provide even results. 

While you’re waiting for your trays, you’ll have a special toothpaste to use. This strengthens your dental enamel to reduce sensitivity during treatment. 

Once your trays are here, we’ll give you everything you need to start your treatment, along with clear instructions on how to use them. Over the next two or three weeks, you’ll wear the whitening trays every night to brighten your smile from the comfort of your home. 

After the at-home treatment ends, we’ll ask you to return to the practice for one final appointment. During this session, we’ll brighten your smile further, leaving you with natural-looking, bright white teeth.

What Are the Benefits of Professional Teeth Whitening?

The results of Enlighten teeth whitening treatments are instantly noticeable. Using this technique, you can brighten your smile by several shades. Enlighten has a high success rate and is one of the most effective professional treatments on the market. 

A brighter smile will not only look great, but it can help you feel good about yourself too. Many patients find whitening their teeth using Enlighten gives them a confidence boost. 

Enlighten is safe. Although it’s an at-home treatment, we’ll ensure you’re completely confident in its use. 

Why Is It Best to Get Teeth Whitening at a Dentist?

There are several ways to whiten your smile, but none are as effective or as safe as a professional teeth whitening treatment. 

Whitening toothpastes can remove mild stains; however, they do nothing for firmly embedded stains. Additionally, they also contain abrasive ingredients like charcoal which can harm the surfaces of your teeth. 

You can also buy whitening kits online or in stores. However, there are two issues with these kits. 

Firstly, they can be dangerous. Without a proper dental assessment first, you may apply whitening gels to your teeth and cause more harm than good. Because they don’t use bespoke whitening trays, there is a chance that the gels could leak into other parts of your mouth, causing blisters or worse. Without the support of a dental professional, you’re putting your oral health at risk. 

Secondly, this type of whitening product isn’t very effective. There are legal restrictions on the strength of these whitening treatments—and they’re a fraction of the strength of Enlighten. 

Finally, you may see whitening treatments offered at beauty salons. These should be avoided at all costs, as beauticians are not legally permitted to provide teeth whitening. Not only are they breaking the law, but they won’t be insured either. 

Teeth Whitening in Durham

At Durham Dental, we use the highest quality teeth whitening treatments available. Enlighten will restore lost confidence and give your smile a healthy glow. 

Get in touch today to schedule your teeth whitening treatment.