Treatment
Whitening
The simplest thing that makes a visible difference, and the one most often oversold.
What it is
Custom trays and a peroxide gel, worn overnight for two to three weeks. It lifts the colour of the tooth itself rather than cleaning the surface, which is why it works where a hygiene visit does not.
It will not change crowns, veneers or white fillings — they stay exactly the colour they were made. If you have work on your front teeth, whitening comes first and the work is matched to the new shade afterwards.
Sensitivity is common for a few days and passes. If it does not, stop, tell us, and we will change the gel rather than tell you to push through it.
Suited to
- Natural teeth that have darkened with age, coffee or tobacco
- Before veneers or crowns, so the new work is matched to a lighter shade
- A single dark tooth after root treatment, using a different technique
And when it is not
Whitening does nothing for existing crowns, veneers or composite. It also does nothing for grey banding from tetracycline, whatever a shop-front clinic tells you. If your front teeth already carry work, budget for replacing it or accept the mismatch.
Step by step
How it goes.
Check first
Whitening a mouth with untreated decay is painful and pointless. A short examination comes first.
Trays
A scan, and thin custom trays that hold the gel against the tooth and off the gum.
At home
Two to three weeks, overnight. You keep the trays and can top up in a year or two for the cost of the gel alone.