Teeth whitening to brighten a smile

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“While products and methods now used to whiten teeth totally respect tooth enamel, other considerations come into play and you should think carefully before deciding to whiten your teeth," emphasises dental surgeon Dr Dupeyrat.

To whiten or not to whiten is the question…

“Tooth colour is linked to skin pigmentation, lip and gum colour. Even whitened, your teeth should always be in harmony with the rest of your face. As it’s the first impression a person gives, your tooth colour must be completely suited to your morphology and even personality.”

“The Hollywood smile has had its day and people are now looking for personalised smiles,” Dr Dupeyrat explains. The dentist must also carefully assess the benefit of whitening teeth. “If someone’s teeth have imperfections, they’ll be even more visible once whitened,” explains the surgeon.

Developed over the last ten or so years, several techniques now exist to whiten tooth enamel and make teeth look bright again. These techniques have improved considerably since their debut and now help to obtain a very natural colour without causing major side effects.

Teeth whitening techniques

The most common technique is “home bleaching”. Your dentist makes a whitening tray out of flexible plastic, adapted to your teeth, into which you place a gel, most often containing hydrogen peroxide. You then put this tray onto your teeth and wear it overnight every night for approximately three weeks.

But do be careful to buy your product from a recognised outlet, after doing your research as there are a lot of shoddy teeth whitening kits out there and you could risk damage to your gums and mouth. Note also that this type of bleach whitening has no effect on crowns, veneers or false teeth.

This technique can also be done at the dentist’s surgery. The product used in this instance is more highly concentrated (going from 15 to 35%), the application lasts 25 minutes and three to five sessions are needed, one every fortnight.

A new, more effective method for use in dental surgeries has been recently developed. It involves putting 15-30% hydrogen peroxide into a whitening tray which is then held firmly on the teeth and placed under a light or laser. The results are even more convincing.

Thanks to all these whitening techniques, your teeth can be lightened a couple of shades and the effects last about 5 years, as long as you avoid tobacco and beverages that discolour teeth, keep good dental hygiene and have your teeth scaled regularly.

• Disadvantages: The only side effect, if you use a good product under the correct conditions, could be hypersensitivity to heat and cold which can be somewhat relieved by taking fluoride tablets after the whitening.

• The cost: From £300-£900 depending on the practitioner, tooth colour and technique used, but from £30/40 onwards for home teeth whitening kits.

Elodie Liénard

More information:
Dental veneers to harmonise a smile
Dental crowns to rejuvenate a smile
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