Teeth whitening: why you should always take the professional route

Teeth whitening is now on offer in most dental and orthodontic practices. In this article, leading specialist in orthodontics Dr Asif Chatoo explains why it has become so popular and why the professional route is always the best option.

Why teeth whitening?

As we grow older, it’s inevitable that our body starts to show a few signs of ageing. Regrettably, our teeth can carry the telltale signs of ageing, stained by the tea, coffee or red wine that we might have drunk or curries or other food that we have eaten. A course of teeth whitening is likely to make you look younger instantly!

Teeth whitening is the most popular cosmetic dental treatment at The London Lingual Orthodontic Clinic for this very reason. Not only does it have a rejuvenating impact, it improves your smile. This is especially true for anyone who has been a smoker. Tobacco is one of the worst culprits when it comes to staining of teeth.

Many of our patients choose to have professional teeth whitening at the end of their orthodontic treatment. However, if you have a big event planned, you can also opt to have whitening treatment while your lingual braces are still in place. This is one of the big advantages of lingual braces.

Why is it important to have teeth whitened by an expert?

The number of non-qualified people – i.e. non dentists - who are offering whitening treatment is worrying. Firstly, they are not trained to advise people on their teeth and won’t understand when whitening might be contra-indicated, even when the constituents of whitening treatments are. Furthermore, their products are unlikely to be of the same standard as the treatments that a dentist may be able to offer.

Then there is the option to get an over-the-counter tooth whitening kit or to order products online, as recommended by some celebrity influencers. We advise strongly against going down this route.

A paper in the British Dental Journal (BDJ) on the dangers of tooth-whitening was widely read, reflecting professional unease at the growth of over-the-counter tooth-whitening products. You can read about the study here.

In the right hands, teeth whitening is a safe and positive treatment. In the wrong hands, however, there are risks to you and your teeth.

You also need to beware of whitening toothpastes. When a toothpaste claims to whiten teeth, it’s more likely to have abrasive ingredients. This can be damaging to teeth and make them more susceptible to staining. If you brush too vigorously with any toothpaste, it’s possible to wear down the upper layer of the enamel, but whitening toothpastes tend to be more abrasive – which can make the appearance of your teeth more yellow. This applies especially to charcoal products which are currently very fashionable. If we are asked for our thoughts, we advise against charcoal toothpaste.

What happens during the teeth whitening procedure in clinic?

If you want teeth whitening in a hurry, we can provide you with an instant power whitening session here in the practice. If you wish to gently lighten the shade and you are not in a hurry, we can fabricate some custom-made dental whitening trays and order whitening gel so that you can whiten your teeth at home, gradually lightening them over several weeks until you have the shade you want.

A great advantage of the tooth-whitening kits that we provide is that if you keep your whitening trays, you can come back and get some gel from us. This enables you to “top up” on the whitening and it keeps the cost down.

How much does it cost in clinic? And how long do the effects last?

Power teeth whitening here costs £750 while the home whitening kits we provide cost £400, which includes the price of making trays and the gel. The effect lasts for a few years making it a great investment.

Ultimately, if whitening is worth doing – and for patients with badly stained teeth it is – then it’s worth doing safely and professionally.