A lot of people choose to whiten their teeth to help advance in their everyday lives. Whether they’re looking for a confidence booster, deterrent from smoking or just a change in their appearance, teeth whitening works perfectly.
But when going forward with the treatment, make sure you’re booking in with a dental professional. High-street teeth whitening kits and beauty salon treatments may not always be the most effective and safest methods. If you’re going to have it done, have it done professionally by a dental practitioner.
But first, there may be a few things to know:
1. It’s Not Damaging to Your Teeth
Similar to aggressive teeth brushing, all kinds of abuse can be harmful. However, if you follow your dentist’s instructions, professional teeth whitening can be completely safe.
Over time the stains on your teeth from things like coffee, wine, dark berries and smoking can become difficult to erase unless you actively try to remove them. The whitening process involves temporarily opening the pores of your teeth using active ingredients to lift away the stains. Your teeth are then able to naturally re-mineralise and rehydrate after each whitening session.
2. Caps and Veneers Cannot be Whitened
Caps and veneers are designed to match the colour of your surrounding teeth at the time they are fitted. The material used to create these can never be changed as they can’t whiten nor stain. Nevertheless, teeth whitening will not damage your dental work in any way.
3. Sensitivity After Teeth Whitening is Normal
Once the whitening procedure is completed, your teeth will start to feel more sensitive compared to before. This is caused by the dehydration of your teeth and can last up to 36 hours. Your dental practitioner will usually suggest a post-whitening fluoride treatment to help with the sensitivity.
4. It Doesn’t Happen Overnight
Teeth whitening is not an instant process. Whitening will take time, ranging from a few days to a few months before results become visible. This is because of how long it takes for the whitening agent to penetrate your teeth and lift stains.
5. It’s a Great Confidence Booster
Having a confident smile can help you advance in a variety of social situations, such as interviews, meetings and general interactions with friends. Having brighter and whiter teeth can boost your self-esteem and make you feel more positive about your appearance. It also works great as a focal point, to draw attention away from surrounding facial insecurities, such as wrinkles.
Overall, teeth whitening is a great treatment to go forward with as it comes with a whole list of benefits. Just remember, they still need caring for after treatment. Regular brushing and flossing, as well as frequent check-ups with your dentist are especially important.
For more information on our teeth whitening treatments visit our whitening page.
