How Does Teeth Whitening Work?

Our teeth go through a lot. Every day, they’re met with countless cups of tea and coffee. They chew on three square meals made from all manner of ingredients. Teeth do so much, yet we often take them for granted.

When you think of how much work your teeth actually do, and what they come into contact with, it shouldn’t be a great surprise that they’d become a little bit discoloured over time. Even with the best intentions and regular brushing, your pearly whites can become a tad yellow or beige.

So, what are your options for restoring the beautiful white glow that your smile deserves?

Let’s take a look at how the teeth whitening systems we use at Love Teeth all work.

What Causes Teeth to Become Stained?

Let’s be clear, stains on your teeth don’t necessarily imply that you’re not thorough with your brushing. While poor dental hygiene can be a cause, lifestyle choices such as smoking will increase staining and discolouration, as can certain health conditions.

Very often, staining and discolouration occur as the result of eating and drinking. Some items of food and drink will stain your teeth more than others. You can minimise the negative effects of these by brushing your teeth after their consumption. Some examples include:

• Tea and coffee
• Spicy foods such as chili or curry
• Sweets
• Dark berries
• Soft drinks such as cola
• Red wine

But when your teeth are already stained, you may decide you want to take decisive action to bring back the sparkle.

What Are the Whitening Options at Love Teeth Dental Practice?

We believe that Enlighten and Boutique are the best at-home teeth whitening products available. For anyone wanting a faster-acting option, we also offer Philips Zoom! in-clinic treatment.

The revolutionary Enlighten system can lighten your teeth by up to 16 shades and it is possible to achieve a vita B1. This is the most natural shade of white and is lighter than the average shade found in teeth, which is A3.

Boutique is a flexible whitening option that allows you to pick when you want to use it. If you want to whiten your teeth through the night, you can do that. Alternatively, you can do it during the day. Either way, you can pick the routine that works best for you.

Philips Zoom! Achieves amazing results in just one session. This means you could pop into the clinic on your lunch break and leave within an hour later with a dazzling new smile.

How Does Enlighten Work?

If you decide to brighten your smile with Enlighten, the first step is for us to take impressions of your teeth. These will be used to create the custom-made trays that you’ll wear at home. Your trays will hold the whitening agent to your teeth.

We’ll then send your impressions off to the laboratory, where your trays will be made. This takes around two weeks. But you won’t have to wait to start the process. We’ll give you a special toothpaste to use that includes an ingredient called Hydroxyapatite (HAP). This is a naturally occurring mineral form of calcium apatite which can be found in the enamel of your teeth.

You’ll use this toothpaste twice daily for a fortnight. This will help reduce the sensitivity of your teeth, making the whitening process much more comfortable.

Once the trays are back from the laboratory, we’ll provide you with them along with your whitening gel and clear instructions on how to use them.

Using the Enlighten Whitening Trays

For the next two weeks, you’ll need to wear your whitening trays along with the gel every night. Because the trays are purpose-made for your mouth, they’re comfortable, meaning you can quite easily relax with them.

The whitening agent goes through the enamel of your teeth, breaking down any stains. It does this through chemical oxidation. 

Once the two weeks have passed, we’ll get you to come back into the clinic for one final treatment. This appointment will usually take around 40 minutes and will help to brighten your teeth that little bit extra.

How Does Boutique Teeth Whitening Work?

Similar to Enlighten, Boutique uses custom trays made to perfectly fit your teeth. We’ll take digital scans of your teeth so that your trays can be made. 

Once the trays are back from the lab, you’ll get to take them home. When it comes to using them, you can either wear them for two hours during the day or for six hours while you sleep.

Is There a Quicker Option?

If you can’t wait two to four weeks for your teeth to shine, there is another option available; Philips Zoom!

This whitening treatment is carried out by our dentists in the clinic. All you’ll need is a single appointment. In just under an hour, you’ll be able to brighten your teeth and enjoy a sparkling new smile almost instantly.

Philips Zoom! uses a combination of hydrogen peroxide whitening gel and light treatment.

While undergoing this amazing treatment, your lips and gums will be covered to protect them, leaving your teeth exposed to the light which will activate the whitening gel.

What Else Can Help Brighten Your Smile?

The teeth whitening options we provide here at our clinics in Cheam, Chessington, and Stonecot are the ones we believe to be the most effective on the market. But keeping your sparkling smile fresh will require some maintenance. 

In addition to thorough brushing twice daily, we’d always suggest making regular hygiene appointments. Having a full scale and polish along with a professional clean will help eliminate any plaque and tartar build-ups while refreshing your teeth.

Are You Ready for a Brighter Smile?

If you’ve decided that Enlighten, Boutique, or Zoom! are right for you, the next step is to make an appointment with our friendly team at one of our Surrey practices.

To learn more about our teeth whitening treatments, or to book an appointment, get in touch today.