What is the best way to whiten my teeth?
Dr Michael Orlans answers the most common questions about teeth whitening
Teeth whitening is a non-invasive way to improve the appearance of your smile. It is a very common procedure, and it is safe and effective when carried out by a dental professional. Below are answers to the most common questions I get asked by my patients about tooth whitening.
Before and after images of professional teeth whitening by Dr Michael Orlans.
What are the steps for professional tooth whitening?
The process of teeth whitening is very simple, and generally involves 4 simple steps (below). Some cases are more complex and have more steps involved, but this will be discussed with you before embarking on treatment. The 4 steps are:
1/ Have an assessment with a dentist to ensure you are dentally fit.
2/ Have a mould or scan taken of your teeth by your dentist.
3/ Custom trays are fitted for your teeth. A gel is placed inside the trays, and wear either overnight while you sleep or for 60-90 minutes during the daytime.
4️/ Continue until you are happy with the results! The time required for whitening depends on many factors but is typically 2-4 weeks.
How does professional in-surgery chair-side whitening work?
Teeth whitening with in-surgery teeth whitening.
There are 2 options for professional tooth whitening; in-surgery bleaching and home bleaching. For most of our patients, home bleaching is the recommended option. This typically takes several weeks, but can take up to 6 months in extreme cases if your teeth are very yellow or have deep intrinsic staining caused by tetracycline.
In-surgery bleaching consists of a 90 minute whitening session in the dental surgery. This will give your teeth an initial lift, but these results will need to be maintained with several days of home-bleaching afterwards. In-surgery bleaching is great for patients who don’t want to whiten for as long at home, don’t have the manual dexterity for doing the home whitening, or want an initial head start with their whitening treatment. The photos below show in-surgery whitening results carried out by Dr Michael Orlans.
How long does teeth whitening last?
The duration of the effect of professional tooth whitening varies depending on several factors, including the type of treatment, the patient's oral hygiene habits, and the person's diet and lifestyle.
With maintenance (topping up), tooth whitening treatment can last indefinitely. Usually, patients would choose to “top-up” their whitening after 1-2 years to maintain the shade they are happy with. This doesn’t mean starting the process again, but simply buying a top-up gel (currently priced at Montagu Dental £20) from your dentist, after your dentist checked the fit of your trays and the health of your teeth at a check-up appointment.
Can teeth look ‘too white’ after whitening treatment?
Some celebrities you may have seen have teeth that look unnaturally white. This is because they are not natural teeth, but composite or porcelain veneers. Natural teeth always look better when whitened safely.
Tooth whitening is a gradual process, so you can stop when you are happy with their colour.
Will tooth whitening damage my teeth?
Teeth whitening when carried out by a dental professional after a full assessment is very safe. Many patients will experience some sensitivity during the whitening process, but this is temporary and is not an indication that harm is coming to the teeth.
Professional whitening vs. DIY methods
The active ingredients broadly used in professional tooth whitening (hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide) are an effective and safe way to whiten your teeth. However, it is illegal to be sold by anyone other than a dentist in quantities of over 0.1%. Dentist can safely and legally use quantities of up to 6% hydrogen peroxide and 16% carbamide peroxide. At a level of 0.1% it will have no effect on the whitening of teeth.
As such, any products bought elsewhere will use alternative ingredients to whiten teeth. Common products such as sodium chloride is combination with citric acid, which can erode the tooth surface, and other products can be very abrasive to teeth. Teeth may appear whiter but ultimately can lead to thinner teeth which can eventually appear yellower. Products bought online may be illegal and unregulated, and there are documented cases of severe damage caused by such products. Damage may be irreversible, and therefore is strongly disadvised – you only get one set of adult teeth!
Professional tooth whitening also involves a thorough assessment by a dentist, ensuring your teeth are safe to be whitening, and also establishing a diagnosis prior to whitening treatment. Sometimes discoloured teeth are discoloured for a reason such as a necrotic tooth, internal resorption or developmental issues, which may need to be addressed prior to any whitening treatment, or treated in a different way.
When is teeth whitening not advised?
Teeth whitening is illegal for children (under 18 years old), and should not be undertaken while pregnant or breastfeeding. It is generally not advised for people with very sensitive teeth, as teeth whitening can increase dental sensitivity. However, special low concentration gels can be used for a longer duration in cases where teeth are sensitive but you would like to whiten them.
Does teeth whitening work on veneers, false teeth or fillings?
Whitening will only work on natural teeth. Any fillings, crowns, veneers or denture teeth will not change colour. This means that if you have any of these visible, if they are currently the same shade as your teeth, after whitening your teeth they may appear darker in contrast to your whiter natural teeth. If this is the case, you may wish to have these replaced after whitening treatment with a shade to match your new tooth colour.
Can all discoloured teeth be fixed with whitening?
Some very dark teeth may require root canal treatment, or advanced whitening whereby the tooth is whitening from the inside. This will be carefully assessed by your dentist and discussed with you. Some very dark teeth may require veneers, crowns, or composite bonding to mask the colour. Some complex staining such as blue-grey banded staining (from the antibiotic tetracycline), whitening may take much longer, and can be for as long as 6 months.
This picture shows necrotic front teeth successfully treated with advanced whitening by Dr Michael Orlans.
How can I reduce teeth staining?
Certain lifestyle factors such as smoking, consumption of dark-coloured drinks (such as coffee, tea, and red wine) and foods can cause teeth to yellow or discolour over time, so it's essential to take proper care of your teeth and maintain good oral hygiene practices to help extend the duration of the whitening effect.
Extrinsic staining (stains on the outer surface of your teeth) can be removed with regular hygiene visits. Stubborn staining can be removed with airflow treatment, which blasts small particles at the teeth surface to leave them stain-free.
Teeth Whitening with Dr Michael Orlans
We love helping patients with teeth whitening treatments. It is very rewarding to be able to help our patients to smile with confidence. Get in touch with to see how we can help you.
