The entire process can usually be done in around three or four weeks.

It begins with two or three visits to the dentist, impressions will be taken of your mouth and teeth for a mouthguard to be specially made. The dental team will then start the treatment, talking you through the process, before you continue the treatment at home.

This means regularly applying the whitening product over two to four weeks for a little as 1hour or overnight depending upon the product. What tooth whitening isn’t going to do is completely change the colour of your teeth, but it will make them a lighter shade.

The benefits of tooth whitening could last up to three years, however, this will vary from person-to-person. The effect is less likely to last as long if you smoke or eat or drink products that can stain your teeth.

Due to its effectiveness, short treatment time and cost, tooth whitening has proven to be an increasingly popular way for people to give their smile a makeover and is far less invasive or expensive than more heavy cosmetic work like veneers.

At the most basic level, tooth whitening is a procedure which lightens the natural colour of your teeth without removing any of the tooth surfaces.

Bleaching with hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide is the most usual method of tooth whitening. Following instruction by your dentist you will then apply the whitening product to your teeth, using a specially made tray which fits into your mouth like a mouthguard. As the bleaching agent is broken down, oxygen then enters the enamel on the teeth and the tooth colour is made lighter.

The total teeth whitening treatment can be completed within three to four weeks.

Your first appointment, if needed, would be an assessment with our dentist to confirm your expectations and whether you will be able to achieve this.

At your second appointment we will take impressions of your mouth so we can have whitening trays made to fit your teeth.

Your third appointment will take place once we have received your teeth whitening trays when we will check the trays fit accurately. At this appointment we take you through the ‘instructions for home use’ leaflet to ensure you understand how to complete the procedure. We will advise on dosage amounts, time scales, storage and any side effects. You will then take away the new teeth whitening trays and syringes of whitening gels for use at home.

A review appointment will then be booked with us here at Cobbs Garden Dental Practice to assess the progress and compare your new and old shades.

Not at all. The gels are made up of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). When this breaks down it forms water (H2O) and oxygen (O2) and this makes it harmless. It is the oxygen (O2) which helps brighten the teeth. The total teeth whitening treatment can be completed within three to four weeks.