Clarence House Dental Practice use a Tooth Whitening System which has been proven safe in many clinical studies over the past ten years. The proof is in the results. It has proven effective on tens of thousands of smiles, reversing the effects of aging, coffee, tobacco and other stains. It even works on tetracycline and fluorosis staining. Listed below are a few commonly asked questions about this process.

Is It Safe?
Yes. Whitening your teeth, under the supervision of your dentist, has been proven safe in clinical studies over a period of many years. The primary ingredient in the whitening gel is carbamide peroxide, which has been safely used to brighten the smiles of millions of people worldwide.

How Does It Work?
Your dentist will take impressions of your teeth that will allow for custom trays to be made for your bleaching procedure. The whitening gel is placed in these thin comfortable trays and fitted over your teeth. As you whiten your teeth, carbamide peroxide is broken down and oxygen enters the enamel and dentine. This bleaches out the discolored areas. The structure of the tooth is not changed. The color of the tooth is simply made lighter.

How Long Does It Take?
Results are often seen after one night. Optimum natural whiteness usually occurs when the process is continued for a week to 10 days. Your dentist will explain what you can expect for your individual situation.

Are There Any Side Affects?
There are a small number of people that could experience increased sensitivity to hot or cold during the whitening process. This is temporary and can be treated with ibuprofen or another product your dentist may have. The sensitivity will normally go away within the first 48 hours after the whitening process is completed.

How Long Will It Last?
The duration of your results depends largely upon you. The results may be permanent. Practice good oral hygiene and brush normally, especially after consuming staining foods or beverages, and your results could last for years. If you use staining substances like coffee, tobacco and red wine you may want periodic touch-ups for one or two days every couple of years.

When might whitening not work?

Whitening can only lighten your existing tooth colour. For a change to a specific chosen shade, veneering is another option. Whitening only works on natural teeth. It will not work on any type of 'false’ teeth. This includes dentures, crowns and veneers.  Stained veneers, crowns and dentures may need replacing.

What about whitening toothpaste?

There are now several whitening toothpastes you can buy. Although they do not affect the natural colour of the tooth, they are effective at removing staining and therefore improving the overall appearance of the tooth. Whitening toothpaste may also help to keep up the appearance, once teeth have been professionally whitened.