Tooth Whitening

We prefer to use the ‘at-home‘ whitening procedure.
Impressions of your teeth are used to produce models on which precise fitting trays are made.
These trays are used to hold the whitening agent, provided by us, in close contact with the teeth.

See before and after

Tooth Whitening FAQ

I have one dark tooth. Can tooth whitening help?

In some cases where a single tooth has discoloured and a root canal therapy has been performed the tooth can be bleached using a “walking bleach“. Bleaching agents are placed into the chamber in the tooth and sealed in with a temporary filling.

Once the tooth has lightened to a satisfactory colour the bleaching agent is removed and a permanent filling placed to seal the tooth.

It is important that you don’t have any decayed teeth or leaking fillings when doing tooth whitening.
We always do a full dental exam and treat any problems before starting tooth whitening.

‘In-chair’ tooth whitening is very efficient but often too efficient. Stronger tooth whitening chemicals are used and heat is applied (usually in the form of a light or laser) to speed up the chemical reactions. This method of tooth whitening often leads to extreme tooth sensitivity. While the sensitivity does usually settle after a few days, it can be extremely unpleasant.

“At Home” tooth whitening with trays puts the patient in control. If you find that even the at-home tooth whitening is starting to cause some sensitivity, you can reduce the length and/or frequency of wearing the tooth whitening trays. It might take a little longer to reach the desired degree of tooth whitening, but the desired result will be achieved.

It is extremely important that during the time you are whitening your teeth you don’t eat or drink highly pigmented foods. Examples of the sorts of foods to avoid are tea, coffee, coloured soft drinks and cordials (lemonade and mineral water are fine), tomato sauce, pasta sauces, curries, beetroot, etc. A good rule of thumb is that if it might stain your white T-shirt then don’t eat or drink it.

We suggest two sessions of one hour each per day. Most patients find that it takes about two weeks for the whitening to reach the level they desire.

If you have any syringes of gel left over after achieving your desired tooth shade, it is best to store the remaining syringes in the fridge. The gel and trays can be used at a later date should you wish to do a quick ‘touch-up’ tooth whitening. It is not necessary to store the gels in the fridge during the period when you are doing the tooth whitening.

Always rinse the trays out with cold water after each tooth whitening session. Leave them in the provided container to air-dry.
Never use hot water to rinse the trays or dry them with any source of heat.

Need more information?

For more information about our dental practice in general, or if you have a specific question about your dental care needs, please call us on (02) 8883 4560, email our dental practice at [email protected] or send us a message below and we will do our best to help you.

    How can our dental practice help you with your dental care needs?

    Whether your dental care needs are a regular dental check-up or you require more comprehensive dental care, the team at our dental practice will do our best to provide you with the best possible advice and care.

    Dr. KEN LIPWORTH, BDS
    Dr. KEN LIPWORTH, BDSDentist
    DEBRA EGELTON
    DEBRA EGELTONPractice Manager

    Want more information about our dental practice?

    For more information about our dental practice in general, or if you have a specific question about your dental care needs, please call us on (02) 8883 4560, email our dental practice at [email protected] or send us a message below and we will do our best to help you.