A beautiful white smile can look gorgeous, and Bromley Dental Practice offers patients Zoom whitening, one of the best-known and most respected whitening systems on the market. You can choose to have your teeth whitened in one of two ways.

Our principal dentist, Dr Zaki Bashir, can either whiten your teeth chair side, or you can choose to whiten at home using custom-made bleaching trays. Combining both methods will give the brightest results. Whitening in our dental practice is the quickest method, but some people prefer to carry out the process more slowly and in the comfort of their own home. But what happens once you’ve whitened your teeth, and how long can you expect the results to reasonably last?

This is a tricky question to answer, as the results depend on your lifestyle habits, for example if you like to drink wine, tea or coffee, or if you’re a smoker then the effects will not last quite so long. Our cosmetic dentist in Bromley will advise you how often you’ll need to touch up the results, based on your lifestyle habits. This is very easy to do at home, using our custom-made whitening trays.

Another common question is whether or not tooth whitening causes any side effects. Zoom whitening contains special ingredients to help minimise any tooth sensitivity, and the bleaching gels are designed to help protect tooth enamel. If you do feel any slight sensitivity and then it should be minimal and purely temporary. If you already have particularly sensitive teeth then you may wish to use our custom-made bleaching trays at home as these use a lower strength whitening gel over a longer period of time.

Lots of people already have veneers and crowns, and will want to know whether or not bleaching will lift the colour of these porcelain restorations. The truth is it cannot change them, as the bleaching gel will only work on natural teeth. If you do want to whiten your teeth then you might need to be prepared to replace any crown and bridge work or dental veneers. If your teeth have become stained since having these restorations then it might be possible to carefully whiten your teeth to match reasonably well.

Some teeth will whiten more easily than others, as for example if you have teeth that have been stained by tetracycline then these may prove difficult to whiten. The results can vary and it can be difficult to predict the effects. Quite a few people have teeth that have signs of fluorosis which are white spots that are formed due to being exposed to excess fluoride as children. In this case bleaching can help make the white spots less visible by lifting the background shade, but once again, results can vary.

In general, teeth whitening in Bromley is very safe for anyone with a healthy mouth, and the results can look terrific. Studies have shown having a brighter smile can significantly boost self-esteem, and can make others perceive us as being younger than we really are; that’s a huge bonus for quite a few of us.

Teeth whitening is one of the most requested, and most popular dental treatments today. Even though it won’t provide any benefits to oral health, it can be a huge boost to self-confidence, especially as whiter teeth are associated with youthfulness. Having your teeth whitened by your dentist in Bromley will ensure treatment is safe and successful.

 The First Step is to Book a Check-up

This is essential; one of our Bromley dentists will need to make sure your teeth and gums are healthy and free from diseases such as gum disease or untreated tooth decay. Whitening an unhealthy mouth would allow the bleaching gel to penetrate the diseased teeth or gums more easily, increasing the risk of experiencing unwanted side effects such as tooth sensitivity or pain.  Additionally whitening an unhealthy mouth could worsen any existing dental health issues.

Dr Zaki Bashir or another of our dentists in Bromley will be able to tell you the kind of results you can reasonably achieve through whitening your teeth. Certain shades whiten better than others, for example teeth that are yellow will whiten more easily than teeth that are grey or violet toned. Some teeth may simply be immune to whitening, as teeth that have been veneered or crowned will not bleach, and some stains may be internal. Internal or intrinsic stains can be caused by exposure to antibiotics when the teeth were still developing or exposure to excess fluoride before the age of seven. If you have some teeth that are affected this way then you might need to think of covering them up with crowns or veneers once you have whitened your teeth. The reason for whitening first is that we will be able to match the shade of your veneers more accurately to your newly bleached teeth whereas it is much harder to make dental veneers in a particular shade, and to then try to bleach your teeth to match them.

Some teeth may become discoloured if they have been root treated, and in this case it might be possible for your dentist in Bromley to bleach the tooth internally while whitening the rest of the teeth normally.

We Use Zoom Whitening

Our dental practice uses Zoom teeth whitening in Bromley that can brighten the natural shade of your teeth in just an hour. The process is extremely safe, as your gums and lips will be fully protected from the whitening gel throughout treatment. The gel is activated through the use of a special light that allows the bleach to penetrate the teeth more fully.

If you decide to opt for home whitening, then we can make you whitening trays that will fit over your teeth, and which will be very comfortable to wear. We will supply you with the whitening gel, as well as full instructions on how to use it. Some people will want to use both systems in order to get the very best possible results, but if you want your teeth to look naturally white and youthful, it is best to aim for a shade that is close to the whites of your eyes.