Dental whitening

How long does the treatment take?
Home whitening with night-time trays takes between five to ten days, depending on the level of previous discolouration and the desired result. Tooth whitening in-house takes between one and two hours, and possibly a repeat visit.


When can I see the final result?
After whitening has taken place your teeth will look very light, but the colour recedes slightly and doesn’t stabilise until two to six weeks later.


Is the treatment painful?
During the treatment you may get shooting pains in your teeth and a certain burning sensation in the gums. This passes after the treatment has stopped, but can in certain cases continue for a little while. If the necks of your teeth are very exposed and if you have had problems with shooting pains already before the whitening, you should not whiten your teeth. Parallel treatment with sodium chloride may make the shooting pains disappear.


Can all types of discolouration be whitened?
Not all discolourations can be whitened. In general, warm colours (yellow, brown, red) are easier to whiten than cold colours (grey or blue shades). The final result is influenced by many factors, it varies from person to person and is hard to predict.


For how long does the whitening effect last?
Studies have shown that the effect lasts between four to five years in 80% of all cases, and up to 10 years in 40% of all cases. It depends on what the teeth are exposed to during this time. In the case of smokers, the effect only lasts briefly. The treatment can easily be repeated at the advice of a dentist and then for a shorter time.


Can this damage my teeth?
Studies have shown that carbamide peroxide has very little effect on tooth enamel. Stronger peroxide has a certain effect on the enamel, but the enamel is re-mineralised after the treatment and this process can be encouraged with fluoride. Uncontrolled whitening several times per year cannot be recommended. All experts agree that a correctly administered whitening procedure is the least invasive method for improved aesthetics.


Is it poisonous?
No health risks connected to the correct usage of tooth whitening substance have been established.