Blog

Teeth Whitening

31-05-2016

I have been looking for whiter teeth for a long time.  There are many products on the market that claim to whiten teeth, but there seems to be little research behind these products.

I decided I wanted to whiten my teeth, as I simply wasn’t happy with the shade of them. Luckily, I have minimal to no staining on my teeth, I just wanted them whiter than white! I embarked on the whitening process here at Oxford House through my dentist. 

The whitening process used at Oxford House is that of a tray system. You have trays made to fit your teeth and then place the whitening gel in the trays and wear them for a few hours every day or night. The process is gradual but effective. I would highly recommend this method because:

1. If you do get sensitivity through using the whitening gel then you can just simply stop and sensitivity will settle fairly soon 
2. You can decide that may want to do only one arch first so you can compare with the opposing arch to really see the results
3. You can stop when you feel like you have achieved the correct shade (I know not everyone is after blindingly white teeth)
4. You are whitening your teeth with a qualified professional who is licensed to offer teeth whitening; therefore you can guarantee the products used are safe and that you are in good hands. 

My first initial appointment was to have impressions taken of both my upper and lower teeth. These would form a mould to then be used to make the whitening trays. Along with the dentist, we also identified the current shade of my teeth on a shade guide so I could then compare after I had finished whitening. My second appointment with the dentist approximately 2 weeks later was where I had my trays fitted to ensure they fit and feel comfortable. I was also given the whitening gels in this appointment and instructions on how to use. A review appointment with the dentist was also recommended after the two weeks of whitening so you can compare the new shade of your teeth with the starting shade to get a clearer idea of how effective the process has been. 

I wore the trays with the whitening gel in over night, every night for two weeks. I decided to do both arches at the same time as I wanted fast results. I found the trays extremely comfortable to wear. Unlike orthodontic retainers, the trays were soft and flexible making them very comfortable to wear throughout the night. If you do not like the idea of wearing the trays in over-night then if you have a few hours at home during the day then you can also wear them in the day-time. Obviously you cannot eat or drink whilst they are in so you may need to plan your whitening around meal times. Or even if you are sat at your desk at work, the trays are transparent so nobody will need to know that you are whitening. The trays were very easy to keep clean after use by simply rinsing them under the tap and using a cotton bud to remove any excess gel left over in the trays. After two weeks of religiously wearing the trays every night, I decided I still wanted my teeth a bit whiter so I wore the trays for an extra two nights. By the end, I was extremely happy with the shade of my teeth and enjoyed the compliments I received on how white they looked. I did experience some sensitivity during the whitening process which is very common. I used a de-sensitising toothpaste during the treatment which luckily helped. It’s also best to try and avoid smoking if you are a smoker and anything that you consume which can stain your teeth such as tea, coffee, red wine (if you can) as this will slow down the process and you may not get the results you sought after. Now I have the whitening trays, I can purchase the whitening gel as and when needed if I feel I need a top up. A very easy and comfortable process to whiter teeth. And one that works!

Take a look at my before and after photos after the two weeks.