How To Safely Whiten Your Teeth
Selecting The Only Safe Treatment Route To Enhance Your Smile
Teeth whitening is enjoying a surge in popularity, but it’s important to have the treatment carried out safely for the sake of your oral health.
The pressure to look good is certainly apparent in 2019. Whether it be due to social media influencers, an interest in reality TV stars, or the availability of high street cosmetic procedures, many are committing to improving their looks to give their self-esteem a boost. One of the most popular treatments is teeth whitening, and a recent study by Oral B suggests that those who have whiter teeth not only look five years younger, but they’re also deemed to be 20% more attractive. If this all sounds too good to be true, it isn’t – but it’s important to ensure that you only commit to teeth whitening treatments that are safe.
Stay Away From Unregistered Beauticians And Salons
If you’re interested in having teeth whitening carried out, then it’s essential that you only have the treatment at a registered dental practitioner. Your local beautician may offer whitening as a service, but an alert sent out by the General Dental Council warns of a rise in illegal whitening treatments being offered by high street salons. The main concern surrounds the strength of hydrogen peroxide used in the whitening solution. The legal limit is no more than 6% of this bleach, but it’s known that unregistered beauticians are using strengths of 25-30% to gain more dazzling results. Of course, extra chemicals equate to extra harm and customers are being left with terrible side effects including blisters, pain and burns in their mouths – all of which could be avoided by visiting a registered dentist.
Avoiding Home Teeth Whitening Kits
On the other side of the coin, many customers are opting for affordable home teeth whitening kits, some of which are celebrity endorsed which helps persuade the purchase. Unfortunately, the incredibly low level of hydrogen peroxide in such kits, means that their effectiveness stands at just 1-2% – and customers are rarely satisfied with the results which aren’t as apparent or long-lasting as those that have been carried out by a professional dentist. Furthermore, allowing people to carry out the whitening procedure at home also carries a risk to their oral health. Without training, members of the public are left to fit their own mouthguards, and if they leak, then the chemical whitening solution can irritate the gums. The NHS advises against this.
Visit A Registered Dental Practitioner
The only truly safe way to have teeth whitening carried out, is to visit a registered dentist such as a teeth whitening Essex professional who offers this as a procedure. Your dental professional will carry out a thorough examination of your teeth beforehand to assess their condition and decide on the ideal teeth whitening solutions for you depending on whether the discolouration is extrinsic or intrinsic. Extrinsic is when the enamel is stained due to lifestyle choices such as tea drinking or smoking and can often be improved by professional cleaning; whereas intrinsic staining is when the dentin becomes yellow or darker, and will require safe bleaching to improve the look.
So long as you follow the aftercare advice of your dental practitioner, and take good care of your dental hygiene on an ongoing basis, then the results of teeth whitening are impressive, long-lasting and most importantly – safe!