Teeth Whitening

Rapid whitening in Ipswich

At Foxhall Dental Surgery in Ipswich, as at many other dental practices across the UK, teeth whitening rates amongst the most popular of our procedures.

Because of the fact that the procedure itself is fast, effective and affordable, it is widely used to improve the appearance of a person's teeth and is especially popular for those who are dependent on their appearance to make a living, such as a TV presenter, for example.

Even for those not on TV, or in a similar public facing role, a teeth whitening procedure will dramatically improve the appearance of your teeth and not only improve your looks but also help to boost your confidence when you smile.

Clean teeth

Although you may clean your teeth well and avoid teeth staining products such as tobacco and red wine, the reality is that it is not so much the enamel of the teeth which becomes stained but the softer inner part. Even with the best will and care in the world, this will happen eventually as it is a natural part of the ageing process and is almost unavoidable.

The teeth whitening procedure

Prior to the teeth whitening procedure taking place, the dentist at our Ipswich practice will protect your gums and lips. This is important as otherwise these soft tissues could be burned by the products used in the process.

Once the soft tissues surrounding the teeth are fully protected, a whitening gel is then applied to the teeth. Within an hour, this whitening gel will have lightened the inner molecules of the teeth and, once the gel has been removed, you will notice a significant improvement in the whiteness of your teeth.

Whitening gels and toothpastes

A word of caution for anyone considering ‘at home’ whitening kits or teeth whitening toothpastes. Whilst the toothpastes are harmless enough, they are not very effective due to legislation which, for safety reasons, limits the amount of whitening ingredient allowed.

Whilst they may whiten teeth to some degree, you are likely to barely notice the difference.
Whilst ‘at home’ whitening kits are allowed to include a stronger solution as they are not intended for general use, this presents a problem in itself. Although more likely to show a difference than toothpastes, it also means that there is a possible risk of burning of the soft tissues as these kits are quite difficult to apply yourself.

Side Effects

Some people have expressed concerns about the potential side effects of teeth whitening. The reality though is that this is an entirely safe procedure which can be repeated as necessary for mots patients.

A few patients have noted a slight increase in sensitivity of their teeth following the procedure but this is usually only temporary and will return to normal shortly afterwards.