Teeth whitening does not just benefit your appearance

An increasing number of dental patients are opting for whitening treatments because it has been proved that having an attractive smile will enhance your self confidence and also make you look younger.

It is inevitable that a smile will darken over time due to the natural ageing process, the food and drink that people consume and mainly because our teeth are not naturally white in the first place.

Teeth whitening solutions include the chemical hydrogen peroxide which is a bleaching agent that, when applied to a smile, whitens the many discoloured microscopic pours that appear in a tooth's enamel.

Laser teeth whitening is the most advanced process available at the moment and this treatment involves coating teeth with a whitening gel which makes the tooth appear whiter once the gel is properly applied by a dentist.

Stains that have been caused by years of drinking tea, coffee and red wine as well as smoking cigarettes can be significantly reduced by a fully qualified dentist although results are dependent on the original condition of the teeth.

Teeth that are discoloured demonstrate that damage has occurred to the enamel which acts as a protective layer for the inner dentin of a tooth so by removing stains a dentist can encourage a person to maintain the whiteness by improving their oral hygiene.

To maximise the whiteness of your smile, it is important to cut out or reduce the habits that caused staining in the first place, which may involve giving up smoking or changing your choice of beverage.

Quitting cigarettes and opting for healthier food and drink options will help a person enhance their oral hygiene at the same time as maintaining the results of teeth whitening treatments.

Your dentist is the best placed person to advise you about what it will take to maintain the whiteness of your teeth so it is important that you discuss the best way to preserve the results of whitening treatments before the procedure is performed.

A dentist will also be able to explain what kind of results you can expect from whitening treatments so that you are not enter the procedure with unrealistic expectations.

It is important to only undergo whitening treatments that are performed by fully qualified dentists as only they will have the experience and expertise to execute the procedure safely and correctly.