You have probably heard all about teeth whitening. If you watch TV reality shows, you will no doubt have seen people with teeth that are whiter than white. Ah, you think, they’ve had their teeth whitened and you may have assumed that teeth whitening is all about bleaching the natural colour from the teeth. But it’s not. It’s all about removing the build-up of stains from the food and drinks we ingest.

The tannins in tea, coffee and red wine get trapped in the pores of our tooth enamel. Dark staining from blueberries and other dark fruits can also leave their mark, as can tobacco and even certain medications. Over the years, it is these that can dull the natural whiteness of our teeth, making us look older and less healthy.

Teeth whitening gels work to gently lift out the traces of these foodstuffs. The active ingredient in whitening gels is hydrogen peroxide, a tried and tested disinfectant and whitener that has been around for a couple of hundred years. It’s a very simple chemical, just water with an added oxygen molecule.

Tooth whitening gels come in different strengths, with the stronger ones working more quickly. The stronger ones are only available from your dentist and can only be used by them or under supervision by them. This means that the amount of whitener in off-the-shelf products, including toothpaste, are pretty ineffective.

The strongest whiteners can only be used in the clinic here at Leamington Spa Dental Practice in Leamington Spa. It takes around an hour for us to power whiten your teeth. We protect your lips and gums with a plastic barrier and paint on the gel.

You can also use a weaker gel at home, with our bespoke whitening trays. They will give you maximum contact with the gel, while avoiding spillage. This treatment takes about 2 weeks of daily wear for a short period. The bonus of doing your whitening at home is that you can easily buy more gel when you need to carry out a top-up treatment.

Why not come in for a consultation to decide which method best suits you?