Preventing your teeth from discolouring can be difficult, especially for those who regularly drink coffee, tea, red wine or smoke. To this end teeth whitening has become an increasingly popular option to get that ‘Hollywood Smile’.
Having your teeth whitened professionally can be perceived as costly. Therefore some people are put off by this and will look elsewhere for the cheaper option. More and more retail outlets and on-line shops are now selling home teeth whitening kits which claim to be the safe and a cheap solution. The kits are heavily promoted on social media and magazines – however beware all is not what it may seem.
What Teeth Whitening products are available over the counter?
The most popular forms of home teeth whitening products available to buy are whitening strips, UV kits and whitening pens. As they are reasonably priced, it’s easy to buy and people tend to forget to research the dangers.
The dangers of Teeth Whitening Kits
Whitening strips and pens will give you a whiter look. However, they damage your enamel leaving you with highly sensitive teeth. It can also cause you to have white spots on your gums, not to mention they leave your gums feeling irritated. As well as this, the strips do not get in between your teeth so you will more than likely be left with uneven coloured teeth.
UV kits are very popular with the younger generation due to being advertised on social media. They claim to be safe but research has shown that they can cause your gums to shrink, can result in you having a mouth infection, permanent damage to your enamel, constant toothaches and causes damage to your nerves. The results will leave you with patchy coloured teeth.
Although they may give you a white smile for a short period of time, when the bleach wears off it will leave your damaged enamel exposed, leaving you with yellow teeth.
Who is licensed to carry out professional teeth whitening?
Some beauty salons offer teeth whitening, but this is illegal. If there’s no dental professional present, and it may put your oral health at risk. Teeth whitening treatments should only be carried out by a dentist or a dental professional.
Natural ways to whiten your smile
Certain foods such as Apples, Celery and Carrots are known to whiten your smile naturally. They act like stain removers by increasing your saliva production which helps remove the build-up of bacteria; their crunchiness acts as a toothbrush too.
To attain a naturally white smile, a good maintained level of oral hygiene is necessary, frequently brushing your teeth at least twice a day for 2 minutes, as well as flossing regularly and using mouthwash 30 minutes after brushing.
How we can help you
At Mark Tangri Dental Excellence, we use the brand ’White Dental Beauty’ which is a whitening compound that delivers improved whitening results. This worldwide professional teeth whitening system is leading the way with high quality teeth whitening gels. All of their products are powered by an intelligent compound — NOVON®, proven to offer safe and effective results.
We all deserve to feel confident when we smile. If you’re interested in having your teeth professionally whitened, please book a free consultation with us by contacting us here.
