Pressures of social living, wanting to to keep up with your friends and celebrities, or simply ready to treat yourself to a whiter smile.
As soon as you make the decision you want whiter teeth, you will suddenly start to see the hundreds of adverts, special offers and possible solutions to choose from.
So how do you choose and what should you look out for once you’ve decided you want your teeth whitening?
We’ve put together a simple DO and DON’T list to get you started. It is against the law for anybody who is not a registered dental professional to perform tooth whitening for any reason. This list is designed to give you more knowledge and understanding so that you book to see the right people and use the right solutions that best suit your teeth.
THE DO FACTORS
- DO consider how soon you want to have nice white teeth! Different solutions work over different periods of time, so think about special events such as weddings, anniversaries, graduations or performances that are coming up. There is also the cost factor, cheap is not always cheerful, so think how this will determine where and when to start.
- DO understand having whiter teeth will not automatically resolve the health or shape of your teeth. Just because they look nice doesn’t mean they are healthy, so listening to non-qualified beauticians, hair salons and pop-up shopping centre stalls that are happy to whiten teeth regardless of their health, is not a safe option.
- DO avoid staining foods and drinks such as tomotoe based curries, coffee, dark berries and red wine. There are alternatives that you can consider alongside your daily dietary needs such as high fibre fruits (apples and pears ) low tannin teas (green and herbals), water and nuts.
- DO visit your Dentist for a consultation. Your dentist will look at your Dental history and be able to explain several options that best suit your teeth.
- DO enjoy having white teeth and look after them. It’s amazing how many people say they feel more confident; just be make sure you have plenty of storage space in your phone or camera for all those selfies you’ll be taking!
THE DON’T FACTORS
- DON’T use over the counter teeth whitening products you don’t know about or are not recommended by a Dentist. Many products fail to declare chemicals on the packaging and can cause damage in and around the mouth including blistered lips and swollen gums.
- DON’T go to a local Beauticians or Hair Salon unless they have a qualified Dentist on-site. Beauticians and Hair Salons will not have dental qualifications and cannot help you after the treatment or when things go wrong.
- DON’T be fooled by radical statements or special offers. Many products are designed to whiten teeth in the short term and do not consider the long term health of your teeth or the investment you have made.
- DON’T be put off by rumours of sensitivity. This is normal and will be short term, only lasting a couple of days. A Dentist will be able to monitor and advise on this throughout the teeth whitening process.
- DON’T go anywhere that is not a registered dental professional with the General Dental Council (GDC).. It is against the law for anybody who is not a registered dental professional to perform tooth whitening for a reason. A Dentist will check you are suitable to undertake a teeth whitening treatment, advise you on alternative methods and monitor the treatment all the way through.
