A Professional Teeth Whitening Guide

• Clean your teeth thoroughly before each use, including use of floss or specialist brushes. Rinse any toothpaste away.
• Try not to waste the gel. Fill the supplied bleaching trays with a small amount of the whitening agent. Care must be taken not to overfill the tray, as this will be forced out over your gums when inserted. You should aim to use approximately half a tube or less for each bleaching tray per night.
• Excess material should be removed from the gums with a tissue, cotton wool or a dry toothbrush after insertion of the trays.
• The filled trays are usually worn overnight. You should not eat, drink or smoke whilst wearing the trays. The whitening process works at different rates for each individual, but most patients report that a noticeable effect after just four treatments. Sufficient gel is given for the initial process to work.
• Rinse your mouth with lots of lukewarm water to remove any remaining gel when the trays are removed. Wash the tray with cold water and dry thoroughly with tissues before storage.
• Sensitivity is a normal feature of the whitening process. It usually only lasts for a few days after the duration of the whitening period. Due to this sensitivity, you may choose to wear the trays every other day or less, to achieve a gradual change in appearance.
• Stop using the trays and gel when you are happy with the colour. Remember that the natural colour of teeth is never pure white. The whitening gel will lighten your teeth, but not necessarily remove all internal stains; in these circumstances the teeth may never achieve a harmonious colour. The gel will not lighten crowns, veneers, fillings or root surfaces.
• It is not necessary to lighten the back or molar teeth.
• If sensitivity is intense, then the trays can be filled with sensitive toothpaste (such as Sensodyne) and worn for a few hours.
• Try to avoid for one month after whitening: smoking, strong coloured foods and drinks such as coffee, tea, berries, curries etc. This will improve the long term result of the whitening.
• If the gel comes into contact with skin, wash with soap and water. If you swallow a significant amount of gel drink large amounts of water or milk. Refrigerate for prolonged storage and keep out of reach of children.
• In rare cases, an allergic reaction to the gel may occur. You will have widespread swelling of the mouth and some discomfort. Discontinue use and contact your dentist.

If you need any advice or support or want to talk to a dentist about teeth whitening, call us today on 01403 259717.