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Teeth whitening FAQs

How long should I whiten my teeth for?

You will need to whiten your teeth for 2-4 weeks, depending on how dark they are to start with. Keep whitening until you are happy with the colour of your teeth and then do it for 2 more nights before stopping (your teeth will fade back slightly once you stop so doing 2 extra days accounts for that).

How do I store the whitening gel?

Keep the gel in the fridge. Once you have stopped whitening, any left-over gel can be used for future top-ups.

How do I maintain my white smile and carry out top-up whitening?

Visit the hygienist for a cleaning every 6 months and whiten your teeth for 2 nights straight after. Take your whitening trays with you to your appointments with the dentist or hygienist so that they can check their fit and give you more gel if you need some.

What’s the best way to manage sensitivity?

If your teeth are getting sensitive, try the following steps:

1. Take a night off. You can do the whitening every other night instead of nightly if your teeth are sensitive. It won’t negatively impact the whitening process apart from it taking longer.

2. Use desensitising toothpaste during the day. Get some toothpaste on your finger, rub it all over your teeth, and leave it there. You can also put some into your whitening tray and wear them for 1 hour. We like to use Sensodyne Rapid Relief.

3. Use some tooth mousse in your whitening tray for 60 minutes in the day. You can find it on Amazon or buy it from your dentist if they stock it.

4. If the above steps don’t work, then contact your dentist. They may wish to try some in-clinic de-sensitisers to make the process more comfortable for you.

5. Avoid having lots of acidic foods such as fruit juices, smoothies and alcohol (or use a straw to avoid them hitting your teeth).

Any sensitivity you experience will go away once you stop whitening.

Things you need to know about teeth whitening before starting

• Teeth whitening is a cosmetic procedure and there can be no guarantee of the results

• The necks of your teeth (the bit closest to your gums) will always look darker than the edges of your teeth

• Your canine teeth will always look darker than the other teeth (you may need to whiten them individually for a few extra days)

• Teeth whitening does not work on fillings, crowns, bridges or veneers. If you have any of these then their colour will not change and you will need to replace them to match the new colour of your teeth

• Some people have natural white spots on their teeth, these will become much whiter and more obvious when you first start whitening and then when you stop they will blend in a bit more

• You may experience some gum irritation and redness, this usually happens if you put too much gel in the tray and it leaks out. The gums should heal on their own after a day