Cosmetic Teeth Whitening

Peroxide
A common ingredient in teeth whitening products is hydrogen peroxide.   While hydrogen peroxide is an effective ingredient for teeth whitening it can cause sensitivity for some people.  If applied to a damaged tooth, it can cause pain, and potentially exacerbate any damage by aggravating the root and nerve.   Levels of above 6% hydrogen peroxide can only be provided by a dentist in Australia.  For this reason, if you have any damage to your teeth, or unsure if you have any sensitivities, we recommend visiting your dentist first prior to undergoing a teeth whitening procedure that uses hydrogen peroxide.  

Our peroxide treatment contains a maximum of 6% hydrogen peroxide.  It is also recommended if you have had any dental work, crowns for veneers, that you do not use a hydrogen peroxide formula for teeth whitening.

Non-Peroxide
The active ingredient in our non-peroxide teeth whitening treatment is Sodium Bicarbonate.  This formula is much gentler, does not cause sensitivities, and does not carry the same risks if inadvertently applied to a cracked or damaged tooth.   This formula is recommended for people who have crown, veneers or other dental work.

There are several causes of tooth staining:

Extrinsic Staining
This type of staining is on the outside surface of the tooth, caused solely by what we eat, drink or breath.  The main culprits are smoking, red wine, tea, coffee, coke, curry and red sauce.  Our Cosmetic Teeth Whitening procedure is perfect for this type of staining.

Intrinsic Staining
This type of staining is on the inside of the tooth, which shows through the enamel.  Every time we consume anything with colour, tiny particles of the food, drink or smoke penetrate through the microscopic pores in the tooth enamel, staining the inside of the tooth at the dentin layer.   As the months and years go by, the teeth become more and more stained and no amount of brushing will tackle the intrinsic stains.  

Other Staining Due to Medications
Certain antibiotics administered in early childhood when the adult teeth are forming, cause a grey/blue tinge to the adult tooth.  This type of staining can certainly be treated and the colour greatly improved but it is likely to take much longer.

Tooth Trauma
If a tooth is damaged through trauma the tooth can look bruised internally.  This is caused by a bleed into the tooth and can only be treated by a dentist.

We like to make sure all our clients have the right expectation about teeth whitening. Our clients get the best results possible with teeth whitening; however, it is important to remember results are very subjective as each individual is different. It is an important part of the teeth whitening process to ensure you have the right expectations prior to having a teeth whitening treatment. Some of our clients may be using home whitening products or toothpaste which may limit results as part of the process has already been done.

Teeth Whitening does not give you paper white teeth no matter the level of peroxide, unless that is your natural enamel colour prior to staining. Movie star white teeth are usually a result of porcelain veneers, not teeth whitening. It does make it hard when there are ads on TV with models advertising teeth whitening products that don’t have natural teeth.

We offer the strongest gels available for use outside of a dental clinic and the highest grade equipment. When the process is done correctly most clients achieve maximum results in one treatment with our treatment which for the average person is 5-14 shades lighter. What this means is 5-14 shades is the average level of staining a person with an average diet and lifestyle has on the surface of their teeth, who hasn’t had a whitening treatment for at least 12 months and hasn’t been using home products.

Teeth whitening bleaches the stains on the surface of the teeth it doesn’t whiten enamel no matter who does it, even a dentist. This is the case no matter how strong the lamp is or how strong the peroxide is. Teeth with very little staining due to a good diet or the use of home whitening treatments may not show as large a result. The more stained a person’s teeth the greater the result will be. The whiter the person’s teeth were originally the whiter the result that can be achieved. Each client will have a different start and post-treatment shade and will lighten by a different number of shades.

Age plays a big part in the results achieved in teeth whitening. Younger clients will have stronger, healthier enamel which means the stains will stay on the surface of the teeth and good results are generally achieved. As we age enamel becomes thinner and microscopic cracks appear trapping the stains. A good example for this is china; you will notice as your dinnerware ages it becomes stained and has cracks in the surface which scrubbing will no longer remove. This is the same with tooth enamel.

Certain types of discolouration will respond to whitening better than others. Yellow stains are usually the easiest to lift as they are generally on the surface of the teeth and are caused mainly by foods and drinks. These stains have a high to moderate chance of lifting. Brown stains tend to work deeper into the enamel and can even be part of the natural tooth enamel. Brown is often a product of the aging process. These stains have a moderate to low chance of lifting. Grey stains are generally inside the tooth which is called intrinsic staining. Causes are usually a dead nerve or the use of medications. This discolouration is on the inside of the tooth and teeth whitening will not be effective.

At the start of the treatment, you teeth are measured using a tooth shade guide to choose the closest match shade to your natural tooth.  Two shades may be chosen if your canine (or other teeth) are slightly darker.   Once you and your therapist are happy with the shades chosen, photos will be taken and kept on your client file.

The Teeth whitening treatment at Complete Skin & Beauty is a self-administered treatment, as only dental practitioners in Australia are permitted to apply topical products to a clients teeth.  Our therapist will take you through a preparation program to ready your teeth for the whitening gel.

The LED light is used on the teeth for 20 minute sessions, depending on the length of treatment chosen.  A Touch Up treatment is one 20 min session (ask in salon), a Full Triple Treatment is three 20 minute sessions in the one treatment.  The Full Triple Treatment will give the maximum results possible for your natural tooth shade.

Once completed, the teeth are cleaned then measured again using the tooth shade guide to determine the end results.  Photos are again taken and kept on your client file. 

The Full Triple treatment is not just 3 times longer under the LED light.  After the first 20 mins, the gel is removed, teeth cleaned and new gel applied for a further 20 minute session & repeated a third time.  This will ensure the best results of whitening with the use of fresh gel after each 20 minute session.   

The Full Triple treatment is particularly recommended for those with significant staining and yellowing of the teeth, however is recommended for every client as a first treatment.    

It is generally recommended to have the Touch Up treatment in salon as a monthly or bi-monthly maintenance treatment, after your have had the Full Triple Treatment in salon and maintain with either the maintenance home products or home teeth whitening kit.  

Regular teeth whitening treatments will ensure re-staining does not occur.

To maintain your whiter smile we have a great range of easy to use maintenance products.

Smart Phone Operated Whitening Kit
Includes a teeth whitening pen with personal teeth whitening light powered by your smartphone or USB connector

or

Home Maintenance Kit
Includes; a Weekly Teeth-Brightening Powder to use once a week instead of toothpaste to remove external staining, a Daily Teeth-Whitening Foam that is applied on top of your toothpaste every time you brush, and a Teeth Whitening Pen to use once a week by applying a thin coat of whitening gel to the teeth (or as required)

For more information, or a personal recommendation, please talk to your teeth whitening specialist in salon.

There is no limit to the number of teeth whitening treatments you can have, or how often.  With regular maintenance, you may only need a professional treatment once every 6-12 months.  However, if you re-stain your teeth due to dark foods, drink or smoking, you can have another professional treatment as needed.

People with teeth that look unnaturally white almost certainly have veneers.  It is not possible to whiten natural teeth to "Hollywood White", but it is possible to bring the teeth back to a pleasant natural whiter shade by removing staining.

Any white marks that are naturally occurring on the teeth will appear particularly bright for up to 1-2 days following the treatment.  The marks are already on the teeth, they are not caused by the teeth whitening procedure and will generally settle down after 1 hour.

Teeth whitening will only bring the colour of fillings, caps, crowns or veneers back to their original shade, it will not make them any lighter than when fitted.  Our non-peroxide treatment is recommended if you have artificial teeth, caps or veneers.  It is possible that the natural teeth will be lighter than any implant or filling after whitening.

Some peoples teeth will whiten faster and more effectively than others.  Most peoples teeth will whiten by an average of 6-12 shades.  The darker your teeth are to begin with, the bigger the difference to the end result.

Although this product does not cause tooth sensitivity a small percentage of clients may experience irritated gums for a day or two following their use of the self-treatment trays.  If using peroxide you may feel a tingling sensation during treatment which subsides once removed.

To minimise the risk of irritated gums please be gentle when prepping the teeth with the Weekly Teeth-Brighten Powder.  If you do have irritated gums then it is a good idea not to use a tooth brush for 24 hours following your self-treatment; instead clean your teeth using a small amount of toothpaste on your finger and use an antibacterial mouthwash.  Irritated gums can be caused by over enthusiastic use of the Weekly Teeth-Brighten powder, the gel in the trays can then further irritate the gums.  Irritated gums are generally back to normal within 24-48 hours.

As your teeth are still whitening for the next hour after your Teeth Whitening treatment, we ask you to:

• Do not consume tea, coffee, or any coloured food (such as tomato paste or dark green vegetables) for the next 3 hours.  Best to stick to a "white diet" for the next 24-48 hours.
• Avoid smoking for at least the next 3 hours (if possible for 24 hours)
• The general rule is, if it would stain a white shirt be sure to avoid it for the rest of the day!