Most people can get whiter teeth by Whitening at home

   
There are very few people who cannot enjoy the benefits of using a teeth whitener, however there are some golden rules that should be followed so that teeth whitening remains a safe procedure.

It is highly recommended that you visit your own dentist to discuss teeth whitening before you decide to whiten your teeth.

Before teeth whitening at home, discuss the matter first with your dentists and they will guide you as to your suitability. If you suffer from any of these then you should not under go a teeth whitening treatment:-

• Broken teeth
• Cracked teeth
• Loose or damaged fillings
• Exposed nerves
• Receding gums
• You should not whiten your teeth if you are pregnant or breast feeding

Here is a check list of teeth whitening at home ‘best practices’

To get the most out of your teeth whitening program, whether it is a whitening tray method, crest whitening strips or a whitening pen you must follow closely the individual instructions. All kits differ and some kits for example recommend not eating or drinking for an hour after use except for water.

• Ideally brush your teeth after the whitening treatment and not before as brushing before can cause irritation to the gums. Try not to brush to hard and let the bristles and toothpaste particles do the work.
• Over use of any teeth whitening kit can cause gum irritation or increase sensitivity. If you notice your teeth becoming more sensitive or translucent then you are using teeth whitening too often.
• If you suffer from any sensitivity then change to a kit that is not as strong, (Crest 3D Whitestrips Gentle Routine or Nite White ACP Z Turbo) or use a ’sensitive’ toothpaste in combination with a mouth rinse.
• If you are not satisfied with the results then try again with a different kit. It is important to find out in advance what is your natural tooth shade as that is the level of whiteness you can achieve.
• Try to minimize the exposure to foodstuffs that typically create tooth stains, i.e. red wine, smoking, tea, coffee, fizzy drinks etc.