Teeth whitening

What is teeth whitening?

Teeth whitening involves bleaching your teeth to make them lighter. It can’t make your teeth brilliant white, but it can lighten the existing colour by several shades.

Who can do teeth whitening?

Teeth whitening is a form of dentistry and should only be carried out by a dentist or another regulated dental professional, such as a dental hygienist or dental therapist, on the prescription of a dentist.

Some beauty salons offer teeth whitening, but this is illegal if there’s no dental professional present, and it may put your oral health at risk.

You can also buy DIY home teeth whitening kits but these may also carry risks.

What happens during teeth whitening?

If you have your teeth whitened you’ll first need to make 2 to 3 visits to the dental surgery.

The dentist will take an impression of your teeth to make a mouthguard and tell you how to use it with a bleaching gel. Then, using your mouthguard at home, you regularly apply the gel for a specified period of time over a few weeks. Some whitening gels can be left on for up to 8 hours at a time, which can shorten the treatment period.

Laser whitening, also known as power whitening, is another type of teeth whitening system that a dentist can provide. A bleaching product is painted onto your teeth and then a light or laser is shone on them to activate the whitening. Laser whitening takes about an hour.

Can any dentist whiten teeth?

Any dentist can whiten teeth as long as they’re registered with the General Dental Council. Registered dental therapists and dental hygienists can also carry out teeth whitening on the prescription of a dentist.

To find out if a dental professional is registered you can check the online register on the General Dental Council website.

What about home kits and beauty salons for teeth whitening?

Only go to a registered dental professional for teeth whitening because whitening by people who aren’t qualified, for example in beauty salons, is illegal.

Home kits also carry risks. Talk to your dentist first, before using a home kit.

What are the risks of home kits and salon teeth whitening?

Some home kits don’t contain enough whitening product to be effective. Also, if a dental professional isn’t doing the whitening, the mouthguard provided may not fit properly so some of the bleaching gel may leak out onto your gums and into your mouth, causing blistering and sensitivity.

Teeth whitening carried out in beauty salons by untrained staff or staff without dental qualifications puts your oral health at risk and is also illegal.”