Understanding your options
Professional whitening uses a regulated whitening gel and trays or another dentist-supervised method as prescribed. The process targets stains within natural teeth; it does not remove tooth structure.
Benefits and points to consider
Teeth can darken through ageing, tea, coffee, red wine, tobacco, some medicines, trauma or changes within an individual tooth. Surface stain may respond to professional cleaning, while whitening gel acts on colour within natural teeth. Potential benefits include a controlled, gradual shade change and the ability to stop when the agreed result is reached. Whitening cannot alter tooth shape or lighten crowns, veneers, bridges and fillings. Existing sensitivity, decay, cracks and gum inflammation need assessment before treatment starts.
Your assessment in Ely
Before whitening, we check for decay, gum problems, sensitivity and restorations. Crowns, veneers, bridges, dentures and fillings do not whiten like natural teeth, which may influence the appearance and treatment plan.
What treatment involves
You will receive instructions for use and should follow them carefully. Some temporary sensitivity or gum irritation can occur. Stop and contact the practice if you experience an unexpected or persistent reaction.
Care and next steps
Results vary and can change with time. Tea, coffee, red wine and smoking may contribute to staining. Good oral hygiene and occasional maintenance, only as advised by your dentist, can help manage the shade.
Potential benefits
- Lightens the shade of natural teeth without removing enamel
- A prescribed method can be adjusted to your response
- Custom trays help control placement of whitening gel
- The result can be coordinated with future tooth-coloured restorations
What the treatment involves
- 1Assess your oral health and the likely cause of the discolouration, because surface staining, internal shade changes and restorations each call for a different approach.
- 2Record your starting shade and discuss what a realistic result may be, including how existing crowns, veneers, bridges or fillings will appear after treatment.
- 3Provide the prescribed whitening system with written instructions, and show how the custom trays or other method should be used for the schedule advised.
- 4Use the whitening gel for the advised schedule, monitoring how your teeth respond so the wear time can be adjusted to balance the shade change against sensitivity.
- 5Review sensitivity, the shade reached and any maintenance need, and agree whether and when further gel might be used, only as professionally advised.
Comparing the options
| Concern | Possible approach | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Surface deposits | Hygiene cleaning | Does not change internal shade |
| Natural tooth shade | Whitening | Restorations do not lighten |
| Shape and colour | Bonding or veneer | Requires restorative assessment |
Making an informed decision
Dental treatment should be based on an examination, a clear diagnosis and a conversation about what matters to you. At Broad Street Dental Care, we explain reasonable options, including the choice not to proceed, so you can weigh likely benefits, limitations, costs and maintenance. No webpage can determine whether a treatment is suitable for an individual mouth.
Dr Junaid Abbas Choudhry is the principal dentist at the practice and is registered with the General Dental Council under number 302053. You can also review the practice's independent regulatory information on its Care Quality Commission profile.