Whitening is among the most popular cosmetic dental procedures because it can greatly improve how your teeth look.

Bleaching lightens teeth and helps to remove stains and discolouration. Teeth can become stained and discoloured over time due to exposure to certain food and drink, like wine and coffee, tobacco use or just natural ageing.

Either way, teeth whitening can brighten your smile and give you back your pearly whites.

What does teeth whitening involve?

While teeth whitening or bleaching is all done in a similar way, professional in-office teeth whitening is the most efficient and effective because of the concentration of the solutions used and how it is applied to the teeth.

After a thorough oral exam, your dentist will be able to determine whether or not you are a candidate for teeth whitening. Those with severe decay or gum disease may need to address these issues first before teeth whitening can be done as this may lead to nerve damage and pain. In some cases, discolouration may be due to the internal and structural health of the tooth itself, and thus, other cosmetic dentistry solutions such as veneers or dental crowns may be more suitable.

Prior to bleaching, you will have a professional oral cleaning. When deemed ready for teeth whitening your dentist will do discuss the shade of white you desire and how many sessions may be needed to achieve that effect.

At Dr Liezl Kemp and Associates we make use of Zoom’s Teeth Whitening System, which is safe with proven results of up to 8 shades on average. A solution will then be applied to your gums to protect them before applying the professional-grade Zoom Whitening solution to the teeth. A UV light is then placed into your mouth to cure the solution. After the whitening, your dentist will discuss aftercare and maintenance or "touch-ups" sessions that may be needed to prolong your newly whitened smile. Proper oral hygiene is important after teeth bleaching.