One of the quickest, least intrusive and most immediately noticeable smile makeover techniques is teeth-whitening. There are several teeth-whitening procedures available such as laser/in-surgery whitening, as well as home whitening kits. Teeth-whitening removes stains and discolouration through a process that uses a peroxide-based gel of varying strengths.

Because of the colour of your teeth, are you reluctant to smile? Do you refuse to appear on photographs? Do you feel uneasy about laughing at a joke? Would you like to have a beautiful smile instead? If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then tooth whitening may be for you.

• Tea, coffee, red wine and cigarette smoke can yellow your teeth
• Certain medications can also cause the teeth to become grey
• Teeth have nerves and blood vessels inside them. If these nerves and blood vessels are damaged the tooth may become darker (this can happen because of decay, or if the teeth are knocked)
• Tooth decay, fillings and tartar build-up can contribute to discolouration
• Simply because of age, many people develop yellowish staining on their teeth

The good news is that, thanks to teeth whitening, all the above can be overcome and excellent results can be achieved. The technique is safe, effective and non – damaging to tooth structure.

Laser (or in-surgery) teeth whitening takes place at the dental practice and uses a light-activated gel to whiten teeth, with the procedure usually lasting between one and two hours. Before your teeth are whitened, we may need to thoroughly clean the teeth - a 'scale and polish' - to remove surface stains and tartar. We then prepare and isolate your mouth to thoroughly protect gums, lips and cheeks. A whitening gel is then applied to the teeth before exposing it to a light or laser, which activates the gel. After around 15 minutes, the gel is removed and the process repeated. The gel will then be washed off, to reveal whitened teeth that are now the shade that's right for you.


Home whitening kits use a lower concentration of gel so that there is little or no chance of damage occurring to lips, gums or teeth. To make a professional home whitening kit, we will take an impression of your teeth from which our laboratory will make your custom-fitting teeth whitening trays. There are two trays - one for the upper and one for the lower teeth - and whitening gel, supplied by us, is placed inside the trays before you simply fit them snugly over your teeth. Depending on the teeth-whitening system, some trays need to be worn overnight, while others need be worn for only 1-2 hours a day.

Professional home whitening kits provide more permanent results over a longer time period, whereas laser teeth-whitening offers immediate results. A combination of the two often generates the most ideal result for both immediate and long-term whitening needs.