COSMETIC TREATMENTS

A more accurate term would be “dental brightening”, as the result is always based on the initial colour of your teeth and their responsiveness to treatment. Whitening techniques are aimed at patients with healthy gums and only work on natural teeth. Dental prosthetics cannot be whitened, for example.

There are several different whitening techniques available. The choice of technique depends on the discolouration requiring treatment, your approach to compliance and your aesthetic expectations. Most techniques use hydrogen peroxide or its derivatives as an active agent. The effectiveness of the procedure is down to its concentration and reaches its full potential with the use of specific lamps that activate the chemical reaction.

Tooth-whitening by the dentist means the treatment is performed in a completely safe and expert way, in a 30- to 60-minute session, using ultra-powerful products. The gums must therefore be protected by a polymer made to measure at the practice before applying the whitening gel and its chemical activation. The mouth is then rinsed and a protective varnish may be applied.

At-home whitening involves wearing mouth guards on both dental arches for several hours per day. If you choose this method, the first step is taking impressions of your teeth at the practice to produce made-to-measure whitening mouth guards. We take two impressions (one of the upper arch and one of the lower arch). Two mouth guards are then specially made to hold the whitening gel. When the mouth guards are fitted, you will also receive information from us, the whitening product syringes and a box to protect your mouth guards when you aren’t wearing them.

At home, ideally in the evening, you will apply the gel to the mouth guards and wear them according to the instructions you received at your appointments at our practice. Treatment lasts between seven and 15 days. We are, of course, happy to help with any questions or concerns about using the products.

This cosmetic dentistry treatment takes place in two stages and allows slight defects in the shape and colour of the front teeth to be corrected.

The veneer is made from a fine ceramic or composite film produced by our dental technician. This is around 0.5 millimetres to one millimetre thick. This is least invasive form of restorative dental prosthetic and is kindest to the tooth. To achieve this, it requires delicate, minimal preparation of the enamel, ideally without reaching as far down as the dentine.

Two treatment sessions are scheduled. At the end of the first session, an impression is taken to allow the technician to create the veneer in their lab. At the end of the first session, a provisional veneer is fitted while we wait for the final one to be created. Then, at the second session with the dentist, the final veneer is sealed.

When is a veneer a good idea?

• The periodontium (gums) has to be healthy, or stabilised.
• Occlusion must be conducive to veneers.
• The teeth must not be in the wrong position: rotation, displacement, etc.

Veneers are not suitable for people who grind their teeth.