How Dangerous is Teeth Whitening?

6th December 2016

How Dangerous is Teeth Whitening?

There’s no denying that many people crave a Hollywood smile, but struggle to maintain one with standard brushing and flossing. This means more and more people are paying for a brighter, whiter grin. But do teeth whitening treatments actually work, and are they safe? The answer to this lies in the method of teeth whitening, and who carries out the treatment.

Teeth whitening essentially involves bleaching your teeth to make them lighter and whiter. Teeth whitening won’t make your teeth brilliant white, but it can lighten the existing colour by several shades and remove certain staining.

So who can perform teeth whitening?

Teeth whitening is a form of dentistry. It should only be performed by your dentist or another regulated dental professional, such as a dental hygienist or dental therapist, under the direction of a dentist.

Where do the risks lie?

The element of risk comes when people don’t go to their dentist for teeth whitening treatments. The ‘affordable allure’ of some beauty salons that now offer teeth whitening and DIY home teeth whitening kits are leading to more and more people putting their oral health at risk.

It is actually illegal for beauty salons to carry out a teeth whitening procedure if there’s no dental professional present. If there is no one there who is a qualified professional, you can put your oral health at serious risk.

What are the risks of home kit whitening?

There are a number of dangers involved in home teeth whitening kits. Some home kits don’t contain enough whitening product to actually be effective, and so can be a waste of your money, while others may contain dangerous levels of hydrogen peroxide.

Other dangers include the bleaching gel leaking out onto your gums and into your mouth, causing blistering and sensitivity. This often happens if the mouth guard provided doesn’t fit properly. Some of the dangers associated, such a teeth sensitivity can be lasting and very uncomfortable.

The General Dental Council (GDC) are always working hard to spread the message that tooth whitening is the practice of dentistry and that only registered dental professionals can legally and safely provide such treatment. Why risk something as important as your oral health for a sake of potentially saving a few pounds?

Here at Dental Solutions, we pride ourselves on our amazing range of teeth whitening services that are super effective, affordable and 100 safe. We have a range of different treatments to suit your budget, the shade of whiteness you want to achieve, the speed of transformation you desire and any tooth sensitivity you may have.

Please call us to book an initial free consultation with one of our dentists, who can advise on the best system for you!