Tooth whitening; does it really work? A Sunbury dentist tells all

Teeth whitening has become a popular way of getting that Hollywood Movie Star look for our teeth, there are some very popular and successful methods on the market, says a Sunbury dentist. They range from DIY kits to a Blue Light and gel method. The DIY kit is available at most chemist shops and is easy to apply. Basically you simply mix up a bleaching agent and pour some of it into a mould of your teeth. The mould kit is included and consists of a hard gum shield, which you put into hot water, as you would do with a sporting shield, and then bite into it to make an impression of your teeth in the shield. You then wear the shield, top and bottom, with the bleach in it and take it off after a set time. You clean the shield so you can use it again. The intense Blue Light whitening is done in a salon by a trained technician. It takes just an hour and consists of 3 fifteen minute sessions. The sessions start with a gum shield to protect your lips, gums and tongue from the light, then a gel is coated onto the teeth and the light is shone on your exposed teeth, the reaction blends the natural enamel of the teeth with the gel, and makes them instantly whiter. It costs from £200-400 and is available in a lot of High Street salons. There is no real comparison with the methods, they all work and they all work in different ways and to different degrees on individual teeth, but one thing they all have in common is that they do work and well.