Need some tips for a glowing smile? The team at Glow Dental have some great advice. Read on!!
- Firstly, brush twice a day. Once in the morning and again at night. Easy peasy!
- Floss, floss and floss. Every night.
- See your dentist for a regular check up and clean every 6 months. Set yourself a reminder so you don’t forget.
- Do you LOVE coffee, tea, curry… tomato soup? Uh oh! Sadly these will easily stain your teeth, so avoid them if you can.
- Have you thought about teeth whitening? There are essentially two types:
The first is what we call ‘in chair’.
This uses a high concentration whitening gel (usually 30-40% hydrogen peroxide. It’s applied in 3-4 cycles (around 10 – 15 minutes per cycle).
What’s great about this option? Instant results! Perfect for special events like weddings or interviews.
However – there is a ‘but’…
Results can be a little hit and miss. You also tend to have more post-operative sensitivity.
So, what do we recommend?
For a more consistent and predictable result, we suggest customised take-home trays.
How does it all work?
We take moulds of your top/bottom teeth and make customised trays. You’re then given whitening gels (a much lower concentration than in-chair whitening).
In your own time, you can dispense the gels into the trays and wear them overnight (around 20 consecutive nights).
The magic happens all while you sleep!
Results are a lot more predictable AND you tend to have less sensitivity with this option.
A note of caution!
Please be aware of non-dental professionals performing whitening!
Why?
They often use gels that aren’t sourced from proper dental suppliers.
Also, they often don’t have the education and ability to recognise dental decays or infections.
Before you go ahead with any whitening treatment, make sure you have a proper check-up with a dentist. They can ensure you don’t have undetected or untreated cavities or infections.
Why is this important? If this is ignored and you go ahead with whitening, the peroxide in the gel can wear away enamel and irritate nerves. You could also end up with severe pain and inflammation.
And we definitely don’t want that!