Teeth Whitening in Townsville
Are you thinking about whitening your smile? At North Queensland Family Dental, you can choose between two options: our dentists can whiten your teeth in our dental clinic, or we can give you a whitening kit to use in the comfort of your own home.
Whichever option you choose, we’ll make sure you have all the information you need about the treatment, including its costs and any side-effects, so you can make an informed decision.
Call us today on 07 4755 2055 or book a consultation online.
In-chair teeth whitening
If you choose to have your teeth whitened at our Townsville clinic, we’ll carefully explain what the treatment involves and help you set realistic expectations for your results. We use the Pola Office whitening system that can often whiten teeth in a single appointment.
Depending on the type of discolouration your teeth have, we may recommend one of two options:
- External professional bleaching – the most common type of in-chair whitening, this involves applying a highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide gel to your teeth and activating it with a light. This treatment includes a desensitising agent that lowers the risk of post-operative complications such as tooth sensitivity.
- Internal professional bleaching – if any of your teeth have internal staining, as can happen after a root canal treatment, we may suggest internal bleaching. We’ll drill a hole into the affected tooth and insert the bleaching agent, which is left inside the tooth for a short time before being removed and the tooth filled.
We’ll make sure your gums and other soft tissues in your mouth are protected from the whitening agent by fitting a rubber shield during the treatment. Results from teeth whitening vary between patients, depending on how stained or discoloured your teeth are.
Take-home whitening kits
If you prefer to whiten your teeth at home, we can provide you with a take-home whitening kit and full instructions on how to use it safely and for the best results. We’ll also take impressions of your teeth to produce your custom-fitted whitening tray.
These trays are designed to hold the bleaching gel correctly in place over your teeth while avoiding your gums. We’ll determine the most suitable concentration of whitening gel for your needs, which will be much less concentrated than the gel applied by our dentists at our clinic.
For most people, home teeth whitening takes 2 to 3 weeks and the final results should be comparable to in-office whitening. We recommend whitening kits supplied by your dentist rather than over-the-counter whitening kits, as these can produce less reliable results.
Is teeth whitening for me?
If you’re interested in teeth whitening treatments, we’ll first give you a complete oral health assessment to check that your teeth and gums are healthy. If you need any fillings or other dental treatments to treat tooth decay or gum disease, these will need to be taken care of as a priority before a cosmetic treatment.
Whether you choose in-office or at-home whitening, we’ll explain what each treatment option involves and what your results are likely to be. This can depend on a number of factors.
Teeth whitening is usually suitable for teeth that have yellow stains rather than grey or other hues. It can remove most normal stains caused by food and drink, tobacco and natural ageing, but not stains caused by tooth damage, certain medical conditions or as a side-effect of medication. These treatments also don’t affect dental restorations such as crowns or veneers, so you might not be eligible if you have a lot of replacement teeth.
If you have sensitive teeth, we may recommend home teeth whitening rather than in-chair whitening, as this uses a lower concentration of whitening gel.
What are the risks?
Teeth whitening is a safe and popular cosmetic treatment that doesn’t usually have side-effects or complications. However, you may find that your teeth or gums feel more sensitive for a few days after your treatment. If your symptoms last longer, book an emergency appointment at our dental clinic.
We don’t recommend teeth whitening for pregnant women or people with certain health conditions. Your results from teeth whitening may be affected if you smoke or consume food and drink that causes teeth stains, so we recommend these are avoided.
Teeth whitening is not a permanent treatment and will usually need to be repeated every 1 to 2 years if you want to maintain your white smile. You can make a follow-up appointment for in-office whitening at our clinic or we can provide additional whitening solution if you want to top up your smile at home.