Tooth whitening can be a highly effective way of lightening the natural colour of your teeth without removing any of the tooth surfaces. There are a variety of different treatments available.

Professional bleaching is the most common form of tooth whitening. Your dentist will apply the whitening product to your teeth, using a specially made tray which fits into your mouth like a gum-shield.

The 'active ingredient' - i.e. the product that whitens the teeth - is usually hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide, which is a bleach. As this is broken down, oxygen gets into the enamel on the teeth and the tooth colour is made lighter.

The total treatment can usually be done within three to four weeks. This means regularly applying the whitening product at home over two to four weeks, for 30 minutes to one hour at a time. However, there are some new products which can be applied for up to eight hours at a time. This means a satisfactory result can be achieved in as little as one week.

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