Teeth Whitening or Dental Veneers?

When you want a whiter, more attractive smile, which is the most effective treatment for you?

It seems a long time ago now when the only advice you were given to have nice looking teeth was to brush them well. Good brushing was important of course, but other factors contributed to whether you were lucky enough to have a nice smile or not. What you ate and drank, whether you smoked, along with an element of good fortune from the genes you inherited, all played a major part.

Things have changed now though and more people are aware of advice about smoking and diet etc. They are also aware that if their teeth do start to look stained or discoloured, they no longer have to put up with it for the rest of their lives.

Both younger and older patients now come to the Acton Vale Dental Centre hoping to have their teeth whitened. There are a number of ways that this can be achieved and we are going to discuss these in today’s blog.

Scale and polish

This treatment isn’t strictly designed to whiten your teeth, but it can help a little in that area. Predominantly designed to remove hardened bacteria and minerals from your teeth and gum line to make them healthy, it can also remove some surface stains from your teeth as well. This is something that everyone should do anyway to help prevent gum disease. If you don’t already, we recommend that you make an appointment to see our Acton dental hygienist as soon as possible.

Teeth whitening

This is the most popular treatment that we carry out for anyone wanting to whiten their teeth. It is highly effective and also non-invasive, meaning that even nervous dental patients are able to have whiter teeth. This is achieved by examining the patient’s teeth to ensure they are healthy before the treatment starts. We will also discuss with the patient what shade they are hoping to achieve. Not all teeth whitening has to produce dazzling white teeth; smaller improvements can be made for those seeking a more subtle change.

Impressions of the teeth will then be made from which ‘trays’ are made. You will be shown how to wear these and how to apply the whitening gel. These are worn at home for a few hours a day, with the results being seen after a week or two. This is a very affordable treatment as well which also helps to explain its popularity.

Porcelain veneers

Not everyone’s teeth will be suitable for the teeth whitening procedure. Examples of this might be where the teeth are badly stained, for example, from smoking or regular consumption of red wine. Anyone whose teeth have small flaws, such as chips or cracks in the tooth surface might find that a whitening procedure only serves to highlight these.

All is not lost though for patients in this situation and versatile dental veneers can be applied to the teeth instead. This sometimes involved the removal of a fine layer of stained or damaged enamel from the front of the teeth. Impressions are then taken and the veneers produced in a dental laboratory. When the new veneers have been returned to us, they are attached to the front of your teeth with a special adhesive. Finally, they are trimmed and polished to give you an attractive and natural looking smile!

Cosmetic bonding

Not all veneers are made from porcelain, and for anyone looking for whiter teeth for a one off occasion, and who wouldn’t fully benefit from a teeth whitening procedure, composite veneers are an option. This procedure is a great way of having a new smile without the cost and and additonal complexity of having porcelain veneers fitted.

There are drawbacks to this treatment though as it isn’t as resilient as porcelain and may chip or crack more easily. It is also more porous and may stain more easily. Sometimes people experiment with composite veneers first, before moving forwards to the full porcelain versions.

As to the questions of which treatment would be the most effective for you, the best way to find this out is to arrange a consultation with a cosmetic dentist at our Acton dental practice. They will examine your teeth and discuss what you hope to achieve and also discuss budget and payment plans so that an informed decision can be made and a treatment plan put into place.

If you are looking for ways to whiten your teeth, why not make an appointment to discuss this with us? You can book your initial consultation by calling the Acton Vale Dental Centre today on 020 8749 3267.