Professional Teeth Whitening - Village Dental Clinic

Quick summary

Professional whitening comes in two forms. In the dental surgery, a stronger hydrogen peroxide product is applied, sometimes with heat or light, giving quick and even results but occasionally causing temporary gum irritation or sensitivity. Dentist-supervised home whitening uses a custom mouthpiece and a weaker gel worn over several hours a day. Neither result lasts indefinitely — the process is usually repeated every year or two.

Teeth whitening is the most popular cosmetic procedure that dentists perform today. It can have a dramatic effect on your smile at a smaller cost than other cosmetic procedures. You can whiten your teeth yourself using at-home techniques, but often professional whitening with your dentist’s help achieves the fastest and most effective results. Let’s examine the whitening options provided by most dentists to help you evaluate what might work for you.

Whitening at your dentist’s office:
The dentist applies a whitening product to your teeth containing higher percentages of hydrogen peroxide than what is available in at-home kits. Heat or light may be used also. This technique produces quick, uniform results, but it does sometimes cause temporary gum irritation or tooth sensitivity. This method is expensive, ranging between $500 to $1,200.

Home whitening supervised by your dentist:
A customised mouthpiece will be created by your dentist for you to fill at home with whitening gel, which contains a lower strength of hydrogen peroxide then the in-office gel. You wear the mouthpiece at home for several hours each day, and your dentist supervises the whitening with regular checkups. This method is convenient and less expensive at $300 to $500, but it produces slower results than in-office methods.

Repeating the process:
Whichever type of teeth whitening technique you might choose, remember that it isn’t a permanent repair to your teeth. You will need to repeat the process every year or two. The length of time between treatments will increase if you don’t smoke and avoid foods that are known to stain your teeth, such as coffee and red wine.

We treat patients from Kogarah and the surrounding area

Questions patients ask us about this

Does teeth whitening last?

Not indefinitely. Whichever method you choose, the result fades and the process is generally repeated every year or two. How long you get between treatments depends largely on habits: not smoking, and going easy on staining foods and drinks such as coffee and red wine, stretches the interval out.

Which method gives the more even result?

In-chair treatment tends to produce quicker and more uniform results because the dentist applies the product and watches it work. The trade-off is that it more often causes temporary gum irritation or tooth sensitivity. Supervised home whitening is gentler and more gradual, with check-ups along the way.

What do you charge for whitening at Kogarah?

The fees quoted in this article came from the original syndicated text. They are not our price list. Please ask us for a quote for your own mouth before treatment starts, and check the rebate with your own health fund. Our practice membership plan page sets out what members pay.

Where to read more on this at Village Dental Kogarah

Reading about it only gets you so far. These are the pages that explain how our dentists in Kogarah actually treat it, and what a visit involves.

Village Dental Kogarah is at Shop 5/23-26 Station St, Kogarah NSW 2217. Eight clinicians work across our two Sydney practices, including a dental prosthetist — meet the team. We look after patients from Kogarah, Kogarah Bay, Rockdale, Bexley, Bexley North, Carlton, Allawah, Banksia, Monterey and Sans Souci. If you would like to talk it through, call (02) 9281 0007 or book a time online.

Book an appointment Call (02) 9281 0007 More dental articles

A note on this articleThis is general information written for patients, not dental advice for your own mouth. Teeth, gums and medical histories differ, and so does what suits them, so please have a dentist examine you before deciding on any treatment. If something in your mouth is painful, bleeding or has been knocked out, ring us on (02) 9281 0007 rather than waiting.