Teeth Whitening

No, restorations such as crowns and veneers will not change colour. During your consultation, we’ll advise you on how whitening may affect your overall smile and discuss the best way to achieve a consistent result.

Yes, when performed under professional supervision. We assess your suitability before treatment and use clinically approved products to ensure the process is safe, effective, and comfortable.

No — the process is fully controlled. With at-home whitening, you can stop treatment once you reach your desired shade, ensuring your results remain natural and suited to your overall appearance.

Treatment time can vary depending on the method used. In-practice whitening can take around one to two hours, while at-home treatments are typically carried out over a couple of weeks using custom trays for gradual, controlled results.

Yes — we regularly help patients with broken brackets, poking wires or lost retainers from treatment started elsewhere. If it’s a true emergency (acute pain, bleeding), we’ll prioritise you. For less urgent issues, we’ll book you in as soon as possible. If you’d like us to take over ongoing treatment entirely, we can discuss that too.

Results typically last 2–3 years before gradual darkening returns — longer than either treatment alone. With occasional top-ups using your home trays (a few nights every 6–12 months), you can maintain your brightness indefinitely. Avoiding heavy staining habits (coffee, red wine, smoking) extends results further.

Not necessarily. We sequence the treatments carefully to avoid overloading your teeth, and use rest periods between sessions to minimise sensitivity. Some mild, short-term sensitivity is normal — it usually settles within 1–2 days of each stage. Desensitising gel and sensitive toothpaste help.

For patients wanting dramatic, long-lasting results, yes. You get the immediate wow-factor of laser whitening and the deep, sustained whitening of home treatment. You also keep your custom trays forever, making future top-ups inexpensive. For subtle whitening, home or laser alone may be enough — we’ll advise honestly at consultation.

Most patients achieve 8–12 shades of improvement with combination whitening — significantly more than either treatment alone. The exact result depends on your starting shade, genetics and type of staining. We’ll set realistic expectations at your consultation and photograph your before-and-after progress.

Yes, normally throughout the day. However, avoid heavily staining foods and drinks (coffee, tea, red wine, curry) in the hour or two after removing your trays — this is when your enamel is most porous and most likely to absorb stains. A short “white diet” during treatment weeks accelerates your results.

With proper care, home whitening results last 12–24 months. Coffee, tea, red wine and smoking will dull your smile faster. Top-up whitening (a few nights every 6–12 months using your existing trays) maintains your brightness indefinitely. The cost of top-up gels is far less than the original treatment.

Mild, short-lived sensitivity is normal — affecting maybe 40–60% of patients to some degree. It usually settles within 24–48 hours of stopping treatment. Using sensitive toothpaste before starting, and whitening every other night instead of nightly, helps significantly. We can also supply a lower-strength gel if sensitivity is persistent.

You’ll see noticeable change within 3–5 nights of use, with your brightest results after 2–4 weeks of consistent nightly wear. Some teeth whiten faster than others (tetracycline staining and darker shades can take longer). We’ll review your progress and adjust the regime if needed.

Results are typically long-lasting — often many years to indefinitely. The resin infiltrates permanently into the enamel lesion and doesn’t wash out. Over time, minor surface changes may occur with normal tooth wear, but touch-ups are straightforward if ever needed. For most patients, Icon is a one-and-done treatment.

No — it’s one of the most comfortable treatments in cosmetic dentistry. No drilling, no injection, no anaesthetic needed in almost all cases. The procedure involves mild etching acid (kept on the tooth, not the gum) and light-curing resin. Most patients describe it as completely painless.

For the right kind of lesions, Icon can make them virtually invisible. For deeper or more severe staining, it may reduce rather than fully eliminate the appearance. Results vary depending on the lesion’s depth and cause. We’ll set realistic expectations at consultation and take photographs so you can see the before-and-after difference.

Common causes include: demineralisation around orthodontic brackets (a frequent legacy of wearing braces, especially with imperfect hygiene); dental fluorosis (excess fluoride intake during tooth development, often from supplements or certain water supplies); early-stage decay (caught before it cavitates); and certain developmental enamel defects. Each cause responds differently to treatment — your dentist will identify what’s going on and recommend the best approach.

Internal bleaching results are usually long-lasting — often many years or permanently — because we’ve addressed the internal cause of the darkening. If any regression occurs, a repeat internal bleach is straightforward. Combining with external whitening can enhance and extend the result.

In most cases, yes — though results vary slightly depending on the cause and depth of the discolouration. For severe staining, we might get close but not perfect. If internal bleaching alone doesn’t achieve the match, we can discuss further options like composite bonding or a veneer to fine-tune the result. We’ll set realistic expectations at consultation.

Yes, when done correctly. The bleach is sealed inside the pulp chamber but kept away from the root canal itself (with a protective barrier). There’s a small risk of internal resorption (tooth damage) in rare cases, which is why we carefully monitor the treatment and space out applications. It’s far less invasive than veneering or crowning the tooth.

Most patients see their tooth noticeably lighter within 3–7 days of the first application. Full results typically require 1–3 applications over 1–4 weeks. We’ll review progress and adjust the treatment until you’re happy with the colour match to your other teeth.

Results typically last 6–12 months before gradual darkening returns. Coffee, tea, red wine and smoking dull your smile faster. Combining laser with home whitening trays and periodic top-ups keeps your results brighter for longer — most patients maintain their new shade for years with minimal maintenance.

When done by a qualified dentist, yes. Professional whitening gel breaks down stains through an oxidation reaction — it doesn’t damage enamel at the correct concentrations. High-street “laser whitening” from unqualified providers using stronger-than-permitted gels is a different story and can cause permanent enamel damage.

Some temporary sensitivity is common after any professional whitening. It usually peaks within 24 hours and settles within 1–2 days. We use calibrated gel strengths and rest periods to minimise sensitivity, and provide desensitising gel to use at home. If you’re known to have very sensitive teeth, combination or home whitening may be a gentler option.

Most patients see a 6–8 shade improvement in a single laser whitening session. Starting shade, genetics and type of staining all affect results. Surface stains (coffee, tea, smoking) respond dramatically; deeper intrinsic staining (tetracycline, fluorosis) responds less. At your consultation, we’ll give you realistic expectations based on your teeth.