Teeth whitening
Whitening is a process where the tooth discolouration is ‘whitened’ to a lighter shade. It removes the staining agent through chemical means. It is a safe procedure when carried out under professional supervision. Treatment results usually depend on the severity of the discolouration. Both vital (i.e. live) and non-vital teeth (e.g. tooth with root removed) can be bleached. It is not effective on dental restorations such as amalgam fillings, metal or porcelain crowns, etc.
Teeth can discolour for various reasons. The dentist will recommend the most ideal method based on your oral condition after an in-office examination to establish the cause and nature of your tooth discolouration.
Your dentist will make rubber mouth trays that fit your teeth exactly, allowing us to use powerful bleach to effectively lighten your teeth. Following this we will give you tubes of bleaching gel and instructions on how to put the gel in the mouth trays. You will need to regularly wear the mouth trays for 30 minutes to two hours, over a period of two to four weeks.
Professional tooth whitening can lighten the colour of your teeth. It works by using hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide gels applied to the teeth for a few hours or overnight. These gels are placed inside custom made trays to fit your teeth perfectly. A dentist is the only person legally allowed to carry out tooth whitening. A dentist can prescribe up to 16% carbamide peroxide or 6% hydrogen peroxide. Over the counter products can by law only contain 0.01% hydrogen peroxide so these types of product will not give you a great improvement in tooth colour. How does tooth whitening work?
Veneers
Veneers are thin, custom-made shells crafted of tooth-coloured materials designed to cover the front side of teeth to improve the overall appearance of teeth. They are made of either composite resin or porcelain and can be placed to:
• correct poorly formed or mildly mal-positioned teeth
• close gaps between teeth
• mask internal stains
• restore partially broken-down teeth
Tooth preparation is minimal and confined to the enamel structure. The veneer is bonded to the tooth structure with tooth-coloured resin cement. Several visits are necessary to complete treatment. Patients should be aware that this is usually an irreversible process because it’s necessary to remove a small amount of enamel from your teeth to accommodate the shell.
Crowns
A crown is an artificial cover used to replace missing portions of teeth or to strengthen heavily filled teeth. The crown covers a tooth in order to restore or improve the shape, size and appearance of the tooth.
Bridges
Dental bridges are false teeth, which are anchored onto neighbouring teeth in order to replace one or more missing teeth. The false tooth is known as a pontic and is fused in between two crowns that serve as anchors by attaching to the teeth on each side of the false tooth, thereby bridging them together.
Wrinkle Reduction Treatment
As we get older and lose elasticity in the skin, a permanent crease can form leaving a wrinkle that is noticeable even without muscle contraction. Botox does not get rid of these wrinkles, but may help soften them. When Botox is injected into a muscle that causes a wrinkle in the overlying skin when it contracts, paralysis of that muscle prevents the wrinkle from forming.
The effects of Botox are most noticeable in dynamic wrinkles, or wrinkles that are only present when the muscle contracts. This treatment is used to target ‘frown lines’, the vertical lines which form between the eyebrows. Six small injections between the brows are made to soften these lines. A ‘brow lift’ can make your face look more youthful and open up your eyes. Lines around the outer corner of the eyes, known as ‘crow’s feet’, are treated with three small injections on either side of the eyes.
The botulinum toxin injection is quick and painless, usually lasting around 5-10 minutes and results can usually be seen in a few days. As this is not a permanent treatment, it is recommended that the procedure is repeated every three to six months for effective results.
We also provide Dermal Fillers - please see the Private Fee Page here for prices and for different types of treatments please visit our Aesthetics Treatments page.
