Whitening uses a peroxide gel to lighten the natural colour of the tooth from within. It is different from scaling, which removes surface stain and returns teeth to their own shade — whitening takes them lighter than that baseline.
It is the most requested treatment before weddings, and it is also the treatment most often done badly. Shop-bought kits, charcoal powders and unsupervised salon bleaching either do nothing or strip enamel and burn gums. Done under supervision, with the gums properly isolated and the right gel concentration, whitening is safe and predictable.
Two ways to do it
- In-clinic whitening — a single 60–90 minute appointment, gums isolated, strongest results the same day. Best when there is an event coming up.
- Custom home whitening — impressions are taken, trays are made to fit your teeth exactly, and you wear them with gel for 10 to 14 nights. Slower, gentler on sensitivity, and the trays can be topped up for years.
- Combination — an in-clinic session followed by home trays for maintenance, which holds the result longest.
Before you whiten
Teeth must be cleaned first: bleaching over tartar gives a patchy result. Any decay or leaking fillings must be treated, because gel reaching the inside of a tooth causes real pain.
One thing to understand before you start: crowns, veneers and white fillings do not whiten. If you have a white filling in a front tooth, it will stay the shade it is while the natural tooth around it lightens, and may need replacing afterwards to match. We point this out beforehand, not after.
Making it last
- Avoid tea, coffee, cola and coloured curries for the first 48 hours while the enamel is most absorbent
- Stopping or cutting down paan, chhaliya and smoking makes more difference than any product
- Use a straw for cold drinks that stain
- Expect to top up once a year with home trays