Whatever your smile is like, people are going to notice it. That’s because human beings evolved to clock each other’s smile. When we meet someone for the first time, we check their smile for friendliness. A big open grin means friend. No grin, or a tight-lipped grimace means foe. This hard-wired noticing comes from prehistory and we still use it today. If you don’t have a big open grin, people might not think you are going to attack them and eat them for dinner, but they might think you are cold and unfriendly and they won’t try to get to know you.

We also check each other’s smiles for health. Strong, white teeth mean good health. Dull, discoloured teeth indicate a chance of ill-health. They say, ‘Don’t come too close. You might catch something.’

Now that you know that, you can understand why tooth whitening is the world’s most popular cosmetic dental treatment. It’s quick, it’s non-invasive and you can even do it yourself at home.

At Orpington Dental Care in Orpington, we offer 2 types of whitening:

In-clinic

Get your whitening done in the clinic and it will only take about an hour. You just lie back in the chair while we protect your lips and gums with a plastic barrier before painting your teeth with a concentrated whitening gel that is activated by a UV light.

This is a great way to lift a smile for an important event.

At-home

For this, we make you a set of gel trays that fit you exactly, taken from impressions. Bespoke trays mean less chance of spillage. We give you a take-home kit. You put the less concentrated gel in the trays and then put them on over your teeth. Wear the trays for a short period every day and it will take a couple of weeks for your teeth to lighten by several shades.

Keep it up

Tooth whitening is not permanent. You can extend the life of your white teeth by avoiding the drinks and foods that stain, such as tea, coffee and red wine.

If you have gel trays, you can also buy more gel and give yourself a top-up treatment every few months.