Advice on Teeth Whitening Discussion Thread

Toothsmith

At least when you have them out, it's a once-only pain!

MarkyD1973

Well i've used the dentist at home kit which cost £300 (standard dentist cost i think) - you get fitted for a mouthshield that you wear at night with the gel inside, not the best night's sleep I've had. you have to wear it for maybe 5 days or so before you start to see results. Even then, the results didnt' last that long. I drink a lot of coffee though. So not that impressed.

Got married last year and my mate booked me and the missus into this co called dentawhite for 1 hour laser deal as a pressie before the wedding. £299 each but the results were instant. Done a shade guide before and after and seriously worked wonders. 1 hour in and out and that was nearly a full year ago and teeth still look great. Think they've got quite a few branches in UK. Defo recommend them.

If you're like me and drink loads of coffee, tooth whitening toothpastes won't do anything to help you.

teedy23

I,m just trying the low tech pearl drops liquid calcium toothpolish. I do need to got to the dentist though, so will stick at it till I do. I dont like the false glowing white colour some people are having, it,s daft looking and not natural. saw an old friend of mine who had her face sprayed with Cuprinol dark oak and her teeth done in Dulux brilliant white....horrendous.

Toothsmith

MarkyD1973 wrote: »

Well i've used the dentist at home kit which cost £300 (standard dentist cost i think) - you get fitted for a mouthshield that you wear at night with the gel inside, not the best night's sleep I've had. you have to wear it for maybe 5 days or so before you start to see results. Even then, the results didnt' last that long. I drink a lot of coffee though. So not that impressed.

Got married last year and my mate booked me and the missus into this co called dentawhite for 1 hour laser deal as a pressie before the wedding. £299 each but the results were instant. Done a shade guide before and after and seriously worked wonders. 1 hour in and out and that was nearly a full year ago and teeth still look great. Think they've got quite a few branches in UK. Defo recommend them.

If you're like me and drink loads of coffee, tooth whitening toothpastes won't do anything to help you.

Unfortunately, they're illegal, and the Trading Standards people along with the Generakl Dental Council are trying their best to work through all the various other places that bleach teeth with industrial cleaners and close them down.

Surprised you only went on for 5 days with your home kit. I usually recommend 3 weeks, and there should easily be enough gel to last that long.

MarkyD1973

I can tell you personally, that I used Dentawhite and found the service completely pain free, very effective and the guy who done my teeth was completely professional and competent.

They are not working illegally and there is actually no law in place that states you need to have a dentist to carry out the tooth whitening process (because it's a cosmetic procedure).

Big Dentawhite fan and fully recommend them. My wife got her teeth done too and she feels the exact same as me.

MarkyD1973

Toothsmith - are you a dentist?

Also, isn't it fraudulent to call companies "illegal" when infact they aren't?

Toothsmith

MarkyD1973 wrote: »

Toothsmith - are you a dentist?

Also, isn't it fraudulent to call companies "illegal" when infact they aren't?

Yes - I'm a dentist.

Would you like to declare any connection to Dentawhite? Your arguments sond like they have a bit more to them than just a customer.

The illegality or not is for barristers to argue. According to the dentist act of 1984, the definition of dental treatment is something that requires a person to put their fingers in the mouth of a patient/client. This is how piercers can get away with it, as to pierce a tongue, the client can stick his/her tongue OUT!

From that point of view, they are illegal, and it is Dentawhite who are defrauding the public.

Granted, that some illegal whitening salons have come up with the 'cosmetic' argument, but it doesn't get very far usually, and places are still being closed down.

I notice that Dentawhite is based mainly in Scotland, where proceedures for trading standards to shut down such places may be different. That could be why they haven't come down to England yet.

I also notice the 'business opportunities' section of the website, where there is displayed the 'certificate' that someone attending a course on toothwhitening can expect to receive.

How long is this 'training'? A weekend? Or not as intense as that?

If you are 'just' a happy customer, then you have been very lucky. But had you used the kit the dentist provided in the proper way, you would have had no need to risk your teeth in that way.

MarkyD1973

I am in fact a customer that has used both techniques (dentist and laser).

It is not Dentawhite in particular I am backing up but laser teeth whitening salons in general, which I have had very good experience with. I had researched teeth whitening and originally went to a dentist (nievely) for the kit as I thought they would be reputable and trustworthy more than laser salon.

However, from my own experience, using the dentist at home kit was not half as good. The results took far longer, in the morning i woke up to find my gums quite tender (i can only imagine the bleach must have leaked up from the gum shield at night) also, the results were definately short lived. I don't know if different dentist use different gels but the one my dentist provided wasn't great! The reason I'm happy with laser whitening is that none of the above ocurred during my latest treatment with laser.

As for the training, as I said - I'm a customer. Have no idea what "training" they offer - however you may like to investigate this as their treatment is far better than the dentist one!

Also, Dentawhite didn't put their fingers in my mouth at any time.

Sounds like you have some kind of vendata against laser whitening salons, is this because you worry about competition? Are you on this blog so frequently because you use it as a means of generating business?

Toothsmith

How many laser whitening salons have you been to then?

How can you back them up 'in general' and be against dentists 'in general' based on an experience of one of each?

Why are whitening salons being closed down if they're perfectly OK?

Dentists can use different systems, and all the ones I know should be used for longer than 5 days. It is quite possible you received bad instructions - I do not universally back all dentists, as you will see if you read a range of my posts. Alot of my time here is spent telling people how to get decent service from dentists. Why did you not go back to your dentist and report the problems?

I am not worried about the competition from whitening salons, they charge similar money to me, and given the choice, the regular dental patient would prefer their own dentist to do a proceedure like this - and I have more than enough regular patients.

The 'salons' appeal mainly to those with no dentist (About half the population never go to a dentist regularly - and that has always been the case, it's noting to do with recent NHS problems).

But the salons ARE illegal according tothe terms of the dentist act. If your salon technician managed to do a laser whitening without putting fingers in your mouth, then he can't have masked off your gums very well, and it's incredibly lucky you suffered no advers after effects.

As for me generating business here - I challenge you to find any contact details for me - or even any other MSEer who has come to see me. You might find a few who have asked me for my location, but not got it.

I'm busy enough, but I don't like people getting harmed or ripped off for dental related things. Be it Private dentists, NHS dentists, or cowboy salons. If you read my posts you'd see that.

tomstickland

Looks like spam thinly disguised as a "satisfied customer" to me.