Want Whiter Teeth? Here’s Everything You Need To Know

Try as you might to be completely secure in all of your natural flaws, it's pretty common to be self-conscious about your teeth. Unfairly, having less than perfect teeth is often assumed to be a symbol of poor health and grooming.

In fact, a 2019 study by Straight Teeth Direct found that half of British adults hate smiling because they don’t like their teeth, and one-fifth list it as their greatest physical insecurity. It seems that the age-old British stereotype of bad teeth has fast become a capitalist dream, because we’re all out there trying to ‘fix’ them.

I first noticed I had ‘bad teeth’ as a teenager, when it was suggested by my dentist that I have braces fitted. I had too many teeth as a kid, and needed six removed just to have my braces put in. Three years of teething pain, metal mouth jokes and never even contemplating a first kiss, my braces were removed to reveal a perfect smile.

I lived blissfully with that smile for over a decade, until earlier this year when suddenly they began to stain and yellow. Nothing about my diet had changed, nor had I taken up smoking or developed any health issues.

So what had happened? According to my dentist 'there are a few major contributors... such as red wine, smoking and black tea and coffee.'

So there I had it, all of those bloody cups of tea had taken their toll - I only had myself to blame.

Now, I’m a strong believer in positive affirmations when it comes to feeling insecure. So much so that I’m now fall between unbearable narcissist and ‘beauty is just a social construct’ on the self-esteem scale. However, try as I might to affirm away my stained teeth, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I looked dirty. So, personal therapy attempted and failed - I decided to give into my superficial desires and book a consultation to get my teeth whitened.

Finding the best teeth whitening in London...

After thorough research, I got in touch with the best teeth whitening place in London, Holford Curaden. Literally, they were voted the best dental practice by The Parliamentary Review this year. They arranged my first consultation before I knew it I was in the dentist chair.

The first teeth whitening consultation

My first visit involved a general check-up to ensure I didn’t have any ongoing dental problems that needed resolving first, and a talk-through of what to expect. Seeing my staining, Dr Louis Guenin offered me a complimentary teeth cleaning before we started the whitening process – this, he assured me, would get rid of most of the staining on its own. Before that though, he needed a mould of my teeth.

Now, I’m not the easiest dental patient – I have a panic disorder that triggers whenever my throat feels remotely abnormal. As you can imagine, I get quite stressed when a man is fiddling around in my mouth.

However, having listed that on the form under ‘is there anything your dentist should know?’, Dr. Guenin put me at ease and talked me through the entire process. The impression of your teeth is taken with soft clay, which hardens in your mouth after about 10 seconds and is promptly removed. After that, you’re done.

The teeth cleaning

My second visit was for the teeth cleaning, and for an anxiety Annie like me it wasn’t the most calming process. But again, my dental nurse talked me through the entire experience and aptly removed anything in my mouth when I appeared more nervous – I didn’t even have to tell her to. She soothed me throughout like the absolute baby I am, informed me of how much time was left and frankly, I’ve never been more grateful.

She also recommended that I pick up a Philips Sonicare toothbrush to improve my brushing routine. I of course followed her sage advice and after just one use of the DiamondClean I made a solemn discovery: I have really been slacking these last few years. My teeth felt 10x cleaner and while getting used to the buzzing was strange, the multiple options of speed and intensity made the process of switching from a manual to electric a lot easier. Anyway, back to the teeth cleaning.

I’ll level with you, it’s not a nice experience – even less so if you have anxiety or sensitive teeth – but it’s not painful and mine didn’t last longer than 30 minutes.

Then there’s the outcome, and let me tell you, mine was revolutionary. Not only were the stains from my teeth completely gone, but the yellow film that I’d barely even noticed developing had disappeared too. Suddenly, my teeth we’re back to ‘you have such a nice smile’ territory – I felt 16 again. I also felt like a giant fool, because clearly all I’d needed this whole time was a bloody teeth cleaning, and I’d embarked on this entire mission to whiten my entire teeth.

Alas, who am I to say no to a Hollywood smile? I was getting those whitening trays whether I liked it or not. My third visit was to pick them up – and Dr. Guenin talked me through the process of using them.

How do the teeth whitening trays work?

You have two things, teeth trays and two syringes filled with the bleaching substance. You put a dot of the substance in each teeth indent of the tray, using about 2mm of a syringe each time – making the syringes good for six uses. Wearing the trays overnight, you usually only need about four nights before you’re teeth have reached sparkling whiteness. ‘Most people only use one and a half syringes,’ my dentist told me.

How sensitive are your teeth after whitening?

Me? I used one syringe – that’s three nights. Frankly, I couldn’t handle any more. While sleeping with the trays in wasn’t necessarily uncomfortable – the trays are very soft compared to your average retainer – my teeth were very responsible to the bleach, too responsive. I would get shooting pains up particular teeth, and as is natural, my teeth were sensitive most of the next day. It was never unbearable, but given how quick my teeth where whitening I never needed more than three nights anyway.

Of course, your teeth sensitivity will depend on how much your teeth hate you – I got pretty lucky that the sensitivity faded very quickly once I wasn’t wearing the trays. Plus, you can put as much time as you want between uses. I decided to scatter my nights over the course of two weeks, but you can do it consecutively if you want.

How long does it take to see teeth whitening results?

The results are quick, you can notice a whiter appearance after just one wear. Of course, it’s a case by case result – but my teeth were exponentially whiter after three uses. In fact, my teeth exceeded even Dr. Guenin’s expectations, telling me they had whitened beyond the ‘naturally white’ scale and into the ‘superficially white’ scale (fine by me, just call me Simon Cowell). With a response like that, it’s no wonder my teeth were sensitive, he told me.

Check out one patients results...

How long do the results of teeth whitening last?

The results are permanent, and you can maintain whiteness with regular teeth cleans and responsible at-home brushing. While they can fade over time, Dr. Guenin recommends keeping any left-over bleach for one-off treatments in the future. ‘Six months down the line, if you have a wedding or something you want to look brighter for, you can pop them in for one night and be right back to the whiteness they are now,’ he said.

How much does teeth whitening cost?

At Holford Curaden, the cost of teeth whitening starts from £450 and the cost of a teeth cleaning is £75. However, for teeth cleaning near you, consultations are typically free to enquire about the service.

Are there any budget teeth whitening options?

There are plenty, but whether they work is the question. While charcoal toothpaste, baking soda and oil pulling have all been said to whiten teeth at home, Holford Curaden dubs them ‘myths’. Charcoal ‘does remove surface stains’, says their website, but ‘it does not whiten your teeth’. Baking soda, acidic fruits and banana skins can actually damage your teeth and while pol pulling is highly recommended, ‘there is no scientific research that confirms how effective it is.’

There are budget at home whitening kits, like Polished Whitening and Billion Dollar Smile - but do they work?

'We do not recommend them,' Dr. Louis Guenin told Grazia. 'These at-home kits are not provided by dental professionals and have no effect in whitening your teeth so are waste of money. All bleaching products legally prescribed by a dental professional contain either hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide which are the key ingredients that actually whiten your teeth.

'Plus, the trays that are provided in these kits are one size fits all unlike the trays provided by dentists which are custom made,' he concluded.

What you can do however is alter your lifestyle. 'Using proper brushing techniques and limiting the number of coffees or teas can really make all the difference,' Dr. Guenin says. 'You can also top up your white smile once the effects of your previous whitening treatment begin to fade, as unfortunately nothing lasts forever.'

How can I help keep my teeth white?

While you may not be able to whiten your teeth well at home, you can maintain a white smile and improve your general dental hygiene with certain products. The Philips Sonicare toothbrush comes highly recommended by dentists, as my dental nurse did (manual toothbrushes are fine, but take a lot more work).

Unsurprisingly, it’s also essential to floss at least three times a week and attend teeth cleanings every six months at least. With all this in your arsenal, you’ll be gleaming for years.

To book in for a consultation at Holford Curaden, click here or give them a call on 020 7499 9806.**