If you take a look at any of the gossip magazines in the newsagents, you’ll see every celebrity actor, singer and model smiling back at you with perfect, bright white teeth. The pursuit of the perfect smile has become very common, with people of all ages having braces fitted to correct their smiles and using teeth whitening products and veneers to brighten them. There are plenty of home whitening kits on the market, but consumer tests have shown that the quality of these can vary widely and the results are unlikely to be as effective as if you have the treatment carried out by a professional at a dental surgery.

Teeth whitening systems available

Once you have decided to go ahead and get your smile brightened professionally, you still have plenty of choice as to which system to use. Each has different advantages, depending on your lifestyle and budget. The Enlighten system requires impressions to be made of your teeth so you can have special plastic trays made that fit your mouth perfectly. A small amount of the whitening gel is then placed into the tray before being put in the mouth. There are different strengths of whitening gel available, the strongest requiring only 30 minutes of application a day, which is perfect if you have a busy lifestyle. Enlighten has its own system, Ramp, which is especially suitable for people with increased sensitivity. So even if you have sensitive teeth you don’t have to miss out on the celebrity smile.

Zoom! is a whitening treatment that is carried out in the surgery in a one hour dental appointment. The gel is applied to your teeth before a heated lamp is inserted into your mouth, activating the ingredients in the gel. You’ll be able to see the amazing results of Zoom! after just one hour, though the effects last just as long, if not longer, than other treatments. Nite White, as the name suggests, is a system that is safe enough to wear overnight, for minimum inconvenience, while Smile Strips are one budget option, costing only £45 for a 14 day course of pre-prepared gel packs.

All these options will leave you with a Hollywood-bright smile, so it’s down to you whether you want to spend one hour in the chair or spend less and do most of the hard work yourself. Either way, you’ll enjoy looking at the results for many months!

Cosmetic alternatives to whitening

Veneers are another, more expensive but more permanent and effective, way to brighten up your smile. These are popular with celebrities and sports stars and can be matched to the colour of your teeth for a natural looking improvement. Once impressions have been taken and the veneers have been manufactured to fit your smile perfectly, you will attend another appointment to have them fitted. Da Vinci veneers are one of the most popular brands in the US, having been developed in the home of the perfect smile, Los Angeles. The product has even featured on makeover shows on American television. Although they cost more than whitening treatments, veneers have one major advantage; their permanence. Short of something going wrong with them, your veneers should last your whole life, giving you a perfect bright smile well into old age.

Looking for cosmetic dentistry? Talk to Harley Street Dental Studio

The Harley Street Dental Studio has a vast range of services to enhance your smile. For more information on any aspect of cosmetic dentistry contact us on 020 7636 5981.