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Teeth whitening

Professional teeth whitening uses a controlled bleaching gel to lift stains out of the enamel, and it is done either in one clinic appointment or with custom trays you wear at home for a couple of weeks.

The essentials

Does it hurt?
Whitening is not painful, but sensitivity is common and normal — short cold twinges for a day or two afterwards. It settles on its own. The take-home option usually causes less of it because the gel is gentler, and sensitive-teeth toothpaste for a few days before and after helps considerably.
How long does it take?
In-clinic whitening is a single appointment of around an hour. Take-home whitening runs over ten to fourteen nights after a short appointment to make the trays.
What does it cost?
In-clinic and take-home whitening are priced differently, with take-home usually the lower cost of the two. Both are quoted at the assessment, along with what shade change is realistically achievable for your teeth — there is no point paying for a result your enamel will not give.

Who this is for

  • Tea, coffee, tobacco or paan has dulled the colour of your teeth
  • You have an event coming up and want your teeth a few shades lighter
  • You want it done safely rather than with a shop-bought kit of unknown strength

First, the assessment — and it is not a formality

Whitening gel bleaches enamel. It does nothing for a crown, a veneer or a white filling, so if you have any on your front teeth, whitening the rest will leave them mismatched. That needs knowing beforehand, not afterwards.

It also stings badly on exposed root surfaces and untreated decay, and it cannot lighten a tooth that is dark because its nerve has died — that needs different treatment entirely.

So the first step is a look. Five minutes that decides whether whitening is the right answer for your teeth at all.

In the clinic or at home

In-clinic whitening uses a stronger gel with your gums carefully isolated, and gives a visible change in one appointment of about an hour. It is the option for a fixed date.

Take-home whitening uses custom-made trays and a gentler gel over ten to fourteen nights. It costs less, the result is equally good, and it often causes less sensitivity because it works gradually. The trays are also reusable for a top-up in a year or two.

Keeping it, and being realistic

Whitening is not permanent. Tea, coffee, red wine, tobacco and paan will dull it again over months, and the first forty-eight hours after treatment are when teeth stain most easily — worth avoiding the obvious culprits then.

It is also not unlimited. Whitening lightens your natural enamel; it does not turn any tooth into any shade. What it can realistically achieve for you is shown against a shade guide at the assessment, so the expectation is set before you pay.

What happens, in order

  1. 01

    Check

    A quick examination for decay, sensitivity and any existing crowns or fillings on the front teeth.

  2. 02

    Clean

    A scale and polish first, because gel cannot bleach through surface deposits.

  3. 03

    Whitening

    One in-clinic session with the gums isolated, or custom trays made for you to use at home.

  4. 04

    Aftercare

    What to avoid for the first two days, and how to top it up later.

Teeth Whitening — common questions

Is teeth whitening safe for your teeth?
Yes, professional whitening supervised by a dentist is safe for enamel — the gel lifts stain out of the tooth surface without softening or thinning it. The risks come from unsupervised kits of unknown concentration and from whitening over untreated decay or exposed roots, which is exactly what the pre-whitening examination is for. Temporary sensitivity is the normal side effect and it resolves in a day or two.
How much does teeth whitening cost in Silchar?
Whitening is quoted at the assessment appointment, and the in-clinic and take-home options are different figures, with take-home generally the lower of the two. The assessment also establishes what shade change your enamel can realistically reach, so you are not paying for an outcome that was never possible. Existing crowns or white fillings on the front teeth affect the plan and are checked at the same visit.
How long does teeth whitening last?
Typically several months to a couple of years, depending almost entirely on what you drink and whether you smoke. Tea, coffee, red wine, tobacco and paan are the main culprits, and the first forty-eight hours after treatment are when teeth pick up stain most easily. A short top-up with take-home trays is the usual way to refresh it rather than repeating the full treatment.
Does whitening work on crowns, veneers or fillings?
No — bleaching gel only lightens natural enamel, so crowns, veneers and white fillings keep the exact shade they were made in. If you have any of them on a front tooth, whitening the surrounding teeth can leave a visible mismatch, which is why they are checked before treatment. Where that is the case the usual plan is to whiten first and then replace the restoration to match the new shade.
Will whitening make my teeth sensitive?
Often mildly, and temporarily — short cold twinges for a day or two are the most common side effect and they settle without treatment. Take-home whitening tends to cause less sensitivity than in-clinic because the gel is gentler and works over a longer period. Using a sensitive-teeth toothpaste for a few days before and after makes a noticeable difference.
Can whitening fix a single dark tooth?
Not usually, because a single dark tooth is often dark for a different reason — the nerve inside it has died, frequently after an old injury. That needs root canal treatment and then internal bleaching or a crown, rather than surface whitening. An examination and X-ray tells you which of the two situations you are in.

Other treatments

Symptoms that usually lead here

Teeth Whitening across Silchar

Patients come to Ambicapatty from across Silchar. Each of these pages has the route, the drive time and the treatments most asked for from that area.

Ask about teeth whitening

Send a message saying what is going on and you will get a straight answer about whether teeth whitening is the right treatment for you — and what it would cost — before committing to anything.

The Dental Tree — House No. 2, Happy Valley Lane, Hailakandi Road, Opposite ICICI Bank, Ambicapatty, Silchar, Assam 788005

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