Harbour Dental Care

27 High Street,
Ipswich, Suffolk
IP1 3HQ

Tel: 01473 253599
Fax: 01473 212680

Monday - Thursday
8:30am - 6.00pm

Friday
8:30am - 5.00pm

We are closed for lunch between 12.50pm-2.00pm every day.

Want to book an appointment? Or do you need some advice? Whatever your request, we’ll do our best to help you. Either call us on 01473 253599 or fill in the form below and we’ll call you back.

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For those have not visited us before our free verbal consultations are an opportunity to come in, meet the team and talk to the dentist. Just call us on 01473 253599 to arrange a suitable time.

Tooth Whitening

Teeth usually darken with age, due to things like drinking tea, coffee or red wine, eating strongly coloured foods such Indian curry which contains highly staining spices, and smoking. Tooth decay, fillings and tartar can also contribute to discolouring, as can damage to the blood vessels in teeth – this makes the tooth darker, with almost a grey appearance.

There are a number of different ways of whitening teeth; from toothpastes and chewing gums to at-home bleaching kits to laser treatment carried out by a dentist. Before undertaking any kind of whitening treatment it is strongly advised that you talk to your dentist – for some people whitening might not be appropriate and could cause damage, for example if you have a bridge or gum problems.

The most widely used and safest way of effectively bleaching teeth is to use a bleaching gel. Our tooth whitening kit uses a gel containing a bleaching agent such as hydrogen peroxide at a low strength to prevent causing sensitivity or damage to gums. Kits with higher strength gels are available although these are more likely to cause harm if used improperly – especially at home where the temptation may be to wear it for a little longer than advised!

It should take two appointments to prepare your own whitening kit. The first is to assess your teeth and take impressions so that the individualised moulds can be made. On the second visit you are given your moulds, along with the whitening gel and everything else you’ll need, and told how to use it correctly. Then you can take the kit home and use at your leisure. This way you get the best of both worlds, by having professional supervision but the convenience of doing the treatment in your own time, in your own home. Be careful to follow the instructions given by the dentist, as over-use can cause extreme sensitivity and even damage to your teeth and/or gums.