Teeth Whitening

For optimal results, it is advisable to schedule your teeth whitening after a dental cleaning, preferably within a week or two max. This is because plaque and tartar can hinder the effectiveness of whitening. On top of that, you may want to use fluoridated toothpaste prior to a professional whitening session, if you are not using one already.

Conventional teeth whitening methods are ineffective on fillings or dental implants. We may have to assess if the restorations require replacement prior to whitening. It's essential to consider this factor in terms of cost, as there may be an additional expense associated with these replacements.

While professional whitening is deemed as a permanent procedure, the teeth will still be prone to natural staining over time. Once committed, patients may want to consider annual whitening sessions to maintain the desired pearly white shade. At The ARC Dental, we are against whitening more than twice a year, as it is unnecessary and may lead to enamel dryness. Over-whitening- induced enamel dryness may result in teeth sensitivity and appear chalky.

To maintain the result of whitening, our dentist suggests considering your dietary habits. For instance, regular consumption of coffee, tea, dark soda, red wine, or even smoking will affect the colour of the teeth. Hence, it is vital to abstain from these beverages and be mindful of foods such as blueberries or tomatoes during the first 48 hours (about 2 days) of the whitening procedure.

The dental tubules remain open and can absorb pigments from food and drinks just as readily as they absorb the peroxide solution during teeth whitening. Therefore, potentially leading to an immediate loss of the whitening results.

If cost is a hindering factor for patients who wish to whiten their teeth, there are alternatives that can be used at home. For instance, home-whitening trays/kits that contain a lower concentration of peroxide. These will yield slightly less dramatic results but will still work. Home whitening trays may achieve 2 to 3 shade improvements while in-office whitening can whiten up to 7-8 shades.

By itself, whitening toothpaste is unlikely to yield significant results for your teeth. Nevertheless, when combined with a whitening product, such as at-home or professional whitening solutions, it can help maintain the whiteness of your teeth.

Generally, in-office whitening cost higher than home kit whitening. At The Arc Dental, in-office whitening range starting from RM999 whereas home kit whitening range starting from RM699. Please refer to our dental whitening packages for more details.