Teeth whitening in Newcastle
Custom trays, dental-grade gel, and a realistic conversation about what your teeth will actually do.
Whitening is legally
the practice of dentistry
I’m Jack Dowling, a dentist registered with the General Dental Council.
That matters more here than on any other page. Tooth whitening is legally the practice of dentistry in the UK. Only registered dental professionals may provide it, whatever product is used — that was settled in the High Court in 2013, and providing it without registration is a criminal offence.
What professional whitening is
Your teeth are examined first, to check they’re healthy enough to whiten and that nothing else is causing the discolouration. Then impressions or a scan are taken and custom trays are made to fit your teeth precisely — which is what stops the gel sitting on your gums.
The first application is done here, with me. After that you take the trays and the remaining gel home and complete the cycle yourself, usually over a couple of weeks, wearing them overnight or for a set period each day.
That sequence isn’t a preference. It’s the law: whitening gel above the freely-sold strength may only be supplied to dental practitioners, and the first use of each cycle has to be carried out by a dentist or under their direct supervision, after a clinical examination.
What it will and won’t do
- It will
- Lift the natural shade of natural teeth, usually noticeably, and the effect is genuine rather than a trick of the lighting.
- It won’t change restorations
- Crowns, veneers, composite bonding and white fillings stay exactly as they are. If you have any at the front, whitening will make them stand out rather than blend in — which is either a problem or the reason to plan the sequence properly.
- It won’t work equally well on everything
- Yellowing responds well. Grey discolouration is more stubborn. A single dark tooth, usually one that’s had root canal treatment, is a different treatment altogether.
- It won’t reach a shade your teeth can’t reach
- I’m not going to give you a number of shades on a website, because nobody honestly can — the ASA has upheld complaints against that claim repeatedly and they were right to.
The order to do things in
If you’re planning more than whitening, the order matters and it’s worth getting right.
Whiten first. Then bond, veneer or crown.
Composite is matched to the shade of your teeth on the day it’s placed and it doesn’t change afterwards. Crowns and veneers are made to a shade taken at the time. Whiten afterwards and your natural teeth lift while the restorations stay put, and you end up with patches.
There’s usually a two-week wait between finishing whitening and placing anything, to let the shade settle and the bond strength recover.
About sensitivity
Some people get it, some don’t, and it’s the most common reason people stop early.
It’s usually short, sharp twinges rather than constant ache, and it goes away within a day or two of finishing. If you get it during treatment, the answer is normally to space the applications out rather than push through — the end result is the same, it just takes a bit longer.
Tell me if you’ve had sensitive teeth before and we’ll plan around it from the start.
How long it lasts
Usually one to three years before you’d want a top-up, but it depends almost entirely on what you drink and whether you smoke. Coffee, tea and red wine are the main culprits.
Keep the trays. A top-up is a single tube of gel rather than the whole treatment again, which is why the trays are worth looking after.
About salon and shop whitening
Shop-bought products are legally capped at a tiny fraction of the strength a dentist can use, so mostly they just disappoint. Salons are worse: whitening is legally dentistry, so a beautician offering it is breaking the law, and nobody has checked whether your teeth are healthy enough to whiten in the first place.