Give your teeth the white stuff

Jan 2 2010 by Liz Lamb, The Journal

ONE of the trademarks of today's celebrities is a dazzling smile. From Kylie Minogue to Cheryl Cole, they all possess pearly whites but for many of us less-than-perfect gnashers can ruin our whole appearance.

I am one of those people. Not only is my smile not straight but my teeth have yellowed in colour thanks to a large intake of coffee, tea, red wine and the odd social cigarette.

The beauty industry is awash with teeth whitening products from whitening toothpaste to DIY home kits but one of the best ways to achieve the bright white glow is to go to a cosmetic dentist who are able to use a much stronger solution to lift your tooth shade than home products.

The Cosmetic Dental Clinic, in Newcastle, has a range of procedures.

I tested out the Cosmetic Dental Clinic total whitening procedure which is for the patient who wants the whitest possible smile.

Dentists use a combination of in-surgery and take-home kits specific to the individual.

It sounded just what I needed and I was right.

Dental hygiene therapist Amanda Shannon talked me through the procedure and then carried out a scale and polish which instantly made my teeth appear a lot whiter.

I then had apparatus inserted into my mouth to keep my teeth apart.

This felt uncomfortable at first but after a few minutes I was soon used to it.

A gel was applied to my teeth and then I had three 15-minute intervals of the laser machine blasting my teeth.

I had envisaged that this part of the proceedings were going to be painful but I was surprised that I hardly felt anything apart from the odd twinge of sensitivity.

I was in the chair for 45 minutes in total but the results were worth it.

My teeth had been transformed into pearly whites and were at least eight shades lighter.

I couldn’t stop looking at myself in the mirror-they looked amazing.

I was advised not to eat anything red for the next couple of days and have no caffeine.

I was also given a home kit with my own individual moulds so they would fit my teeth perfectly.

A few weeks on, my teeth may have lost a little of their initial glow (I’m afraid I couldn’t give up tea) but they are still much whiter than they were and I continue to be impressed with the results.

The Cosmetic Dental Clinic is running a special offer until January 31 offering teeth whitening for £395 instead of £550. Call 0191 260 3688