Teeth Whitening

A few shades brighter, safely

Professional whitening uses a controlled peroxide gel to lift stain from within the enamel. It works on natural teeth, and it works better when someone has checked yours first.

Book Online ☏ Call 02 4933 4667

When It’s Needed

Whitening may suit you if

Your teeth have yellowed gradually with age — the type that responds most predictably
Coffee, tea, red wine or smoking have dulled them
You have an event coming up and want a modest, safe improvement
Your teeth are healthy, with no untreated decay or gum disease
You understand that crowns, veneers and fillings will not change colour
You’re not pregnant or breastfeeding — we defer whitening until afterwards

At The Appointment

What actually happens

01/

Assessment first

We check for decay, gum health, exposed roots, cracks and existing restorations, and identify what’s actually causing the discolouration. Some causes respond well; some barely at all.

02/

A clean beforehand

Surface stain comes off with a scale and clean. Sometimes that alone is enough, and we’ll tell you if it is rather than sell you whitening.

03/

In-chair ZOOM

Lips and gums are carefully isolated and protected, the gel applied and activated by light, usually across a few cycles. Around an hour in the chair.

04/

Or custom take-home trays

Impressions or a scan, then thin trays made to fit your teeth exactly, with gel to wear for a set time daily over one to two weeks. Slower, gentler on sensitivity, and easy to top up later.

Afterwards

Recovery & aftercare

Avoid staining food and drink for 48 hours — coffee, tea, red wine, curry, beetroot, berries and tomato sauce.
No smoking during that window if you possibly can.
Sensitivity to cold for a day or two is very common and settles; sensitive toothpaste helps.
Use a straw for dark drinks in the first few days.
Results fade gradually over months to years depending on your habits.
Keep your trays — a short top-up is far cheaper than starting again.

Professional teeth whitening at Tooth n Care

Alternatives We’d Also Discuss

Other ways to go

A scale and clean alone

Where discolouration is mostly surface stain, cleaning may achieve most of what you want at a fraction of the cost.

Veneers or bonding

For intrinsic discolouration that won’t whiten — tetracycline staining, fluorosis, a dark root-treated tooth — covering the surface is the reliable answer.

Doing nothing

Teeth naturally darken with age and there is nothing wrong with that. If your expectations wouldn’t be met, we’d rather say so than take your money.

Risks & Considerations

The honest downsides

No treatment is risk-free, and you should hear this before you decide rather than afterwards.

Crowns, veneers, bridges and composite fillings do not whiten. If you have them on front teeth, whitening the surrounding natural teeth can make them stand out, and they may need replacing to match — a significant added cost you should factor in beforehand.
Temporary sensitivity to cold is the most common side effect, particularly with in-chair whitening.
Gum irritation can occur if gel contacts soft tissue, which is why professional isolation matters.
Results vary substantially between individuals, and the final shade cannot be guaranteed.
Grey-toned discolouration, tetracycline staining and single dark root-treated teeth respond poorly or unpredictably.
Whitening is not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or for children with developing teeth.
Whitening is not permanent. Expect gradual relapse, faster if you smoke or drink a lot of coffee, tea or red wine.
Over-the-counter and beauty-salon whitening is not supervised, may use ill-fitting trays and can cause burns or uneven results.

Cost & health funds

We offer in-chair Philips ZOOM whitening at a discounted rate and custom take-home trays. [VERIFY] current pricing to be confirmed before publication. Whitening is a cosmetic treatment, so health fund rebates are usually minimal or nil — we’ll be clear about that before you book.

Fees & payment plans →

Get a written plan

Before anything starts you’ll have a written treatment plan with costs, inclusions and any conditions spelled out, plus an estimate of your health fund rebate checked at the desk.

Book an assessment →

This information is general in nature and is not a substitute for personalised advice from a registered dental practitioner. Any dental or surgical procedure carries risks. Individual results vary. Before proceeding with treatment we encourage you to ask questions and, if you wish, seek a second opinion from a qualified health practitioner.