Teeth Whitening

Brighten Your Smile with Professional Teeth Whitening in Leicester

Woman checking shade of teeth for tooth whitening


Achieve Your Brightest Smile with Enlighten Teeth Whitening in Leicester

Are you longing for a radiant, confident smile? Look no further than Smile Essential Dental Practice in Leicester. Our premium Enlighten teeth whitening system guarantees stunning results, ensuring your smile shines brighter than ever before. Say goodbye to stained or discoloured teeth and hello to a smile that exudes confidence and charm.

What Sets Enlighten Teeth Whitening Apart?

  1. Guaranteed Results: With Enlighten, achieving your desired shade of white is not just a possibility—it’s a guarantee. Our system promises to whiten your teeth to the natural shade B1, ensuring a dazzling smile that enhances your overall appearance.
  2. No Lifestyle Restrictions: Unlike some whitening treatments, Enlighten doesn’t require you to alter your lifestyle habits. Enjoy your favourite foods and beverages, including coffee and red wine, without worrying about compromising your results. 
  3. Long-Lasting Effects: Experience the confidence of a bright smile that lasts. Enlighten’s results are not only immediate but also enduring. With a simple at-home maintenance regime, your dazzling smile can last indefinitely, sparing you the need for frequent touch-ups.
  4. Efficient Treatment: Our Enlighten whitening system works quickly and effectively, minimising any inconvenience or complications. You’ll notice a significant change in your smile shade within just three weeks, with minimal discomfort or sensitivity.

before and after tooth whitening results at our Leicester clinic

Answering Your Questions about Enlighten Teeth Whitening:

  • How white will my teeth get? Enlighten Whitening can brighten your smile by up to 16 shades, ensuring a dramatic transformation that leaves you feeling confident and radiant.
  • Will they look too white? Natural teeth rarely appear too white, ensuring your smile looks beautifully natural and radiant.
  • Will my existing dental work change colour? Rest assured, Enlighten whitening won’t alter the colour of your crowns, veneers, or fillings. However, some adjustments may be necessary after whitening.
  • Is there pain or discomfort? While sensitivity may occur, our Leicester dentists provide easy-to-use desensitising solutions for immediate relief. Enlighten Serum toothpaste also helps alleviate sensitivity, ensuring your comfort throughout the treatment process.
  • How long does the treatment take? With Enlighten, achieving a brighter smile is a straightforward process. After receiving your customised whitening trays, the treatment spans three weeks, with trays worn overnight for the first two weeks and for one hour daily during the third week.
  • How long do the results last? Enjoy long-lasting results with Enlighten. With simple maintenance, including wearing trays for one night every month and brushing with Enlighten White toothpaste, your radiant smile can endure indefinitely.
  • Is it safe? Absolutely. The materials used in Enlighten Whitening have a proven track record in dentistry, ensuring a safe and effective treatment experience.

Ready to Whiten Your Smile?

Take the first step towards a brighter, more confident you by scheduling a consultation at Smile Essential Dental Practice. During your consultation, we’ll assess your suitability for treatment, discuss the expected results, and outline the treatment process. Let us show you how Enlighten teeth whitening can transform your smile and boost your self-confidence. 

Reach out to us today to arrange your consultation and embark on your journey to a dazzling smile!

7 Essential tips for brides who want to whiten their teeth…

We know planning for a wedding is pretty stressful stuff! Fun fact (not!) a study found that planning a wedding takes approx 528 hours! Well, we’re here with our ‘7 Essential tips for brides who want to whiten their teeth’ to help get to the point and save you some time!

1) Do you have enough time to whiten your teeth?

Teeth whitening can sometimes be done in one dental appointment. Often, known as power whitening, in-surgery or laser whitening. However, we believe the most effective teeth whitening is a combination of home and power/in-surgery tooth whitening. This gives more predictable results and results that can be maintained for longer.

Teeth whitening can take a few appointments and can take 3-4 weeks. It is also a good idea to finish whitening your teeth well before your wedding day. Teeth often go a little patchy in colour which settles after a few days, but that’s no good if your big day is the next day!

There can also be some transient sensitivity. This settles after completing the treatment, but as the wedding day looms, you don’t want any distractions.

2) Is your mouth healthy?

Professional teeth whitening can only be carried out on a healthy mouth. If it’s been a while since you last had a dental health check, then it’d be a good idea to get booked in. Not only do you want to be to feel fresh breath confident, but you also don’t want an unwanted dental problem to strike near your special day. 

It’s also good to be fresh breath confident when you have such a big occasion! You’ll be talking to lots of people and of course, don’t forget your first official kiss!

3) Do you have dental work in your smile line?

Most people don’t realise that teeth whitening doesn’t work on restorations. So if you have a filling, crown or veneer that’s visible when you smile and matches your current tooth shade then once you complete your teeth whitening it will be a different colour from the rest of your teeth! 

If this is the case, then you can either leave your teeth as they are or if the restoration needs replacing to do this after teeth whitening so it can be matched to your new tooth colour.

4) Think about your partner!

If you’re serious about getting your teeth whitened, then it might be worth having a sneaky peek at your other half! If you whiten your teeth and then end up the lightest shade and your partner is up there on the darker side, it might look quite noticeable on your wedding photographs. Probably worth asking him or doing the treatment with plenty of time spare so when he sees your results he’s still got enough time to come in!

teeth whitening guide leicester

5) What to do if you have left it too late

Speak to your dentist ASAP! Sometimes a good ole cleaning can bring them up a treat! We have a fantastic cleaning treatment called AirFlow stain removal you can check it out here!

6) Cost?

Professional teeth whitening is more expensive than over the counter methods. However, unlike over the counter whitening remedies, professional whitening gives unbeatable results, is safe and the results last and are easy to maintain. The cost of teeth whitening can be spread over a couple of appointments.

7) It’s always good to get personalised advice from a dental professional

Nowadays, we all Google research everything! But teeth are as unique as your fingerprint! So not surprisingly, advice varies from person to person. We often see people at the dentist want a particular treatment that is not suitable for them, or there’s a better way to help them achieve their goal. It’s always good to have an honest conversation with your dentist and let them discuss your options. 

Arrange your consultation by giving our friendly team a call 0116 2891317

Keeping your teeth bright and white at home…

If you’ve started to notice your teeth aren’t as white as they could be maybe you need to tweak your home dental care routine. Now we’re not promising these tips will lighten your teeth by several shades. You’ll need our professional Enlighten whitening for that. But a few home tweaks could certainly help you brighten up your smile a little.

Invest in an electric toothbrush we love the Phillips Sonicare. It can help to remove surface staining which could lighten your teeth by a shade a two! An electric toothbrush is more efficient at removing the daily stains that build up on your teeth causing them to discolour.

Team your new Sonicare toothbrush with a good whitening toothpaste. Now don’t be confused whitening toothpastes don’t whiten your teeth. They do, however, help to remove some surface staining. We recommend using a reputable brand such as Colgate Total whitening. Whitening toothpaste and polishes should be used caution. Some toothpaste are too abrasive and could actually damage your teeth if used too frequently or you use a particularly harsh paste.

Watch your diet! It isn’t just teas, coffees and red wines that stain teeth. There are many drinks and foods that can stain your teeth. Juices such as blackcurrant, currys, fruit teas, beetroot juice, green tea, balsamic vinegar and tomato sauce. The best way to avoid your teeth discolouring is to eat only white foods! But seriously, life is for living! One way to have your cake and eat it (please don’t eat too much cake it really is bad for your teeth) is to drink water with limit stain-causing foods and keep up with the Sonicare and toothpaste.

Clean between your teeth. Clean teeth are bright teeth. Plaque has a yellow appearance and if you’re not following a vigorous oral health regime you may be leaving some plaque behind.

All of these tips will help to keep your teeth white and in tip-top condition. However, if you want to lighten your teeth by several shades then you may want to have a look at our professional whitening. This is a two week home whitening programme using customised whitening trays and an in-office laser whitening treatment at the end of the whitening course. Your teeth will achieve the lightest shade on our natural tooth shade guide – B1 and that’s guaranteed.

Whitening Your Teeth at Home Summary

The safest way to keep your teeth white at home is to remove daily staining by using a good electric toothbrush, a whitening toothpaste and avoid stain-causing foods and drinks. If you would still like whiter teeth than maybe it’s time to try professional tooth whitening.

Your teeth whitening questions answered!

Does teeth whitening work?

Professional teeth whitening carried out by a dentist can lighten your teeth by several shades. This method of whitening works. Over the counter whitening kits and toothpaste remove minimal superficial staining, so are less effective.

Does tooth whitening at the dentist work better?

Hydrogen peroxide is one of the most effective materials for whitening teeth. In the UK only dentists can provide products containing or releasing more than 0.1% hydrogen peroxide up to 6% hydrogen peroxide. Over the counter products are generally much weaker and ineffective at lightening teeth.

How long does it take to whiten teeth?

Up to 14 nights or 1-hour dependant on the treatment. Generally, professional whitening treatments from the dentist fall into two categories – home and in office. Home whitening takes around 2 weeks wearing customised mouth trays each evening. The other option is in office whitening which takes around 1 hour.

How long does tooth whitening last?

The effects of whitening are thought to last up to 3 years if you don’t carry out maintenance treatments. Over time teeth will get darker again due to staining and lifestyle factors such as smoking. You can maintain the effects of whitening with regular top-up treatments.

Does teeth whitening hurt?

Whitening your teeth can cause them to become sensitive. This sensitivity is usually intermittent and will disappear when you have completed whitening your teeth. There are products which can help ease tooth sensitivity during the whitening process.

Will tooth whitening damage my teeth?

Whitening carried out correctly under the professional guidance of a dentist will not harm or cause any damage to your teeth.

Does whitening work for everyone?

Whilst teeth whitening works for the majority of people it’s important to note that it doesn’t work for everyone. Some teeth are too deeply stained or otherwise resistant to the effects of whitening gels. Whitening also won’t lighten dental work such as fillings, crowns etc.

How much does it cost to get your teeth professionally whitened?

In the UK teeth whitening ranges from £199 to £500. Often the biggest cost is the initial outlay of the customised trays and whitening kit. Following the initial treatment costs, your teeth will require regular top-up treatments using the whitening gel these cost approx £50 per year.

Is it worth getting your teeth whitened?

Professional teeth whitening can be an effective way to improve the aesthetics of your smile. Lightening your teeth by several shades. A brighter smile is often seen as an attractive trait.

Which is the best tooth whitening?

For the best teeth whitening treatment you need well fitting whitening trays (similar to mouthguards but much thinner) and a quality whitening gel containing hydrogen peroxide. The trays stop the gel leaking into the mouth and stops the gel becoming diluted with saliva.

Have more teeth whitening questions? Contact us here and send us your teeth whitening questions…

The Ultimate Teeth Whitening Treatment…

When it comes to whitening your teeth there are many options available. However, it is important to bear in mind that not all tooth whitening systems are created equal!

The teeth whitening system we use at our Leicester clinic is a professional system called Enlighten. Enlighten can whiten even the darkest teeth by several shades, in fact, you can lighten your teeth up to a staggering 16 shades! Enlighten is widely acknowledged as the most effective whitening system in the world. It’s the only one that guarantees a Vita shade B1 for every patient. But don’t worry your teeth won’t look unnaturally white. Sometimes the very white teeth you see on celebrities are often crowns or veneers which are made from porcelain.

We have two choices available for patients wishing to whiten their teeth. Enlighten Ultimate and Enlighten Home. Both of these involve a 2 week home treatment however, the Enlighten Ultimate treatment is followed by a 1 hour in practice visit to the dentist. It works by increasing the tooth‘s permeability to oxygen which breaks down stain molecules.

The dentist will help you to decide which option is most suitable for you depending on the shade of your teeth and what you are hoping to achieve.

How does it work?
The whitening gel is placed into your custom made teeth whitening trays which hold the teeth whitening gel without it leaking into the mouth or being diluted by saliva. The trays are very comfortable to wear and are worn overnight for 14 consecutive nights. The active ingredients in the teeth whitening gel pass through the dental enamel, breaking down stains by chemical oxidation. The process can take some time so it is important to finish the treatment as directed by your dentist.

How long do the results last?
Results can last indefinitely with some very simple maintenance. Wearing the trays for 1 night every other month. Continuing to brush with Tooth Serum will also prolong results.

Will it work for me?
Enlighten teeth whitening has a 98% success rate. As with all teeth whitening systems they cannot lighten fillings, veneers or crowns. Your dentists will check and discuss your suitability at your consultation appointment.

Is it teeth whitening painful?
Sometimes there is some transient sensitivity but this passes once the treatment is complete. Enlighten is the only whitening brand to give you: guaranteed long-lasting whitening results and low sensitivity compared to other whitening systems.

Book an appointment for a free teeth whitening consultation…

A WOW experience…

After a lot of online research, I decided to go to Smile Essentials for a consultation about a smile makeover and all I can say about my whole experience is WOW! Even at the free consultation, I was taken aback by the friendly service I received from all members of staff and as I was happy with the suggested course of treatment (whitening, gum contouring and tooth bonding) and I felt it was very good value for money, so I decided to go ahead.

Now that the treatment is all complete, I am absolutely over the moon with the results and it has left me with a smile I am so happy with! However, the main thing that stood out for me was Lina, not just the results she achieved on my teeth, but her warm, friendly and caring manner that puts you at ease at every visit. She works so closely with you throughout to ensure you are going to achieve your desired result and her attention to detail and desire to get everything perfect for you really shines through (which was great coming from a fellow perfectionist!).

This isn’t my routine dental practice but I was made to feel like I had been going there for years and if it wasn’t for the fact that I live 50 minutes away, I would definitely be switching dentists!

Miss A.A, Leicester.

Find out more about our smile makeovers…

Everything you need to know about our Leicester teeth whitening treatment…

At our Leicester dental practice, we offer a tooth whitening treatment that guarantees you’ll achieve the lightest shade on the natural shade guide. It’s called Enlighten Ultimate. Enlighten offers results that aren’t even comparable to other tooth whitening solutions, all of our patients have been delighted with the results and the ease of the treatment.

Does it work on very dark teeth?

Yes, even if you have the darkest teeth on the shade guide we can still guarantee you will achieve the lightest colour.

I’ve heard teeth whitening can cause sensitivity?

It’s common that with some tooth whitening systems, transient sensitivity can be a big issue. However, with the Enlighten system, we offer at our Leicester clinic patients rarely report sensitivity problems that haven’t been resolved with the specially designed sensitive tooth serum contained as part of your package.

Will the results last?

The results will last indefinitely as long as you look after your tooth whitening trays and carry out a top up one night every couple of months.

Do I have to be a Patient of Smile Essential?
No, we carry out free tooth whitening consultations to new and existing patients.

Is tooth whitening suitable for me?

There are a few reasons why tooth whitening might not be for you. This is one of the key reasons we offer free consultations – to check your suitability. If it isn’t suitable the dentist will discuss your options.

Is it difficult?

The process is very simple and generally takes 3 appointments.

The first appointment is for a free consultation to check that your suitable and what your tooth whitening goals are, if you’re happy we can take the impressions at this stage to make your uniquely designed tooth whitening trays.

The second appointment is when the uniquely designed tooth whitening trays are fitted and then you start to whiten your teeth from home each evening for the next 2 weeks.

The final appointment at Smile Essential we complete in-surgery laser tooth whitening whilst you can relax and watch a DVD and then we will reveal your new whiter brighter and beautiful Smile.

To arrange a free consultation get in touch here…

Dental Leicester

Say goodbye to yellow teeth…

There are many reasons teeth can appear yellow. Most of the time yellow teeth are generally caused by surface staining. That’s why as we get older our teeth often get darker, picking up more and more staining.

Our Leicester dentists often whiten peoples teeth that have been stained as a result of their diet. The obvious culprits are tea, coffee and red wine, but there are many more not so obvious causes such as green tea – yup, green tea may be good for your body but it can cause tooth staining, tomatoes in pasta sauce, curry spices and berries all contain pigments that cling to tooth enamel and stain the surface.

The good news is that while your teeth may not look like the ideal set of pearly whites, teeth stained from your diet are actually perfectly healthy. If you wanted to improve the colour of your teeth though there are a few things you can do:

• Have a dental hygiene appointment. Plaque buildup on the teeth can make them appear more yellow having this removed and the teeth polished will remove the plaque and some surface staining. Regular hygiene appointments will keep on top of the staining and help your mouth to stay fresher and healthier.

• Buy an electric toothbrush. At our Leicester dental clinic, we recommend the Phillips Sonicare toothbrush. This can help to remove some staining and will help to remove new staining each time you brush.

• Professional Tooth Whitening. If you want to lighten your teeth by several shades then professional tooth whitening will give you the best results. Our Enlighten Ultimate treatment guarantees you’ll achieve the lightest natural tooth shade on our chart.

• Adjust your diet. We know it isn’t easy! It’s tough to start the day if you’re used to that cup of coffee to get you going or of course relaxing with a cup of tea. Oh, and what no curry!

There are also a few other reasons that your teeth may be yellow and it’s definitely worth speaking to your dental health team for advice:

– Tooth wear. The outer layer of the tooth is called enamel and is whiter than the underlying layer dentine which tends to be quite yellow. Tooth wear can occur because of a few things such as acids in the diet fizzy or fruit drinks, acid reflux and toothbrush abrasion – brushing too hard, incorrect technique or with a hard bristle toothbrush can cause the enamel to be worn away and show the yellow dentine layer.

– Fluorosis. Fluoride is good for teeth, but excess fluoride in early adulthood can cause yellow or brownish yellow spots called fluorosis. Avoid fluorosis by using the right amount of toothpaste for your child and make sure they spit out the toothpaste and not swallow it.

– Antibiotics. Tetracycline antibiotics stain teeth when they’re still developing in the gums. If your mother took antibiotics in the second half of her pregnancy, or you took them before the age of eight, you may have permanently stained adult teeth.

– Tooth Grinding. Also known as bruxism, it’s quite harmful to tooth enamel and the teeth. Many people are unaware that they are grinding their teeth. Tooth grinding is an unconscious habit some people have when they’re stressed, especially while asleep. It grinds down the tooth enamel and can be harmful to your dental health.

The best way to take care of your teeth is by visiting your local dental practice for tailored advice.

Dental Leicester

About Teeth Whitening…

Teeth whitening is a popular cosmetic treatment at our Leicester dental practice. Whitening provides a fantastic way to improve the cosmetics of your smile. We all love a bright healthy looking white smile.

It’s often a better option than alternatives to improve appearance and colour, such as veneers, because it doesn’t involve permanently altering the tooth’s structure and it’s easy to look after. Whitening offers a way to safely improve the look of your teeth as whitening won’t remove the surface of your teeth or change their shape.

Some people dream of a bright white Hollywood smile and others just want their teeth to look naturally brighter. We offer two teeth whitening treatments at our Leicester dental surgery – Enlighten Ultimate and Enlighten Home. Both our home tooth whitening treatments.

Our Enlighten Ultimate teeth whitening guarantees your teeth will reach the lightest natural colour on our tooth shade guide. With Enlighten Ultimate teeth whitening you’re guaranteed to lighten your teeth by up to 16 shades – no other system does that in the world! It combines home teeth whitening and in surgery laser whitening.

If you only wanted to lighten your shade by a few shades for a natural look or your teeth aren’t too dark then you could opt for our Enlighten Home teeth whitening. It still uses the fantastic whitening gels and trays but it doesn’t come with the laser teeth whitening at the end of treatment which guarantees the lightest shade.

Teeth whitening at our Leicester clinic generally requires around three appointments:

Appointment one: a free consultation to have a chat about your tooth whitening goals and that you are suitable. If you’re happy then we can take the impressions at this stage to make your uniquely designed tooth whitening trays.

Appointment two: is when the uniquely designed tooth whitening trays are fitted and then you start to whiten your teeth from home each evening for the next 2 weeks.

Appointment three: is a review of the tooth whitening and your results. We will also perform in-surgery laser tooth whitening. This appointment is very straightforward, wearing your custom made teeth whitening trays and a special high concentration gel you can relax and watch a DVD for an hour.

Ready to get Enlightened? Arrange your free consultation here…

Dental Leicester

White teeth for Christmas…

Tooth whitening remains one of our favourite cosmetic treatment at Smile Essential and one which we perform regularly especially at Christmas time!

Discoloured or yellow looking teeth can make you very self-conscious about smiling for those Christmas party photos.

However, improving their appearance can be achieved simply with our Enlighten tooth whitening system.

Home whitening kits from the dentist all generally involve applying a peroxide-based gel to the teeth in custom designed whitening trays. The gel seeps into the tooth enamel and lifts any staining returning the enamel to a more healthy colour of white.

We use an Enlighten tooth whitening system which has been our preferred system at Smile Essential dental practice for several years. We are passionate about providing the best results for our patients and feel Enlighten offers superior results compared to any other tooth whitening treatments. It combines at home and in surgery tooth whitening to create outstanding whitening results. We actually guarantee you will achieve the lightest natural tooth shade B1!

Home tooth whitening kits are a bigger investment than over the counter products but it is the safest and most effective way to get you the white smile you deserve for Christmas. Also, once you have paid the initial outlay for teeth whitening then you simply whiten your teeth one or two nights every other month to lift any new discolouration and your results will last for years and years and only cost you about fifty pounds a year!

Don’t leave it too late! Teeth whitening at our Leicester clinic can take 2-3 appointments. Having your teeth whitened by a dentist is by far the safest way to whiten your teeth and avoid any tooth related problems on the big day, so whatever the weather when your big day arrives you will have a happy, healthy, whiter, brighter smile.

Get in touch with us to arrange your FREE consultation…

Dental Leicester