Home / Treatments / Teeth whitening
Cosmetic dentistry · Enlighten
Whitening with us means a gel we prescribe, worn in trays made to a scan of your own teeth, to lift their natural shade. At Sardinia House in Holborn we whiten with Enlighten: two weeks of trays at home, then a finishing visit in the surgery. Internal whitening is available for a single darkened tooth. Enlighten is from £895; internal whitening from £595. We check your teeth first so the result is even.
Guide fee
Enlighten from £895
Course length
Two weeks of trays, then a finishing visit
Trays
Made from your iTero™ scan
With
All our clinicians
Who it is for
Enamel thins and the dentine beneath it yellows slowly over the decades. Whitening works on that inner colour, which is why it brightens teeth that brushing and polishing cannot.
A hygiene appointment removes surface stain; whitening addresses what has worked its way into the tooth. We usually suggest a clean first so the gel reaches clean enamel and the result is even.
Where a single tooth has gone dark after a knock or a root canal, the gel can be placed inside the tooth to lighten it from within. It is often the alternative to a crown or a veneer.
Whitening first means any new composite or porcelain can be matched to the brighter shade. Whitening is included in the care package with Invisalign and is often the final step of a smile makeover.
The difference
Whitening gel on a leaking filling, an exposed root or an inflamed gum is uncomfortable and uneven. We examine your teeth and scan them first, so any problem is dealt with and the result is predictable.
Your whitening trays are made from your iTero scan rather than impression putty, so they fit closely at the gum line. A close fit keeps gel on the tooth and off the gum, which is where sensitivity starts.
Enlighten is a single course in two parts: two weeks of gel in your trays at home, then a finishing session in the surgery that lifts the shade further. We chose it because the combined approach usually reaches a brighter, more even result than trays alone, including on darker starting shades.
Whitening is dentist-prescribed in the UK for good reason: the concentration, the wear time and the check-ins are set for your teeth. We review the shade with you partway through and adjust the course rather than leaving you to guess.
The process
We check your teeth and gums, record the starting shade with photographs and scan your teeth for the trays. If a clean or a filling is needed first, that is arranged before the course begins.
A few days later the trays are checked for fit and you are shown how to place the gel. Wear time is set for your teeth and for how sensitive they are, and can be adjusted as you go.
For two weeks you wear the trays as directed, usually overnight. This is the first phase of the Enlighten course. We stay in touch and check progress partway through.
The course ends with a finishing session here, where a stronger gel is applied with your gums protected. We photograph the finished shade beside the starting one and you keep the trays for top-ups.
Afterwards
Teeth can feel sensitive for a day or two after the finishing visit, and sometimes during the tray phase; a sensitivity toothpaste helps, and so does a shorter wear time. Colour settles over the first fortnight, so judge the result then rather than on the day. Keep the trays. A short top-up every year or so maintains the shade, and regular hygiene visits keep stain off the surface.
Guide fees
Guide fees. Nothing is started until your plan, with every fee written down, is in your hands. See all fees
Good to know
Enlighten whitening at Sardinia House is from £895, which covers the trays, the gel for the two weeks at home and the finishing visit. Internal whitening of a single tooth is from £595. The exact fee is written into your plan before you begin.
Some people notice short bursts of sensitivity during the tray phase or after the finishing visit. It passes once the gel is removed and does not harm the tooth. Well-fitting trays, a sensitivity toothpaste and adjusting the wear time keep it manageable.
Dentist-prescribed whitening, used as directed, does not damage enamel. The gel changes the colour inside the tooth without wearing the surface. Over-the-counter products with abrasives or acid are a different matter, which is one reason supervised whitening is the safer route.
A year or more is usual, depending on how much tea, coffee, red wine and tobacco the teeth see. Keeping your trays means a brief top-up restores the shade when it starts to drift.
No. Whitening changes natural tooth only. Crowns, veneers and fillings stay their original colour, so we plan the order carefully: whiten first, then replace or match any restorations that show.
That depends on the starting shade and the cause of the colour. Most people see a clear, natural lift rather than a stark white, and we aim for a shade that suits your face. We photograph before and after so the change is easy to see.
As a precaution we do not whiten during pregnancy or breastfeeding. The trays can be made now and the course started afterwards.
Yes. A check-up comes first so that decay, gum disease, cracks or leaking fillings are found and treated before gel is placed on the teeth, and so that the likely result can be discussed. Whitening is then provided by one of our dentists or hygiene therapists, who fit the trays, set the course and carry out the finishing visit.
Usually, yes. We choose a lower-strength gel or shorter wear times, suggest a sensitivity toothpaste for a couple of weeks beforehand and may space the sessions out. Sensitivity during a course is short-lived and does not harm the tooth, and the trays can be rested for a day or two if it becomes a nuisance.
Related treatments
Book an appointment
Book online at any time, or call and speak to someone who will remember you.
Dental Group