Ultimate Guide to Teeth Whitening in Singapore.

Home use whitening products

At the cheaper end of the scale, you can buy Crest 3D Whitestrips for as little as $12.90. These can be ordered online, or found in many stores around Singapore. However, drugstores do not stock them. These contain hydrogen peroxide and are simply strips that you press onto your teeth, leaving them in place for 30 minutes.

Crest says you need a minimum of 3 daily applications in a row, and the whiteness becomes visible after 3 weeks. This might help with the lightest of staining, but as reflected in the price, don’t expect too much.

Also, don’t use them for longer than recommended on the packaging, as studies have shown that prolonged use of peroxide-based products damages enamel. In the long run, damaged enamel can lead to more tooth discolouration, sensitivity and even pain.

There are several at-home treatments on the market, from strips to gel with an LED light to activate it. BlanX do a version of the latter for $33.90, available from Watson’s. This option is peroxide-free, making it kinder for sensitive teeth.

One of the trendiest products currently is The Beautiful – Cold Light Teeth Whitening Kit, which contains a concerning 4% hydrogen peroxide. HSA is currently working on having this product taken down by online sellers, due to the risks it poses to consumers’ health.

You will find a wide choice of at home products, priced between $13 and $60. Just be aware that some may be potentially harmful, especially if left on too long or repeated too often. And some may do very little for your stains at all.

Potential risks involved with teeth whitening

If you have any unseen cracks in your teeth, then applying peroxide at home could cause it to penetrate down to the dentin of your teeth. This is likely to cause pain, or at least heightened sensitivity.

While sensitivity is by far the most common side effect, there are other unpleasant outcomes that you could experience.

These include:

• Burns to your gums, leading to later tooth weakness and decay
• Burns or blistering to the lips, if the peroxide treatment leaks from the tray around your teeth

Vomiting and other gastrointestinal distress, due to accidental swallowing of the bleaching agent

Teeth whitening isn’t actually suitable for everybody

This is important information you miss if you buy a prohibited product straight from a retailer. You could get no benefit from the product and waste your money. Or worse, you could do permanent damage to your teeth.

Teeth whitening is most suitable for people with extrinsic tooth stains. These discolourations come from drinking coffee, red wine, and other dark things that stain your enamel. Smoking is also a common cause of extrinsic staining.

Often a routine scale and polish from your dentist will lift some of this discolouration. But if you wish to boost your whiteness for a really glowing smile, then whitening can help you further.

However, you may not be suitable for teeth whitening if you have:

• Deeply intrinsic stains deep with the teeth (usually gray or purple toned)
• Cracks or other trauma to your teeth which leaves dentin exposed
• Tooth decay or severe gingivitis
• On-going orthodontic treatment (but whitening may be appropriate after orthodontic treatment is complete)

Crowns, bridges or implants – these will not lighten with your natural teeth, and will leave you with a mismatch in shade.

Professional teeth whitening in Singapore

As mentioned above, dentists also use peroxide for teeth whitening.

The difference is that your dentist is licensed to do this. The licensing actually allows for a higher percentage of peroxide to be used, up to a maximum of 40%, giving you a much brighter, whiter result.

In the consultation before your whitening procedure, your dentist will perform an oral exam to make sure you are a suitable candidate. Your dentist wants to be sure that using peroxide on your teeth now won’t cause you pain or problems further down the track.

This is a very responsible way to approach whitening your teeth, will give you the best results, but is also the most expensive.

Prices in Singapore for chairside (in-office) teeth whitening range between $800 and $1300. This often only requires a single session.

For a take-home whitening prescription kit from your dentist, prices range between $400 and $600. This typically requires you to repeat the process for between 30 and 60 minutes per day, every day for 2 weeks.

While some patients aren’t keen on maintaining their treatment every day for two weeks, the results really speak for themselves. Dentist prescribed at-home treatments are the strongest and safest for at-home use. If you want a really noticeable improvement in whiteness, then it may be worth putting in the effort for. 

You can see what we offer at NoFrills Dental here.