Hollywood White™ Teeth Whitening

 

Top Irish Model Sara Kavanagh and RTE’s The Clinic actress Leigh Arnold are certainly fans of DermaDental Hollywood White ™ Teeth Whitening Treatments.

 

 

Top Irish Model Sara Kavanagh had her teeth whitening treatment with Dr Danielle Meagher at DermaDental on Waterloo Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.

 

“I had tried a lot of whitening toothpastes and whitening strips and never noticed much of a difference. After my teeth whitening treatment with Dr Danielle my teeth are whiter than I could have possibly hoped. It was completely and utterly painless and it was actually a really relaxing experience. Dr Danielle and her team at DermaDental were so helpful, friendly and really informative”

 

 Ireland’s Top Irish Model Sara Kavanagh, Assets Agency

 

 

 

 

RTE's The Clinic Actress Leigh Arnold having Teeth Whitening at DermaDental with dentist to the stars Dr Danielle Meagher (B.Dent.Sc TCD).

 

"My teeth looked Hollywood white after Dr Danielle worked her magic on them. She is an absolute lady and was incredibly kind and gentle and made the experience as enjoyable as possible".

 

Actress Leigh Arnold from RTE's drama series The Clinic

 

Would you like Hollywood ™ White Teeth?

Sparkling white teeth used to be the preserve of the Hollywood set, or indeed our very own Irish celebrities and actors. These days, however, professional teeth whitening procedures have not only dropped in price but are also increasingly effective and more readily available. There’s a world of difference, however, between a professional dentist delivered treatment and, say, an over-the-counter bleaching kit or a whitening treatment administered by a non-dental beauty or commercial teeth whitening clinic. In this instance, the old adage ‘you get what you pay for’ is utterly apparent.

 

Recent years have seen a significant increase in the number of people wishing to brighten their smile. Turn on the TV or flick through a glossy magazine and you’ll be greeted by smile after smile of perfectly presented pearly white teeth.

 

As teeth whitening has become increasingly prevalent, people have become more conscious of the importance of an attractive smile. Perhaps not surprisingly, patients are now requesting teeth whitening treatments that are not just a shade or two lighter, but that are notably brighter and whiter than their original tooth colouring.

 

To meet this demand, DermaDental has launched what we believe to be the best teeth whitening treatment on the market. Our Hollywood White™ teeth whitening system meets the demand for Hollywood-style white teeth while providing the quality and reassurance that comes from a dentist delivered teeth whitening treatment.

 

As with any treatment, it’s vital to do your research. Prior to undergoing any teeth whitening treatment, it is advisable to consider the following:

 

1. Is it a dentist-delivered teeth whitening treatment?
2. Is the dentist registered on the Irish Dental Council?
3. If so, what is the dental council number of the dentist who is going to perform the treatment?
4. Has the dentist a copy of his or her dental degree on display in their treatment room?

 

Why have you launched the new DermaDental Hollywood White™ teeth whitening system?

 

Here at DermaDental we have successfully whitened many people’s teeth, including high profile Irish and UK celebrities. In fact, with thousands of dentist-delivered teeth whitening treatments under our belt, we have fast become the market leaders in dentist-delivered teeth whitening treatments.

 

We are delighted to say that on our journey we have learnt more than a thing or two about how best to whiten teeth. When we say ‘best’, we don’t simply mean how to get your teeth their whitest - we are talking about how to safely and effectively whiten teeth.

 

We have noticed that many Irish and Caucasian people have a yellow hue or yellow colour to their teeth which can make it difficult to lift teeth in colour. As a result, we have created DermaDental Hollywood White™, which, as with all our teeth whitening systems, is a dentist-delivered teeth whitening treatment.

 

 

There are many different commercial whitening businesses on the high street, many of which offer cut-price teeth whitening procedures. It is safe to attend one of these?

 

If these commercial whitening businesses were offering dentist-delivered teeth whitening
treatments then it might be worth considering availing of their cut price treatments. However, anyone with an interest in looking after their teeth long-term knows that you should only ever get your teeth whitened at a dental clinic and with a dentist.

 

Having undergone intensive training, Irish registered dentists are bound by strict codes of practice, which are in place to safeguard and protect their patients’ teeth and general health, as well as to ensure that the highest standards are met. These practices include, for instance, cross infection control to prevent the spread of germs by using highly sterile equipment, measures that are often not in place in commercial whitening businesses.

 

As a result, few, if any, dentists will ever operate within the confines of a commercial whitening business such as a beauty salon or non-dentist-run whitening rooms. Consequently, these commercial whitening businesses and whitening salons cannot offer dentist-delivered treatments.

 

 

Do these commercial whitening businesses have good clinical practice and good cross infection control measures?

 

It would seem difficult to understand how they would have cross infection controls in place to prevent the spread of infections when there is no dentist on the premises managing the clinical side of the business.

 

Moreover, many commercial teeth whitening businesses now claim to offer to provide a service where “a dental professional will whiten your teeth”, which gives the impression that the whitening treatment is performed by a dentist.

 

More often that not, the ‘dental professional’ carrying out the teeth whitening is most likely a dental nurse – quite possibly one that is not even registered to practice in Ireland. Irish Registered dental nurses and Irish Registered dental hygienists are highly esteemed members of the professional dental team, and, like dentists, they will not want to practice out of commercial whitening businesses that is not owned and operated by a principal dentist.

 

 

What does an Irish Registered Dentist or Dental Nurse mean?

 

It is a professional who is on the list of Registered Dentists in Ireland or Registered Dental Nurses in Ireland (please contact the Irish Dental Council (www.dentalcouncil.ie; Tel: 01-676 2069; info@dentalcouncil.ie) for a complete list of those registered on Dental Council.

 

Obviously this wonderful profession has a great mix of nationalities and the term ‘Irish Registered Dentist’ or ‘Irish Registered Nurse’ does not reflect the nationality of a dentist of dental nurse; it simply demonstrates that they are registered to practice in Ireland.

 

Not all countries have the same standards as Dentistry in Ireland, and so the Irish Dental Council assesses any persons trained outside Ireland and the UK on an individual case basis. Many persons applying from abroad will have to take extra exams and complete additional studies before they are allowed to register on The Irish Dental Council.

 

 

To be safe, how can I ensure that only an Irish Registered Dentist carries out my teeth whitening treatment?

 

Arrange for an initial consultation where you can meet with the professional who will perform the whitening treatment. You can then enquire if he/she is an Irish Registered Dentist. Be prepared, however, for a spiel about them being qualified elsewhere but not yet registered in Ireland!

 

If the dentist is not registered on the Irish Dental Council, do not let them whiten your teeth. Instead, find a clinic that provides a professional service whereby a dentist carries out all teeth whitening treatments.

 

All Irish Registered dentists have to display their degree in their surgery. If you are clever about this, you will telephone different places and ask if it is a dentist-delivered teeth whitening treatment and what is the dental council number of the dentist who is going to be performing this treatment for you. If they cannot supply you with these facts, do not even waste your time attending for a consultation or treatment.

 

If you are a walk-in patient, ask the same questions as above:
1. Is it a dentist-delivered teeth whitening treatment?
2. Is the dentist registered on the Irish Dental Council?
3. If so, what is the dental council number of the dentist who is going to perform the treatment?
4. Has the dentist a copy of his or her dental degree on display in their treatment room?

 

 

If I get side effects from attending a commercial whitening business for a non-dentistdelivered teeth whitening treatment are non-dentists (including beauticians who often perform teeth whitening) qualified to look after post treatment complications?

 

Certainly not. Only a dentist should whiten teeth and only a dentist can safely and effectively whiten your teeth.

 

Anyone who is willing to risk their teeth and their gums by having a non-dentist-delivered teeth whitening treatment is unlikely to receive much sympathy if they do run into post-treatment problems. In instances where dentistry performed abroad goes wrong, Irish dentists are loathe to become involved in cases that have the potential to get complicated or may go down a legal route due to substandard work completed by another dentist abroad.

 

 

Many commercial teeth whitening businesses have recently opened where teeth whitening treatments are performed by beauticians or non-Irish Registered nurses. Is this not worrying?

 

It certainly is. Most worrying of all is the emergence of commercial businesses offering teeth whitening procedures. These non-dental businesses are obviously under the misconception that profit margins in this area are worth pursuing, so much so they are willing to take on the associated risks caused by non-dentist delivered whitening systems.

 

Teeth Whitening is by far one of the easiest cosmetic dental treatments for a professional dentist. The key, however, is not knowing how to do it, but knowing when not to do it. As for patients attending non-dentist-run commercial teeth whitening clinics or beauty salons to have teeth whitening treatments carried out, it’s safe to say that teeth are simply not on the curriculum at beauty school just as bikini waxing is not on the curriculum at dental school!

 

Here at DermaDental we truly believe – and hope - that this trend in persons attending beauty salons or non-dentist-run and non-dentist-administered teeth whitening treatments for slightly cheaper (albeit unregulated) teeth whitening treatments will soon stop with the introduction of pending EU Law Changes.

 

The only saving grace in this ridiculous scenario is that commercial whitening clinics/beauty salons cannot get access to the same professional strength teeth whitening systems as the dentists; obviously the dental companies only issue their high strength product to Irish and UK registered Dentists.

 

To this effect, there is, thankfully, an element of damage limitation in so far as the weaker whitening product is not particularly effective at whitening teeth. The percentages of hydrogen peroxide that commercial teeth whitening businesses/beauty salons have access to is so low that there is no chance of these teeth whitening products working to anywhere near the same extent as dentist-delivered teeth whitening treatments. Needless to say, however, if this lower strength product is misplaced on gums or on other soft tissues, there is a significant risk of local burns.

 

To ensure the health and safety of clients, DermaDental, along with all professionally trained dentists, hope that the introduction of pending EU laws on teeth whitening, non-dentist-delivered teeth whitening services will fall into non-existence – and the sooner the better!

 

With every week, we find ourselves explaining to patients that they can never hope to achieve the desired shade of whitening from attending a beauty salon. The vast majority that have visited such outfits and paid hard-earned money for an inferior whitening treatment are naturally disappointed with the results and it is difficult not to feel sorry for them. However, you wouldn’t go to the dentist for a leg wax, would you? So why on earth would you go to a beauty salon for a dental treatment?

 

 

Will teeth whitening make the enamel on my teeth thinner or cause sensitivity?

 

Many of the common misconceptions about teeth whitening are, unfortunately, derived from the sub-optimum and unregulated teeth whitening systems that currently proliferate the market. These misconceptions come from unregulated teeth whitening gels and teeth whitening strips that are available online, as well as the many other forms of sub-standard tooth whitening systems that are administered by practitioners who are neither dentally qualified nor dentally trained.

 

 

DermaDental is now well established as the dental team responsible for safely and effectively whitening many Irish & UK celebs’ teeth. Is this ongoing commitment as a result of the clinical director’s obvious interest in the area of Teeth Whitening?

 

(Answered by Dr Danielle Meagher B.Dent.Sc TCD;Grad Dip Aeshetic Medicine Clinical Director of DermaDental)

 

As a student studying Dentistry at Trinity College Dublin, I became really interested in the subject of Teeth Whitening. To date, I am not sure if it was because at the time –going back a few years now - teeth whitening was somewhat of a taboo subject, and was certainly not part of the mainstream dental curriculum.

 

As a dental student in Dublin Dental Hospital, we were all familiar with the phrase ‘I have a first stage root canal treatment for a patient after lunch’ or ‘I have a set of full dentures tomorrow morning’, but never (well not in my dental school, anyway!) did anyone say anything as exotic as ‘I have a teeth whitening booked in for this afternoon’. I’m not sure if it was due to the fact that the teaching staff were somewhat elusive about the subject of teeth whitening – after all, this was over a decade ago when nobody knew much about teeth whitening, and, as always, with ignorance and lack of knowledge comes fear of the unknown.

 

Of course my natural inquisitive nature was only heightened by this lack of available information and so my interest in this cosmetic dental procedure was born.

 

Another contributing factor to my interest in the area of Teeth Whitening was as a result of a Christmas shopping trip to NYC during second year Dental Science. Somewhere between Saks and Barneys just off 5th Avenue I came across a BriteSmile Teeth Whitening clinic. I couldn’t believe how glamorous this clinic was and how patient-friendly the ambience was. Even at this very early stage of my dental career, I still had memories (and vivid ones at that) of my childhood trips to the dentist. These were not particularly fond memories: fear, horrible smells of dentine being cut without adequate water (yes us dentists don’t all have rosy memories of our own dental visits!). However these bad experiences formed the basis of my own commitment to have ‘painfree’ dental delivered teeth whitening and facial aesthetic treatments available to all.

 

As my dental student days progressed, there were advancements in dental clinics - high street chains, for example, were being launched in Ireland the UK. However nothing was as significantly influential to the DermaDental brand as the NYC BriteSmile clinic I had stumbled into nearly a decade ago. So fast forwarding to the end of dental school, and again I am happy to admit a career of dentures and first stage root canals wasn’t high on my mind. Before I had even graduated I had already purchased dental ‘dot coms’ such as lumineers.ie (I had thought lumineers might be the next big thing) and d4dental.ie. I had also started the patent process for what would ultimately become the DermaDental brand, Ireland’s first combined facial aesthetic and dental teeth whitening spa.

 

As soon as graduation was over, with the class photo completed on the steps of Trinity College, I had already committed to commuting back and forth to Harley Street in London in order to complete my training in facial aesthetics. What ensued after graduation were many ‘red-eye’ flights to Heathrow to further train in facial aesthetics.

 

Also little did I know while standing for the class photo with the Dean that advanced facial aesthetic study/G.Dips in Aesthetic Medicine etc were all on the cards for me. As I became highly trained in the field of facial aesthetics, my passion for facial aesthetics grew exponentially and my interest in drilling and filling teeth seemed to dwindle. However my interest in the area of Teeth Whitening did not in any way fade - if anything I was sure that Teeth Whitening was the icing on the cake to any anti-ageing treatments. In fact, I spent about 12 months researching the various methods to whiten teeth – there are numerous systems on the market, some good, some not so good and few excellent. Via the internet I had light activating contraptions flown in from USA and Japan. Indeed the chief test pilot for said hand held light activated devices was always me.

 

 

What different products did you try?

 

I experimented with various off-the-internet samples of whitening gel, each with varying strengths and different percentages of hydrogen peroxide. You would be surprised what you can purchase (many I am sure are black market)! I also made night trays for myself and tried to wear these clear, whitening gel-laden trays during my slumber. My colleagues keeping up to speed with my dedication and commitment to sample every type of whitening product available on the market!

 

Obviously I wouldn’t personally recommend that anyone follow this particular experimental route. However, I merely wanted to ensure that ultimately the methods of Teeth Whitening offered by DermaDental would be the optimum professional teeth whitening system that the market had to offer. The brief was simple: ultimately the brand chosen would have to satisfy optimum dental safety standards and provide beautiful aesthetic results with minimal sensitivity.

 

During the last four years as chief test pilot of the world’s teeth whitening products, I had, on more than one occasion, to write up prescriptions for minor gum and periorbital burns/product induced ulcers. I deduced that if I as a dentist could not safely use this equipment how could I expect patients to fare? In addition, I experienced horrific sensitivity due to some whitening strips that were sold to me by an affable Mancunion at a Dublin beauty show (please note I have nothing against Manchester - in fact I obtained my primary degree in Aeronautical Engineering from this great city, prior to studying Dentistry at Trinity College Dublin).

 

To date it is difficult to decide which was worse - the sensitivity from the whitening strips or the sore arm and burnt lips from the hand held light activating device from Korea. At this point I should also probably briefly discuss the clear gum shield I wore for three consecutive nights before abandoning it. It wasn’t that the night trays wouldn’t have worked, or even that they were causing sensitivity, nor that the trays weren’t sore; I simply didn’t have the patience to wait weeks for the result. I just couldn’t be bothered to wear a clear gum shield filled with bleaching agent while asleep.

 

As such, I deduced that if I couldn’t be bothered using night trays, the chances were most of my patients wouldn’t be bothered either. In fact I have been told countless tales from patients who have tried using a custom-made night guard loaded with whitening gel, for up to a week before packing it away at the back of the bathroom cabinet. Many patients, it appears, are too embarrassed to go back to their dentist and admit they had given up, possibly afraid of being reprimanded in much the same way as neglecting to floss.