Get teeth whitened professionally
Professional whitening starts with a dental check, then uses controlled peroxide treatment or dentist-made trays for suitable natural teeth.
The short answer
To whiten teeth professionally, a dentist examines your teeth and gums, identifies the type of stain, and chooses in-office peroxide treatment or custom take-home trays. Existing crowns, veneers, and fillings keep their original colour.
Which types of tooth staining can professional whitening affect?
Professional whitening removes or lightens extrinsic stains on the tooth surface and may lighten some internal discoloration through peroxide oxidation. It cannot repair decay, replace lost enamel, or change the shade of dental restorations.
What should be checked before professional tooth whitening?
Have plaque, calculus, cavities, leaking fillings, and gum inflammation assessed before bleaching. The dentist can clean surface deposits, protect the gums, match the shade, and give a measured gel or custom tray with instructions.
When should you delay professional whitening for an examination?
Book an examination before whitening if a tooth is darkening alone, painful, cracked, or recently injured. Delay cosmetic bleaching when the gums are inflamed or the teeth have untreated cavities.
What may be causing your tooth discolouration?
Ask what caused the discoloration and whether whitening can address it. Ask which teeth will change, how restorations will be handled, and what plan is available if sensitivity occurs.
Frequently asked questions
Will one treatment whiten every tooth equally?
Not necessarily. Stain type, enamel thickness, restorations, and exposed root surfaces can produce different responses.
Can whitening fix a grey tooth?
A grey tooth may have internal changes or previous trauma and needs diagnosis before bleaching; routine surface whitening may not solve it.
Who wrote this page
This library is published by Dental Nation, a licensed dental group practising in the United Arab Emirates. Pages are written and overseen by the same clinical team that treats patients in our clinics, and are held to a fixed editorial standard for safety and accuracy.
This page is patient education, not medical advice, and cannot replace an examination. Anything urgent — facial swelling, trauma, uncontrolled bleeding or severe pain — needs a dentist or emergency care now.