PEARLY WHITES

Emma King’s affectionately known as the Tooth Fairy. Here, the head of marketing and clinical training at Zoom Whitening Southern Africa and bleaching professional at OptiSmile Advanced Dentistry and Implant Centre advises on how to achieve a winning smile

- Jese-Che-Lillienfeldt

GQ: What causes discolouration?

Emma King: Any food or drink that can stain a white T-shirt can do the same to your teeth. Certain antibiotics, cancer treatments and mouthwashes can also cause discolouration. Ageing and genetics play a role, while a trauma can cause a tooth to darken gradually. Poor oral hygiene makes it easier for stains to become trapped in the surface of the tooth and eventually get drawn into it. Some fillings such as amalgam can also alter the colour of your teeth.

GQ: Say someone’s considering teeth whitening. What does it involve?

EK: A thorough checkup and clean is essential. You must prepare for bleaching if your oral hygiene isn’t up to scratch and needs to improve, or if you have sensitive or demineralised teeth, either in general or because you have braces but haven’t been cleaning your teeth properly. Put simply, while whitening merely removes surface stains without changing the colour of your teeth, professional in-chair whitening (known as bleaching) uses hydrogen peroxide to alter their colour on the inside. Oxygen molecules penetrate the tooth deeply, breaking down the bonds between the staining molecules. Your teeth reflect less light, so the colours aren’t as noticeable, which makes them appear whiter. The amount of time the gel’s in contact with your teeth is also a factor. It takes up to 15 minutes for in-chair bleaching to work, even longer if you’re using products at home. To accelerate an in-chair procedure, dentists or oral hygienists use an LED light. I use the Philips Zoom WhiteSpeed Light-Activated Whitening System, which can make teeth up to eight shades whiter in just 45 minutes to an hour.

GQ: Is it safe?