All white on the night

If you are anything like me, going to the dentist is not a regular event you relish. While on one hand enthusing manically to my son about how amazing dentists are, and how important oral hygiene is, I’m in reality reluctantly dragging myself to appointments. I’d never thought about having any sort of cosmetic dental treatment as that seemed to be a form of cruel and unnecessary punishment! That was because I hadn’t yet met Dr Rhona Eskander. Having graduated from Leeds University in 2010, she has already got a “Best Young Dentist Award” under her belt, and works from three clinics in London. She has many a celebrity on her client list, including Strictly Come Dancing’s Giovanni Pernice who she’s treating with Invisalign, a discreet teeth-straightening system that more and more people are turning to, especially adults who are becoming increasingly self-conscious in this age of ‘selfies’. As soon as I meet her I can see why, as it’s like seeing a friend who just happens to be really, really good at dental work! Approachable, knowledgeable and super-fast, there’s no time to worry about anything.

I’m lucky enough to have pretty straight teeth, but the tea, coffee and, ahem, occasional glass of red wine have taken their toll and my teeth are less pearly white than I would like. Dr Eskander champions the Philips Zoom NiteWhite system, and I gamely decided to go for it.

I went to see her in her Chelsea clinic and after a very warm welcome by the friendly staff, and a quick check to make sure my teeth were in good health (all still intact thankfully!) Dr Eskander placed a mould on my teeth, one set at a time. I was in and out of the chair in less than ten minutes, and it was then just a case of waiting for a week or so before my custom-made whitening tray arrived and I was all ready to go. I was shown how to apply the gel,  just a small amount for each tooth into the tray, and how to pop it on to wear overnight. I did wonder how comfortable it would be, but actually got used to it very quickly. I was advised to use a toothpaste designed for sensitive teeth, and warned that I might have a few tingly sensations, but I had no problems at all with sensitivity. You can wear the trays for up to two weeks, but I found that after just seven days I had noticeably whiter teeth and didn’t want to go any brighter for fear of blinding anyone who looked directly at me. Now I have the trays I can buy more of the gel anytime I feel the need for a top-up, and I’m planning on doing just that before a trip to the US this summer. Got to have an especially dazzling smile to fit in there!

Chelsea Dental Clinic
298 Fulham Road,
London SW10 9EP
T: 0207 349 8889
w: chelseadentalclinic.co.uk
e: info@chelseadentalclinic.co.uk