Professional Teeth Whitening In Turkey

Want a brighter and more appealing smile? Then the best way to achieve it might be to make your teeth whiter. Most of us desire charming, pearly white teeth, and most people rely on drugstore teeth whitening products to remove natural yellowing or staining. Unfortunately, these products rarely work. Professional teeth whitening, on the other hand, is near-guaranteed to make your teeth whiter in a safe manner. Would professional teeth whitening suit your needs? Read below to learn more about the procedure, its possible risks, and how to pay for it.

Who Needs Professional Teeth Whitening?

Our teeth are not perfectly white, despite what toothpaste commercials tell you. Some yellowing of teeth is natural — but some people experience severe yellowing. Your teeth can stain because of what you eat or drink and because of certain lifestyle choices. In some cases, teeth can naturally be a dark yellow. Your genetics and age also play a role in how your teeth look.

Things that can cause your teeth to seriously discolour include:

• Bad dental hygiene (not brushing your teeth regularly)
• Constantly drinking beverages like coffee, tea, and red wine that can stain your teeth
• Some fruits, such as apples, which can stain your teeth as well
• Smoking tobacco (marijuana may also stain your teeth)
• Certain medications
• Genetics
• Growing older
• Damage to teeth
• Nerve damage in the roots

Good oral hygiene can prevent teeth discolouration — and if you’d like practical tips, see our guide to 5 ways to have naturally white teeth. But if your teeth have already discoloured, you can improve their appearance with professional teeth whitening. It is a simple procedure performed by a dentist that bleaches the surface of your teeth to look whiter.

Professional teeth whitening doesn’t work for everyone. For example, if nerve damage to a tooth is causing it to discolour, a whitening procedure may not help. Also, if you whiten your teeth and continue to smoke, the positive effects will not last. In the majority of cases, though, professional teeth whitening can help you gain that pearly white smile you’ve always wanted, and get rid of uneven tooth colours that spoil your smile. If you’d like to understand what’s causing your staining, our guide to the causes of tooth discolouration and whitening methods explains it in more detail.

How is Professional Teeth Whitening Different from At-Home Teeth Whitening?

When there are countless teeth whitening products you can buy at a convenience store, why pay a dentist to do it? The question is reasonable enough. The main reason is that professional teeth whitening, also known as chairside whitening, is significantly more effective.

The teeth whitening procedure is basically a bleaching procedure. The teeth whitening products at supermarkets contain hydrogen peroxide, a bleaching agent used to strip staining off teeth. Hydrogen peroxide is a highly corrosive agent — it can damage your enamel and gums if used in high concentrations. As a result, over-the-counter teeth whitening products contain very weak concentrations of hydrogen peroxide. These products won’t damage your gums, but they won’t remove much of the yellowing either.

Dentists are permitted to use higher concentrations of bleaching agents to make teeth appear much whiter, and they use special guards to protect your gums during the procedure. However, modern chairside whitening procedures often don’t involve liquid bleaching agents at all. Instead, dentists these days use a laser whitening process, which uses a type of laser to lift the stains from the teeth after applying a whitening agent. This procedure is less invasive and works more effectively. Laser tooth whitening can’t be done at home — only a dentist can perform it.

In summary, professional teeth whitening, compared to at-home whitening, is safer and more visibly effective. The procedure doesn’t take much longer either — you can have your teeth whitened in a single visit to the dentist.

The Professional Teeth Whitening Procedure

Here are the basic steps of the professional tooth whitening procedure performed at a dentist’s:

Examination and Screening

When you visit your dentist, tell them that you want your teeth professionally whitened. Before undertaking the procedure, the dentist will examine your teeth and gums. If you have a condition like gum disease or cavities, the dentist will recommend putting off the procedure until those conditions are addressed. Your dentist will also screen you for suitability. Laser teeth whitening is not recommended for pregnant women and is not typically performed on teenagers; if you are under 18, your dentist may recommend waiting until you are a bit older.

You should also have enough tooth enamel exposed to undergo the whitening procedure. If you have an uneven gum line, your teeth may not whiten evenly, resulting in an odd-looking smile. Also, if your gums have receded and exposed the roots of teeth, your dentist may not recommend bleaching — roots don’t respond to bleaching, so only parts of your teeth would be whitened.

Don’t panic if you don’t qualify for professional teeth whitening. There are other alternatives you can consider, such as dental veneers and dental lumineers. A veneer is a thin shell of porcelain that is bonded onto your teeth to change their colour and shape; lumineers are similar but much thinner, and are suitable if your teeth are particularly sensitive. It’s rare for people not to qualify for whitening — unless you are pregnant or very young, you most likely will. Once you do qualify, the dentist will move on to the next step.

Pre-Treating Your Teeth

Before the laser whitening starts, your dentist will clean your teeth. Usually a dental hygienist takes over this stage, removing any tartar and plaque to prepare the enamel fully for the whitening procedure. The hygienist will also check to make sure all your cavities are filled — there shouldn’t be any damage to the enamel that would allow the bleaching agent to enter the inside of your teeth, as this could damage sensitive tissues and nerves.

Preparing for the Procedure

The professional tooth whitening procedure is not painful. You don’t need a local anaesthetic, as you would when removing a tooth. However, in some patients the laser whitening process can cause tooth sensitivity or minor inflammation, so some dentists prescribe a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) before the procedure begins. You must inform the dentist if you are on any other prescription or over-the-counter medication before taking the NSAID, and tell them about any allergies or sensitivities as well.

The Whitening Process

Once all the steps above are complete, the tooth whitening process can begin, and it is quite quick. You will be asked to lie back in the dental chair. The dentist will use an oral guard to keep your mouth open and your teeth exposed, then place a protective barrier over your gums to prevent the laser or whitening agent from touching them. Afterwards, the dentist will apply a gel-like whitening solution onto the enamel on the front of the teeth, usually using a syringe.

The whitening agent stays on the teeth, and the dentist then uses the laser. The laser light activates the whitening agent and may cause it to foam, releasing oxygen ions that remove stains from the enamel. The laser may stay on for up to 15 minutes for the chemical process to take effect. The dentist will then turn the laser off and may allow the whitening agent to stay on your teeth for a few minutes longer.

The final stage involves removing the whitening agent. Dentists mostly use a small vacuuming device to quickly and efficiently remove the used whitening agent without damaging teeth or gums. You will then be asked to rinse your mouth, and when the dentist removes the gum guard, the procedure is over. Overall, the entire procedure typically takes between one and two hours — so it’s quick and you won’t have to wait long.

After the Treatment

Your dentist will examine your teeth one last time before you leave. You may experience elevated tooth sensitivity following the procedure; mild to moderate sensitivity is normal, but some patients report higher levels, in which case the dentist can prescribe medication. At this point, your gums should feel normal — if you feel any soreness or notice any whiteness in your gums, tell the dentist right away. Complications from professional dental whitening are very rare. The dentist will explain how to eat and protect your teeth following the procedure, and you can schedule a follow-up appointment just in case, though it may not be necessary.

Possible Risks and Complications of Professional Teeth Whitening

Professional teeth whitening is known as a largely risk-free procedure. Temporary side effects, mainly sensitivity, are common, while long-lasting or permanent complications are rare. You should be aware of the following possible side effects:

Hypersensitivity

Most patients who undergo professional teeth whitening notice increased sensitivity afterwards, which usually means your teeth are sensitive to hot or cold food and drinks. This effect should disappear a few days after the procedure. Some patients may experience very high sensitivity — for example, a slight shock-like effect when drinking a hot or cold beverage — which can be treated with medication and should also settle within a few days. You are more at risk of high dental sensitivity if you frequently whiten your teeth, so tell your dentist if you have recently used a bleaching agent. If you already have sensitive teeth, the procedure can make it worse, so discuss this with the dentist beforehand if you are at risk.

Gum Irritation

Gum irritation can occur if the whitening agent and the laser reach the gums. This shouldn’t happen if the gum guard is well placed. Some gum irritation will disappear on its own; in other cases, your dentist may prescribe medication.

Gum Inflammation

Though not common, gum inflammation or swelling can occur as a result of the procedure. This is why some dentists prescribe anti-inflammatory medication before starting.

Nerve Damage [Rare]

In rare cases, the use of a laser can result in nerve damage to teeth, which you may feel as tooth sensitivity that never goes away. Certain high-heat lasers can increase this risk. The complication is rare, but you can discuss it with the dentist before undergoing the procedure.

How Much Does Professional Teeth Whitening Cost?

Professional teeth whitening at our clinic in Antalya costs £188 per jaw with cash payment (£209 by card) for laser whitening with Philips Zoom, or £137 for a take-home whitening kit. Professional teeth cleaning, which we recommend before any whitening treatment, is £45 per jaw. Every price is all-inclusive — no hidden costs on arrival.

In the UK, the same laser whitening typically costs around £700 per jaw privately and a take-home kit around £350, so most of our UK patients save 60–70% on the same treatment. Teeth whitening is a cosmetic procedure, so the NHS does not fund it and UK patients pay privately in full — which is what makes the difference in price worth travelling for.

If your treatment plan comes to £3,250 or more, whitening can be combined with our free Turkey Teeth Package: six nights’ hotel, VIP transfers and a flight contribution of up to £200.

If you live in an area where dental care is expensive on average, you can make the procedure more affordable by travelling somewhere dental costs are lower. If costs are high no matter where you live in your country, you can consider travelling to a low-cost country for dental care. For example, patients from countries where dental care is expensive, such as Germany or the U.S., travel to countries like Turkey, where treatment costs are far lower. Turkey is one of the world’s leading dental-tourism destinations, and its clinics follow European quality and hygiene standards — so even though the price is lower, the quality of care is not. Travelling won’t be difficult either, because whitening can be performed in a day and doesn’t require a follow-up visit.

You can see current prices on our dental treatment prices page, or build your own estimate with our Turkey Teeth Cost Calculator.

Combining whitening with a wider smile makeover? Our all-inclusive Turkey teeth packages bundle your treatment, hotel, airport transfers, and VIP care into one clear price.

Why Choose Smile Dental Turkey for Your Teeth Whitening?

Always Performed by a Registered Dentist

In the UK and across Europe, teeth whitening is legally restricted to registered dental professionals — high-street kiosks and beauticians offering whitening are operating illegally and unsafely. At Smile Dental Turkey, your whitening is always carried out by a qualified, government-registered dentist after a proper examination, so it is both effective and safe.

Officially Accredited & Verified

• Turkish Dental Association (TDB) — Accredited Member: Our clinic and clinicians adhere to the highest professional and ethical standards nationally recognised in Turkey.
• Turkish Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery — Member: Reflecting our specialist surgical team.
• AACI Accredited (American Accreditation Commission International): Independent international accreditation for dental organisations, verifiable on the official AACI registry.
• ISO 9001:2015 Certified by AACI: The internationally recognised standard for quality management in healthcare.
• Official Health Tourism Certificate (Turkish Ministry of Health): The government accreditation that makes treatment at our clinic officially recognised for international patients. Many clinics operating in Turkey do not hold this certificate.
• HealthTürkiye — Government-Listed Provider: We are officially listed on the Turkish Ministry of Health’s international health-tourism platform (operated by USHAŞ). You can verify our clinic directly on the government .gov.tr portal.

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Get Your Free Assessment

Want to know whether professional whitening will work for your teeth — or whether dental veneers or lumineers would give you a better result? Start your free online dental consultation. Send us a few photos of your smile and our dentists will tell you the best, safest way to brighten it, with no obligation.