The latest `must have` is white teeth, they look great, healthy and Hollywood! Just like all new things the process started out expensive, but now it is so popular it is much more economical. The various ways available also make it competitive and you have a lot of choice. Let’s look at the most popular method; this involves a gel being coated onto the front of the teeth, a rubber shield is placed in the mouth to protect the gums and the client is sat back comfortably in a soft chair. The shield is made of soft rubber and is comfortable to wear; it keeps the mouth open and the teeth together. A strong, bright and intense light is then shone onto the enamel area of your teeth and this reacts with the gel. The results can be quite surprising and the process needs no pain killers as it is not intrusive on the nerves. The teeth can be a little sensitive for a few days and eating and drinking restrictions are imposed, but all in all it is a fairly good method. The technicians that do this work are not usually dentists, although a few dental students are taking up the short term course to subsidise their student allowances. It is mainly carried out in a salon and the technicians travel around with the small units to various locations and even to people’s homes. Another method that is becoming popular are home bleaching kits, bought through the net or from a chemist, they are simple to apply and much cheaper than the intense light method as no technician is needed. The kits come with the bleaching agent that is mixed when needed; and a gum shield similar to a sporting one. You have to make a mould of your teeth first, to do this you simply soften the rubber in a bowl of hot water, and then bite into it. This makes an impression in the shield. You then simply mix up the bleaching agent and pour some into the top and bottom shield. This is then placed onto the teeth and left to bleach them, it may need several repeat sessions before you reach the right shade. As with the previous method there are restrictions on eating and drinking, especially red wine. After a few days the teeth settle down again and you can then eat certain foods again, but beware to avoid the things that stained your teeth in the first place.