Teeth Whitening

Who is allowed to offer professional teeth whitening mainly depends on the whitening product being used and the amount of hydrogen peroxide the product contains or releases during use.

Within the Netherlands and the EU, an important distinction is made between whitening products that contain or release no more than 0.1% hydrogen peroxide and products that contain or release more than 0.1% up to a maximum of 6% hydrogen peroxide.

Teeth whitening in a salon

A beauty salon or other professional provider may offer teeth whitening treatments using products that contain or release no more than 0.1% hydrogen peroxide, provided that the products comply with the applicable cosmetic product regulations.

A formal dental qualification is not automatically required to work with products within this category. However, this does not mean that professional teeth whitening should be carried out without proper knowledge or training.

When offering professional teeth whitening, you should know:

• when a client should or should not be treated;
• how to protect the mouth and gums;
• how to use whitening gel correctly and safely;
• which application times apply to the product;
• how to deal with sensitivity or irritation;
• which teeth and restorations can and cannot change colour;
• when a client should first be referred to a dentist;
• how to work hygienically and professionally.

For this reason, we always recommend completing a professional teeth whitening course or starting with a starter kit that includes training.

What about hydrogen peroxide?

Stricter European rules apply to products that contain or release more than 0.1% and up to 6% hydrogen peroxide.

These products may only be supplied to dental practitioners. For each whitening cycle, the first use must be carried out by a dental practitioner, or under their direct supervision when an equivalent level of safety is ensured.

Products within this category may also not be used on persons under 18 years of age.

A regular beauty salon therefore cannot independently use, for example, a 6% hydrogen peroxide whitening gel as if it were an unrestricted salon whitening product.

“Peroxide-free” does not always mean 0% hydrogen peroxide

Do not only check whether the ingredient hydrogen peroxide appears literally on the packaging.

Some ingredients can release hydrogen peroxide during use. This means that the legal assessment is based on the amount of hydrogen peroxide a product contains or releases, rather than simply on marketing terms such as “peroxide-free”.

This is an important distinction when selecting professional whitening products.

How does X-treme Smile handle this?

X-treme Smile distinguishes between our regular professional whitening products and products that are subject to additional legal requirements.

For access to whitening products containing higher levels of hydrogen peroxide, we request the required professional information within the EU. For customers in the Netherlands, we verify the relevant BIG registration. For professional customers elsewhere in the EU, proof may be requested that the purchaser is authorised to practise as a dentist.

For our other professional whitening products, knowledge and correct application remain important. If you do not yet have experience with professional teeth whitening, you can start with a training course or starter kit including training.

Always check the regulations in your own country

European cosmetic legislation sets important requirements for hydrogen peroxide in tooth whitening products, but additional rules regarding who may professionally perform a teeth whitening treatment can vary by country.

If you work outside the Netherlands, always check the current legislation and professional requirements in your own country before offering professional teeth whitening.

To start offering professional teeth whitening, you obviously need good teeth whitening products, but the most important thing is proper training.

Simply owning whitening gel, a whitening lamp and cheek retractors does not make you a professional teeth whitening technician. You need enough knowledge to assess whether a treatment can be carried out properly and safely, when you should adapt the treatment and when you need to say: no, I am not going to treat this client.

That knowledge is at least as important as the products you work with.

Start with knowledge, not products

A good professional course teaches you much more than how to apply whitening gel. You should learn, among other things:

• how teeth are structured and what causes discolouration;
• which types of discolouration are likely to respond to whitening and which are not;
• how to assess whether a client is suitable for treatment;
• which contraindications are important;
• when a treatment should be adapted;
• when it is better not to treat;
• when a client should first be referred to a dentist;
• how to work safely and hygienically;
• how to use different whitening products correctly;
• how to work correctly with a whitening lamp;
• how to explain realistic expectations to the client;
• how to assess the result professionally.

A satisfied client does not start with the strongest whitening gel. It starts with a professional who understands what they are doing and why.

Which products do you need?

For professional X-treme Smile teeth whitening treatments, you will generally need:

• suitable professional whitening gel;
• a professional teeth whitening lamp;
• cheek retractors;
• application materials and microbrushes;
• gel cups;
• gloves;
• disposable and hygiene materials;
• a professional whitening shade guide;
• client consultation forms;
• clear aftercare information.

The exact whitening gel and additional materials depend on the treatment and protocol you are using.

At X-treme Smile, you always use a whitening lamp

A whitening lamp is a standard part of our professional teeth whitening protocol.

The whitening lamp is designed to illuminate the visible teeth evenly during treatment. It is therefore important to use a professional lamp intended for teeth whitening and to position it correctly at the appropriate distance from the client.

A whitening lamp is very different from a curing light used for tooth gems. A tooth gem curing light concentrates light onto a very small area, whereas a teeth whitening lamp is designed to spread light evenly across a larger part of the teeth.

We explain the different whitening lamps and how to choose the right one in a separate FAQ.

Use a dedicated whitening shade guide

For professional teeth whitening, use a dedicated whitening shade guide that makes the before-and-after difference easy for both you and your client to understand.

We do not use the standard dental A, B, C and D shade system for this purpose. Those shades are commonly used in dentistry for matching tooth colour for restorations and are less intuitive for clients during a whitening treatment.

A whitening shade guide runs clearly from darker to lighter shades. This makes it easy to record the starting shade before treatment and show the client how many shade steps have been achieved afterwards.

We also recommend taking before-and-after photographs under lighting conditions that are as similar as possible.

Do I always need gum protection?

No. This depends on the whitening product you use.

With the cosmetic whitening products used in salons, a separate gingival barrier is normally not required when the product is used correctly according to its protocol.

If you are an appropriately authorised professional working with hydrogen peroxide whitening products for which gingival protection is required, the gums must be protected carefully.

Gum protection is therefore not automatically part of every cosmetic teeth whitening treatment.

Can anyone simply buy the products separately?

No. At X-treme Smile, we believe professional whitening products and equipment should be used by someone with sufficient knowledge to work responsibly.

Are you a dentist?
You can purchase a professional whitening lamp and the relevant products without first completing an X-treme Smile teeth whitening course.

Have you already completed a relevant professional teeth whitening course?
After we review your training or certificate, you can purchase the products and equipment you need separately.

Have you not completed relevant training yet?
You start with an X-treme Smile starter kit including training.

The course is intentionally included with our starter kits.

Why is training so important to us?

Because teeth whitening is not simply a matter of applying gel, switching on a lamp and waiting.

During treatment, you need to be able to make professional decisions:

Can I treat this client?
Is this type of discolouration suitable for cosmetic whitening?
Should I adapt the treatment?
Should I stop?
Should this client see a dentist first?

You also need to be able to explain why one client may achieve a dramatic result while another sees a smaller change.

Without this knowledge, there is a greater risk of unrealistic expectations, incorrectly performed treatments and ultimately dissatisfied clients.

A good starter kit is more than a box of products

At X-treme Smile, we do not see a starter kit as simply a collection of teeth whitening products.

You receive the equipment and materials needed to start, but more importantly, you gain the knowledge required to use them correctly.

The aim is for you to understand which treatment you are providing, why you make certain decisions and when you should decide not to treat at all.

That creates the foundation for safe, professional treatments and satisfied clients who return with confidence.

There are many different teeth whitening gels, and the difference certainly is not just the percentage shown on the packaging. The active ingredient, concentration, pH value, formulation, viscosity and treatment protocol all determine how a whitening gel performs.

A higher percentage is therefore not automatically better, and one whitening gel will not necessarily be the best choice for every client.

At X-treme Smile, we also make a clear distinction between cosmetic whitening gels for professional salons and whitening gels intended specifically for dental practices.

Which whitening gels does X-treme Smile offer?

For professional cosmetic teeth whitening, we mainly work with two different gels:

X-treme Smile Pink Whitening Gel
This gel is based on sodium percarbonate and has a thicker consistency. This makes it easy to keep the gel in the desired position, and many professionals find it pleasant and controlled to apply.

X-treme Smile Booster
Booster is based on PAP and has a thinner consistency. It therefore spreads differently over the teeth. Some professionals simply prefer working with a thinner whitening gel.

For dental practices, we also offer professional whitening products such as:

Beyond Solo
A professional whitening product intended for use in dental practices.

Beyond MAX5
A professional whitening system specifically intended for dental use.

These products belong to a different category from our cosmetic Pink and Booster gels and are therefore not offered as regular salon products. Additional legal requirements apply within the EU to hydrogen peroxide-based whitening products.

Different active ingredients

Whitening gels can contain different active ingredients. An important distinction is between hydrogen peroxide-based whitening gels and cosmetic whitening products that use other active ingredients.

Hydrogen peroxide is a strong oxidising agent that can break down colour molecules within the tooth. Strict legal limits apply within the EU. Products that contain or release more than 0.1% and up to 6% hydrogen peroxide are not intended for unrestricted independent use by cosmetic salons.

For this reason, professional products such as Beyond Solo and Beyond MAX5 are intended for dental practices and are kept separate from our cosmetic range.

For cosmetic treatments, we offer products such as Pink with sodium percarbonate and Booster with PAP.

Even within cosmetic whitening gels, formulation, handling and results can differ considerably.

Pink or Booster: which one works better?

We cannot always predict this in advance.

In practice, we regularly see that Pink appears to work better for one client, while Booster may produce more visible change for another. We cannot identify one specific tooth type or type of discolouration for which we can say with certainty that one of the two will always perform better.

That is why many of our customers work with both gels.

A commonly used approach is to assess the response after one or two treatment rounds. If the result is less noticeable than expected, the professional may switch from Pink to Booster or vice versa.

In practice, we often see that this works well. It is not a guarantee of a specific number of shades, but it gives you an additional option when the teeth respond less strongly to the first gel.

Sometimes it simply comes down to personal preference

The choice between Pink and Booster is not always about the whitening result.

Some professionals prefer a thicker whitening gel because it stays very controlled on the teeth. Others prefer a thinner gel because they find it easier or more comfortable to spread.

It is therefore useful to gain experience with both consistencies and discover which suits your working style best.

A higher percentage does not automatically mean a better result

This is a common misconception.

The final whitening result is influenced by factors such as:

• the original tooth shade;
• the type of discolouration;
• the active ingredients in the gel;
• the concentration;
• the pH value;
• the complete formulation;
• the amount of gel used;
• treatment time;
• the number of treatment rounds;
• how the whitening lamp is used;
• the individual response of the teeth.

A stronger whitening gel can therefore never guarantee that a client will automatically become more shades lighter.

Some types of discolouration respond better than others

Not all tooth discolouration develops in the same way.

Staining from coffee, tea, red wine or smoking may respond differently from colour changes that are located deeper within the tooth.

The natural colour of dentine and enamel also varies from person to person. Some teeth respond quickly to whitening and become visibly lighter, while other clients show a much smaller change.

It is therefore important to discuss realistic expectations with the client before treatment.

A properly trained professional also understands that a limited result does not automatically mean that you should use a stronger product, treat for longer or perform more rounds.

pH and the complete formulation also matter

The pH value of a whitening gel influences how the product behaves during treatment.

That is why the active ingredient or percentage on the label alone does not tell you everything about a whitening gel.

A professionally developed product is a complete formulation in which active ingredients, stabilisers, thickening agents, pH and other components are designed to work together.

So do not compare whitening gels simply by thinking:

“This one has a higher percentage, so it must be better.”

Teeth whitening is not that simple.

Viscosity also makes a difference when working

The thickness of the gel affects how it handles.

A thinner gel spreads easily but may also move more readily across the tooth surface. A thicker gel tends to remain more easily in a specific position.

This is clearly reflected in our two cosmetic gels:

Pink → thicker
Booster → thinner

Both can be pleasant to work with; preference differs from one professional to another.

At X-treme Smile, whitening gel is always used with a whitening lamp

Within our professional treatment protocols, whitening gel is always combined with a professional teeth whitening lamp.

The whitening gel, treatment time, treatment rounds, amount of product and position of the lamp all form part of one treatment protocol.

Using more gel, treating for longer or randomly positioning the whitening lamp closer to the teeth does not automatically improve the result.

Always follow the protocol that belongs to the gel you are using.

Which whitening gel should I choose for my client?

This is where training and professional knowledge become important.

You do not simply choose:

“This gel is stronger, so I’ll use that one.”

You assess the client, starting shade, type of discolouration, previous whitening experience, possible sensitivity and the result that is realistically achievable.

During the treatment, you then assess how the teeth respond. With cosmetic treatments, it can sometimes be useful to alternate Pink and Booster after one or two rounds if the result is lagging behind.

But sometimes the correct professional decision is not to intensify the treatment further. And in some situations, the right decision is not to treat at all and to advise the client to see a dentist first.

Cosmetic whitening gel versus products for dental practices

At X-treme Smile, we deliberately keep this distinction clear.

For professional cosmetic treatments:

• X-treme Smile Pink – sodium percarbonate, thicker gel
• X-treme Smile Booster – PAP, thinner gel

For dental practices:

• Beyond Solo
• Beyond MAX5

Stricter regulations apply within the EU to hydrogen peroxide-containing whitening products. The amount of hydrogen peroxide a product contains or releases during use is what determines the applicable category.

Never choose a whitening gel simply because it is available online, because a competitor uses it or because a high percentage is printed on the packaging.

So which whitening gel is the best?

There is no single whitening gel that automatically delivers the best result for every client.

A good professional whitening treatment is based on the combination of:

suitable whitening gel → correct amount → correct treatment time → correct whitening lamp → correct protocol → good client selection → professional knowledge → realistic expectations

That is why X-treme Smile offers several whitening options.

For cosmetic treatments, many of our customers work with both Pink and Booster, allowing them to assess how the teeth respond and switch gels when appropriate.

For dental practices, we offer separate professional options with Beyond Solo and Beyond MAX5.

During our training, you therefore learn not only how to apply whitening gel, but more importantly how to assess the result, when to adapt the treatment and when to decide that further treatment is not the right choice.

How long whitening gel lasts and how you should store teeth whitening gel depends on the product and its formulation. The active ingredients and the complete formula determine the storage conditions and whether a fixed expiry date is required.

As a general rule for cosmetic products, we recommend storing them cool, dark and protected from direct sunlight. This helps preserve product quality as well as possible. This is especially important during summer, when temperatures in a salon or treatment area can rise considerably.

For products that contain or release hydrogen peroxide, temperature control is even more important. Especially with higher peroxide concentrations, the stated storage temperature should be followed carefully.

At X-treme Smile, we offer different formulations, including Pink Whitening Gel based on sodium percarbonate, Booster based on PAP, and professional Beyond products for dental practices. These products do not automatically have the same shelf-life labelling or storage requirements.

Not every whitening gel needs a fixed expiry date

For cosmetic products, a fixed minimum durability date is not required when it has been demonstrated that the product has a minimum durability of more than 30 months.

This applies to the X-treme Smile Booster. That is why there is no fixed best-before or expiry date printed on the product.

The Booster does, however, carry a PAO symbol — Period After Opening — of 6M.

6M means that the Booster should be used within 6 months after first opening, provided it is used and stored correctly.

It is practical to write the opening date directly on the packaging when you first open a new Booster.

Booster is also very practical from a purchasing perspective

This is an important advantage for salons.

Because an unopened Booster is not tied to a short fixed expiry date, you can keep stock more easily without constantly worrying that unopened products will soon have to be written off simply because a best-before date has passed.

This is particularly convenient if you:

• like to keep extra stock available;
• have months with more or fewer whitening treatments;
• want to keep both Pink and Booster in stock;
• prefer to order larger quantities at once;
• experience seasonal peaks in treatments.

Once the Booster has been opened, the 6-month PAO period applies.

No fixed expiry date does not mean the product can be stored indefinitely in heat or direct sunlight. Booster should still be stored cool and dark to help maintain product quality.

Cool and dark storage is our general recommendation

For all cosmetic whitening products, we recommend storing them as cool and dark as reasonably possible.

A cupboard, drawer or other protected storage area is preferable to a windowsill or exposed work surface.

This deserves extra attention during warmer months.

Do not leave whitening products for long periods:

• on a sunny windowsill;
• on a work surface in direct sunlight;
• near a radiator or other heat source;
• inside a hot car;
• in an excessively warm storage area;
• unprotected in the sun during a festival or event.

If you provide teeth whitening treatments on location, make sure you also have a suitable place to keep your gels cool and protected from light throughout the working day.

Temperature is especially important with hydrogen peroxide

Correct storage is particularly important for whitening products that contain or release hydrogen peroxide.

Heat can accelerate the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. The storage temperature stated on the product label should therefore be followed carefully.

The more peroxide-sensitive the formulation, the less suitable it is to expose the product to high temperatures for extended periods.

Our Beyond Solo and Beyond MAX5, intended for dental practices, should therefore always be stored exactly according to their product-specific temperature and storage instructions.

Close whitening gel immediately after use

Keep packaging open for as little time as possible.

Take out only what you need for the treatment and close the product properly immediately afterwards. This helps reduce unnecessary exposure to air, moisture, light and contamination.

Do not allow used microbrushes, applicators or other materials to touch the opening or contents of the packaging.

Always use clean or disposable application materials for each client.

Pink, Booster and Beyond have different properties

X-treme Smile Pink Whitening Gel
Pink is based on sodium percarbonate and has a thicker consistency. Store it preferably cool and dark and follow the shelf-life and storage information on the packaging.

X-treme Smile Booster
Booster is based on PAP and has a thinner consistency. It does not require a fixed minimum durability date. Once opened, the PAO is 6 months (6M). Store Booster cool, dark and properly closed.

Because unopened Booster is not tied to a short fixed best-before date, it is particularly convenient to keep in stock from a purchasing perspective.

Beyond Solo and Beyond MAX5
These are professional whitening products for dental practices. Correct temperature control is particularly important for peroxide-containing products. Always follow the specific storage and temperature instructions provided for the product.

Does whitening gel need to be refrigerated?

Cool storage does not automatically mean refrigeration.

Store a product in the refrigerator only when this is recommended for that specific whitening gel or when the stated storage temperature requires it.

If refrigeration is not required, a cool, dark and stable storage area is usually the appropriate choice.

Do not experiment with freezing products either. Always follow the manufacturer’s stated temperature range.

Avoid major temperature fluctuations

In addition to excessive heat, repeated large temperature changes should also be avoided.

Store whitening products as consistently as possible under stable conditions. Repeatedly moving products between very cold and very warm environments is not ideal.

The storage temperature shown on the packaging always takes priority.

What if whitening gel has become too warm?

If a product has been exposed for a prolonged period to high temperatures, direct sunlight or conditions outside its recommended storage range, you cannot automatically assume that its quality and performance are unchanged.

This can be true even when the gel still looks normal.

The effect depends on factors such as:

temperature → duration of exposure → active ingredient → formulation → packaging

If you are unsure about a professional product that has been stored incorrectly, do not simply use it for a treatment.

Good stock management is part of professional teeth whitening

Regularly check:

product → packaging → any expiry date → PAO → temperature → storage location → product condition

For Booster, the system is simple:

unopened → no fixed minimum durability date
opened → use within 6 months (PAO 6M)

For all products, our practical rule remains:

store whitening gel as cool, dark and properly closed as possible.

Especially during hot summer months and with peroxide-containing products, correct storage can make an important difference in maintaining product quality.

Yes. After your training, you can reorder products from your starter kit without having to purchase a complete starter kit again. You can choose between individual products and larger packs, or our convenient hygienic single-client treatment kits.

The starter kit is designed to give you both the products and the knowledge you need to start offering professional teeth whitening treatments. Once you are working with clients, you can simply replenish your stock in the way that best suits the number of treatments you perform.

Reordering individual products

Many products from our starter kits are available separately. You therefore do not need to purchase a complete kit every time your whitening gel or disposables run out.

Depending on your requirements, you can reorder individual products and consumables such as:

• X-treme Smile Pink Whitening Gel;
• X-treme Smile Booster;
• cheek retractors;
• pre-treatment products;
• microbrushes and applicators;
• gel cups;
• toothbrushes;
• patient towels and other disposables;
• hygiene products;
• vitamin E products for the lips;
• professional teeth whitening shade guides;
• whitening lamps and available accessories.

Our range and the contents of starter kits may change over time. You therefore do not have to continue ordering exactly the same combination of products that you originally started with.

Hygienic single-client kits: everything for one treatment

If you do not want to gather all the consumables separately, we also offer complete hygienic single-client treatment kits.

Each kit contains everything you need for the treatment of one client:

• whitening gel;
• application brush;
• patient towel;
• pre-treatment spray;
• toothbrush;
• cheek retractor;
• vitamin E lip stick.

The amount of whitening gel in each kit is sufficient for approximately 4 to 5 treatment rounds for one client, depending on how much gel you use during each round.

So this is not a kit for four or five different clients. It is a hygienic treatment pack for one person, containing enough whitening gel for several rounds during that treatment.

Available with Pink or Booster

Our single-client treatment kits are available in two versions:

Pink Treatment Kit
Contains X-treme Smile Pink Whitening Gel based on sodium percarbonate. Pink has a thicker consistency.

Booster Treatment Kit
Contains X-treme Smile Booster based on PAP. Booster has a thinner consistency.

This allows you to choose which gel you prefer to start with, or to keep both versions in stock.

Because we see in practice that teeth do not respond exactly the same way for every client, many professionals work with both Pink and Booster.

Why are the single-client kits so convenient?

These kits are particularly useful from both a hygiene and practical point of view.

For every new client, you have a complete treatment pack ready and do not need to collect all the individual consumables before each appointment.

They also make stock management easier: one planned client means one treatment kit.

The kits are particularly convenient for professionals who:

• work on location;
• provide treatments at events or festivals;
• prefer to keep less loose stock;
• want every treatment prepared in advance;
• work with several employees in one salon;
• want a simple overview of the consumable cost per treatment.

You also know that the main disposable items for that specific client are already packed together.

Larger packs or single-client kits?

That mainly depends on how you prefer to work.

If you treat many clients and prefer working from larger packs, it may be more practical to purchase whitening gel and disposables separately.

If you prefer maximum convenience and want a complete set ready for every client, the single-client treatment kits are an excellent option.

You can of course also combine both systems. Some professionals use individual products in the salon and take single-client kits with them when working on location.

Pink and Booster can also be ordered separately

In addition to the complete treatment kits, Pink and Booster are also available separately.

You are therefore not required to use a single-client kit for every treatment. The kits are simply an additional hygienic and convenient option within our range.

After your training, you can choose the purchasing method that best suits your business, treatment volume and working method.

Beyond works differently

A different system applies to Beyond Solo and Beyond MAX5.

These professional whitening products are specifically intended for dental practices, and it is not possible to purchase the individual components or products separately in the same way as Pink and Booster.

Beyond must therefore be purchased as the designated professional system or product.

This distinction is important: our individual products and single-client treatment kits apply to our cosmetic X-treme Smile treatment range, including Pink and Booster, and not to Beyond.

You do not need to purchase your training again

Consumable products run out, but your training does not.

If you completed your training with X-treme Smile and are registered with us as a professional, you can continue ordering the products that are suitable for your work.

If you completed relevant training elsewhere, we may ask for a certificate or other proof of training when you apply for professional access.

Why don’t we sell all professional products to everyone?

Ordering whitening gel is easy. Knowing when, why and how to use it professionally requires knowledge.

That is why we consider good training at least as important as the products themselves.

During professional training, you learn much more than simply how to apply whitening gel, including:

client selection → contraindications → assessing tooth shade → product choice → treatment protocol → using the whitening lamp → assessing results → adapting the treatment → aftercare

Sometimes the correct professional decision is also to modify or stop a treatment, or not to perform it at all and advise the client to see a dentist first.

Build your own stock

Once you have started working, you can adapt your stock completely to your own practice.

One professional may perform only a few whitening treatments per month, while another salon may treat several clients every day. The ideal stock level is therefore different for everyone.

You can choose between:

individual Pink or Booster + disposables
or
complete single-client kits with Pink or Booster
or
a combination of both.

This allows you to purchase only what suits your own way of working.

In short

Yes, you can reorder products from your starter kit.

For our cosmetic whitening treatments, you can order individual products, but we also offer complete hygienic single-client treatment kits with either Pink or Booster.

Each single-client kit contains whitening gel, an application brush, patient towel, pre-treatment spray, toothbrush, cheek retractor and vitamin E lip stick. The amount of gel is sufficient for approximately 4 to 5 treatment rounds for one client, depending on how much product you use.

For Beyond Solo and Beyond MAX5, the individual products cannot be purchased separately.

After your training, you can therefore choose between individual stock, complete treatment kits or a combination of both.

Within X-treme Smile’s professional treatment protocols, we always use a teeth whitening lamp. The whitening gel, treatment time, number of rounds and correct lamp position together form one complete treatment protocol.

Which whitening lamp is the best choice for you depends on more than technical specifications. Budget, working method, treatment volume, mobility, available space and personal preference all matter.

A new salon has different needs from a busy dental practice. Someone who works mobile or regularly attends events and ladies’ nights will also look for different features than a salon where the whitening lamp stays in one fixed treatment room.

There is therefore no single whitening lamp that is automatically the best choice for everyone.

LED teeth whitening lamps

Almost all of our regular professional whitening lamps use LED technology.

A reliable, good-quality LED whitening lamp is often exactly what you need for professional cosmetic teeth whitening. The technology is efficient, practical and suitable for illuminating the visible teeth evenly during treatment.

You therefore certainly do not need to choose the most expensive lamp in order to work professionally.

Wattage does not tell you how much useful light a lamp produces

A common misunderstanding is that a higher wattage automatically means that a whitening lamp produces more light or gives a better result.

That is not correct.

Wattage tells you how much electrical power a device uses. On its own, it does not tell you how much useful light actually reaches the teeth.

An efficient LED lamp can produce a strong light output with relatively low energy consumption, while another device with a higher wattage may convert a larger proportion of its energy into heat.

When comparing whitening lamps, it is therefore more useful to look at factors such as:

• actual light output;
• light technology and wavelength range;
• distribution of light across the teeth;
• size and shape of the lamp head;
• positioning and adjustability;
• build quality and reliability;
• ease of use;
• suitability for your treatment protocol.

More watts does not automatically mean a better whitening lamp.

And then there is the BEYOND Polus

The BEYOND Polus Advanced Ultra is our absolute high-end whitening lamp and is technically more advanced than our regular LED whitening lamps.

Where our standard models mainly use LED technology, the Polus combines LED, filtered halogen light and ultrasonic technology. It also offers more advanced controls, positioning options and professional functions.

In short:

Regular professional whitening lamp
LED technology, practical, professional and more than sufficient for many salons.

BEYOND Polus Advanced Ultra
A high-end system combining several light technologies, ultrasonic technology and additional professional features.

The Polus can therefore do more technically, but that does not automatically mean every professional needs those extra capabilities.

Think of whitening lamps like cars

A good comparison is with cars.

You can get perfectly well from A to B in a simple car. You can also do it in a Ferrari.

Although many of us might quite like the Ferrari, we do not actually need one to reach our destination.

The main difference is how you get from A to B.

How comfortably do you travel from A to B?
With a whitening lamp, think about ease of use, stability, adjustability, controls and how pleasant the equipment is to work with every day.

How quickly and efficiently do you get from A to B?
More advanced equipment can offer different technical possibilities and may be used differently or more efficiently within the treatment protocol for which it was designed. This does not mean that a more expensive lamp automatically whitens every client faster or by more shades; the complete treatment protocol remains decisive.

How often can you travel from A to B?
Here you look at build quality, workload, professional use and lifespan. Equipment designed for intensive daily use may differ from a simpler model in this respect.

Which extra features do you have along the way?
A high-end lamp may offer additional settings, positioning options and technologies that a simpler model does not have.

Within our range, you can therefore choose the equivalent of a small city car, a reliable mid-range model, something from the higher segment, or the absolute top end.

They can all get you from A to B. Which one suits you best mainly depends on your needs, budget and way of working.

Which whitening lamp suits your business?

A new salon does not need to spend a large part of its start-up budget on the most expensive equipment if a more affordable professional whitening lamp is perfectly suited to the work.

If you work mobile or on location, weight, size and easy transport become important.

If you regularly work at events or ladies’ nights, a compact lamp that is quick to set up and pack away may be ideal.

If you always work from one fixed treatment room, you can focus more on stability, comfort, appearance and additional features.

If you run a dental practice or perform many treatments every day, a more advanced high-end system may become more interesting.

Sometimes you simply love a particular lamp

That can count too.

A whitening lamp is often very visible in a salon or practice. You may work with it every day for years, and your clients will see the equipment as well.

If two models are both technically suitable and you simply fall in love with one of them, we think that is a perfectly valid factor to consider.

Design, appearance and enjoyment of your equipment can also be part of the decision.

The most expensive whitening lamp does not automatically give the best result

The result of a whitening treatment is never determined by the lamp alone.

It is the combination of:

starting shade → type of discolouration → whitening gel → amount of gel → treatment time → number of rounds → lamp → light distribution → position → distance → individual response of the teeth

A high-end lamp may offer more technology, comfort and possibilities, but it cannot guarantee that every client will automatically become more shades lighter.

At the same time, choosing a more affordable professional LED whitening lamp certainly does not mean that you cannot achieve excellent results.

Which whitening lamp should I choose?

Ask yourself:

• What is my budget?
• Am I just starting out or do I treat several clients every day?
• Do I work from one fixed location or mobile?
• Do I regularly attend events or ladies’ nights?
• How many treatments do I expect to perform?
• How much space do I have?
• Do I run a cosmetic salon or a dental practice?
• How important are weight and transport?
• Do I mainly want something practical or something high-end?
• Which extra features will I actually use?
• And which lamp do I simply like the most?

This gives you a much better idea of the right lamp than comparing only wattage, number of LEDs or other isolated specifications.

Personal advice on choosing your whitening lamp

We understand that choosing between different whitening lamps can be difficult.

Feel free to call X-treme Smile if you are unsure.

We do not automatically try to sell you the most expensive whitening lamp. We would rather help you find the lamp that fits your business technically, practically and financially.

Yes. At X-treme Smile, we believe that good support after training is an important part of professional education. That is why our former students can continue to contact us with professional questions that arise once they start working in practice.

Our support does not stop the moment you receive your certificate. In fact, it is often when you start working independently that new situations and questions come up and it is reassuring to be able to discuss them with someone who understands the profession.

Support from professionals with relevant experience

Within X-treme Smile, different dental backgrounds and many years of practical experience are represented, including:

• dental assisting;
• dental hygiene;
• dental technology;
• professional teeth whitening;
• Tooth Gems and bonding techniques;
• cosmetic treatments and product knowledge.

This allows us to look at questions from different professional perspectives.

Our students are therefore not simply given answers found on Google, Wikipedia or social media. They can rely on professionals with relevant backgrounds and extensive practical experience.

We consider this important, because real-life situations do not always fit neatly into a course manual.

You can still contact us after your training

If you completed a course with X-treme Smile, you can continue to contact us afterwards with professional questions that come up while you are working.

Depending on the course, these may include questions about:

• treatment protocols and the correct sequence;
• products and materials;
• dosage, application times or curing times;
• equipment and correct use;
• bonding and placement of Tooth Gems;
• whitening gels and whitening lamps;
• cosmetic polishing and the materials used;
• hygiene and preparation;
• client selection;
• aftercare;
• situations in which you are unsure whether treatment is advisable.

We will always try to think along with you in a practical way, based on our professional background and practical experience.

Professionals trained elsewhere are also welcome

We regularly receive questions from professionals who completed their training with another provider. Of course, you are still very welcome as a customer at X-treme Smile.

Everyone makes their own choice when selecting a course. Price, location, trust, course format, availability or the options available at the time may all play a role.

Sometimes it is only once you start working with real clients that you realise you would like more knowledge about certain subjects or that some practical situations were not covered in detail during your original training.

If you purchased products or equipment from X-treme Smile, we are always happy to help with normal questions about those products, regardless of where you completed your training.

Product service and professional guidance are not the same

There is a difference between product support and extensive personal professional guidance.

Questions such as:

“How should I store this product?”
“How do I use this lamp?”
“What curing time applies to this product?”

are part of normal product support.

But if someone asks:

“Can you review my entire treatment with me and explain step by step what I should do with this client?”

then the question goes beyond product support. That becomes professional guidance and is effectively part of training and aftercare.

Extensive guidance takes time and professional expertise. This support is part of the training in which our own students have invested.

For that reason, we cannot provide unlimited free training or fill in missing course knowledge for professionals who trained elsewhere. We simply make a fair distinction between support for our products and personal professional guidance.

Aftercare is part of our training

For our own students, this continued support is an important part of the course.

At X-treme Smile, you are not simply buying access to a course and a certificate. You also gain access to the knowledge and practical experience behind our training programmes.

Many of the most important questions only arise once you:

start working independently → treat different clients → encounter different situations → learn to work with products → gain more practical experience

That is exactly when it is valuable to know that you can rely on a team that understands the profession.

Why is this so important to us?

You can learn a great deal during a course, but practical experience develops once you begin carrying out treatments yourself.

A good course should therefore teach you not only what to do, but also why you do it, how to make professional decisions and when it may be better not to carry out a treatment.

Our different professional backgrounds and years of experience allow us to support students from a broad practical perspective.

This means you do not have to search Google, forums or social media for every practical question and then hope the information you find is reliable.

Do you feel you are still missing knowledge after training elsewhere?

That can happen. Some questions only arise once you start working in practice.

If you regularly find yourself unsure about your protocol, product use, technique, client selection or particular treatment situations, it may be more useful to strengthen your knowledge properly than to keep searching for individual answers online.

You can then choose to follow the relevant X-treme Smile course or additional training. This allows you to learn our complete working method and also gives you access to the professional aftercare we provide to our own students.

Sometimes a photo or video helps us understand the situation

When one of our students has a question, it can sometimes be useful to send a clear photo or short video.

Please include, where relevant:

• which treatment you are carrying out;
• which products and materials you are using;
• which equipment you are using;
• what you have done so far;
• at which step you are experiencing a problem;
• what you are unsure about.

The more complete the information, the better we can understand the situation and provide useful guidance.

A photo or video can never replace a dental examination or diagnosis. If a situation falls outside the cosmetic scope of practice or requires dental assessment, we recommend not continuing the treatment and referring the client to a dentist first.

Help with products and equipment

Our product support is, of course, available to all customers.

You can contact us with questions about:

• whitening products;
• Tooth Gem bonding products;
• cosmetic polishing materials;
• whitening lamps and curing lights;
• treatment kits and disposables;
• storage and shelf life;
• use and maintenance of equipment;
• repeat orders;
• product specifications.

We always try to offer practical advice based on what you actually need.

In short

Yes. X-treme Smile continues to support students after they have completed their training with us.

You can contact us with practical and professional questions and rely on the knowledge and experience within our team.

If you trained elsewhere, you are of course also welcome as a customer and we are happy to help with normal questions about our products and equipment. Extensive personal guidance or filling gaps in previous training, however, is part of our own training and aftercare.

At X-treme Smile, you do not only learn how to carry out a treatment — you also know that after your training, there is a professional team you can turn to.

Sometimes teeth are not getting whiter or the result is smaller than expected. That does not automatically mean there is something wrong with the whitening gel, the whitening lamp or the treatment itself.

Besides a good gel, a suitable whitening lamp and a correct treatment protocol, we need one more very important thing:

discolouration!

The more bleach-responsive discolouration that is actually present in the teeth, the greater the visible difference may be.

Think of a bottle of cola

Imagine a bottle that can hold one litre of cola.

If it contains one litre, you can take one litre out.
If it only contains half a litre, you can never take a full litre out.
And if the bottle is almost empty, there is very little left to remove.

Teeth whitening works in a similar way: you can only affect discolouration that is actually present.

In simple terms, teeth whitening works by chemically changing or breaking down colour molecules associated with discolouration, making the teeth appear lighter.

The difference with the cola bottle is that we cannot look inside a tooth. We therefore cannot see in advance exactly how much bleach-responsive discolouration is present.

That is why you can never reliably promise that a client will become exactly five, eight or ten shades lighter.

Dark teeth do not automatically mean more result

A tooth may look dark because there is a lot of discolouration present, but it may also look darker because the natural colour of the underlying dentine is warmer, more yellow or naturally darker.

Two clients can therefore start with a very similar tooth shade and still respond very differently to whitening.

One client may show a clear change quickly, while another may achieve a much more limited result.

That does not necessarily mean the treatment has failed.

The starting shade can still give useful clues

Although we cannot look inside the tooth, the starting shade can help us make a professional estimate of how the teeth may respond.

In general, we often see the following in practice:

• Yellow to dark yellow: often responds well and can show a clearly visible change.
• Yellow-brown or brown: can also respond well, although the result depends strongly on the cause and depth of the discolouration.
• Grey or blue-grey: is often more difficult and less predictable and may not respond as quickly or strongly as yellow discolouration.
• Already very light teeth: usually have less visible room for improvement because there may simply be less discolouration present.

A single tooth that is noticeably grey, very dark or almost black is a different situation. This should not simply be cosmetically whitened. A major colour difference in one tooth can have a dental cause and should first be assessed by a dentist.

The starting shade therefore provides useful information, but it remains an estimate, never a guarantee.

Some teeth simply have less whitening potential

Clients who naturally have light teeth or who regularly have their teeth whitened often have less visible discolouration remaining.

It is therefore logical that a later treatment may produce a smaller visible difference.

This is exactly why we believe in discussing realistic expectations before treatment and never promising an exact number of shades. That simply cannot be guaranteed.

Always check the treatment protocol first

If the result is less than expected, first check whether the entire treatment is being performed correctly:

whitening gel → correct amount → even application → treatment time → number of rounds → whitening lamp → distance and position → product storage

Using more gel, extending the treatment time or simply adding extra rounds is not automatically the solution.

Pink and Booster can respond differently

Within our cosmetic treatments, we work with X-treme Smile Pink, based on sodium percarbonate, and X-treme Smile Booster, based on PAP.

In practice, we see that some clients appear to respond better to Pink, while others respond better to Booster. We cannot reliably predict in advance which gel will produce the greatest change for a specific client.

That is why many professionals keep both products available.

If the result is limited after one or two rounds, it may be useful to switch from Pink to Booster or from Booster to Pink.

This can sometimes produce additional improvement, but it is never a guarantee of a specific number of extra shades.

Measure the starting shade

Before treatment, use a dedicated teeth whitening shade guide and record the starting shade. This makes it easier to assess objectively how much change has actually occurred during and after treatment.

Before-and-after photos can also help, as long as they are taken under conditions that are as similar as possible:

same lighting → same position → same distance → no filters

This matters because your eyes quickly become accustomed to the changing tooth colour during treatment.

When should you stop?

If the treatment protocol has been followed correctly and the teeth are hardly changing any further, treating for longer or more intensively is not automatically professional.

Sometimes you have simply reached the result that is realistically achievable for that client at that moment.

That is an important part of professional knowledge: not only knowing how to continue treating, but also recognising when further treatment is unlikely to add much.

In short

Why are teeth not always getting as white as expected?

Because the result is largely determined by how much bleach-responsive discolouration is actually present in the teeth.

The starting shade can help us make an initial assessment, but we cannot look inside the tooth. We therefore never know in advance exactly how much discolouration is present or how strongly the teeth will respond.

If the result is limited, first check the complete treatment protocol and assess how the teeth respond during treatment. Where appropriate, you can switch between Pink and Booster within our cosmetic protocols.

The goal is not to make every client a predetermined number of shades lighter, but to achieve the best realistic result for those specific teeth.

Professional teeth whitening usually runs smoothly when you work with suitable products, follow the correct treatment protocol and select clients carefully. However, teeth whitening problems can still occur during or after treatment.

The most important thing is knowing what you are seeing, what may be causing it, and when you need to adjust or stop the treatment.

Sensitive teeth

A client may experience sensitivity during or after treatment. This is not necessarily caused by the whitening gel alone.

The heat generated by the whitening lamp may also play a role. Teeth contain nerve tissue within the pulp, and some clients are more sensitive to temperature changes than others.

This can result in short, sharp sensations or an aching sensitivity during treatment.

Do not only check the gel, but also consider:

lamp position → distance from the teeth → heat development → treatment time → client response

If the sensitivity becomes clearly uncomfortable or painful, do not automatically continue simply because additional treatment rounds were planned.

The treatment protocol provides guidance, but the client’s response should always be taken into account.

Whitening gel should only be applied to the teeth

Whitening gel should be applied carefully and in a controlled manner to the tooth surface. It should not unnecessarily come into contact with the gums, lips or other soft tissues.

There are several reasons for this.

Soft tissues such as the gums and oral mucosa are considerably more sensitive to direct contact with products than the hard tooth surface. A client may also have an unknown sensitivity or allergy to an ingredient, even if there were no previous indications.

This is why precise application is important and why you should not use more product than necessary.

Products containing hydrogen peroxide also require specific gum-protection protocols.

If gel comes into contact with soft tissue, or if redness, swelling, a burning sensation or another unexpected reaction occurs, stop the treatment and follow the instructions for the product concerned.

Lips can become dry or sensitive

During treatment, the cheek retractor keeps the lips and cheeks away from the treatment area. Especially during several treatment rounds, this can cause dryness or tension around the mouth.

For this reason, we use vitamin E sticks for the lips.

These are included in our single-client treatment kits and are also available separately from X-treme Smile.

Keep saliva away from the whitening gel

Saliva should be kept away from the whitening gel as much as possible during treatment.

If saliva comes into contact with the gel, it can dilute, move or contaminate it, reducing your control over the treatment and potentially affecting the result.

A suitable cheek retractor, correct client positioning and regular monitoring are therefore important.

Ask the client to talk as little as possible during a treatment round and regularly check that saliva is not reaching the treated area.

Preferably treat the client in a reclined position

We recommend treating the client in a reclined position.

This gives the practitioner a better view of the teeth and greater control over:

gel placement → saliva → cheek retractor position → whitening lamp position

If the client is sitting too upright, a thinner gel may run or move more easily during treatment.

A stable reclined position therefore makes precise application and monitoring easier.

The whitening gel runs or moves

The viscosity differs between whitening gels.

X-treme Smile Pink has a thicker consistency, while X-treme Smile Booster is thinner.

With a thinner gel, controlled application is particularly important. Do not use an excessive amount of product and make sure the client is positioned correctly before starting.

More gel does not automatically produce a better whitening result. Using too much can actually make it more difficult to keep the gel neatly on the tooth surface.

If the gel moves, check:

amount of gel → client position → cheek retractor → saliva → application technique

The result is less than expected

If a client does not become as white as expected, this does not automatically mean something has gone wrong.

As explained in our separate FAQ about whitening results, one important factor is the amount of discolouration that can actually respond to whitening.

You should also check the complete treatment protocol:

whitening gel → amount → treatment time → number of rounds → whitening lamp → distance → position → product storage

Do not automatically use more gel or extend the treatment simply because the result is less than expected.

The whitening lamp is not positioned correctly

The whitening lamp should illuminate the treatment area as evenly as possible.

If the lamp is positioned too high, too low, too far to the left or right, or at the wrong angle, the light may not be distributed evenly across the teeth.

Before every treatment round, check:

height → distance → angle → centring

Moving the lamp closer to the teeth in the hope of achieving a faster or stronger result is not automatically better. A shorter distance may also increase the amount of heat experienced by the client.

Always follow the protocol for the specific whitening lamp you are using.

A product has been stored incorrectly

Product storage can also affect a treatment.

Whitening products should be stored according to the instructions on the label and preferably in a cool, dark place, protected from direct sunlight and high temperatures.

A product that has been stored incorrectly for a longer period may still look completely normal even though its quality or performance has been affected.

If you are unsure about the condition of a product, do not simply use it on a client.

When should you stop?

There is a difference between a mild, temporary sensation and clear pain, irritation or an unexpected reaction.

Stop or interrupt the treatment in situations such as:

• clear pain;
• strong or increasing sensitivity;
• burning or irritated soft tissue;
• swelling or a possible allergic reaction;
• a situation you cannot properly explain;
• any doubt about whether it is appropriate to continue.

Professional treatment is not only about knowing how to perform teeth whitening, but also recognising when you need to adjust or stop.

In short

Many teeth whitening problems can be prevented by working carefully and maintaining control throughout the treatment:

careful client selection → correct reclined position → cheek retractor → saliva control → correct amount of gel → correct lamp position → monitoring heat and comfort → correct treatment protocol

During treatment, do not focus only on the desired whitening result. Pay close attention to how the client is responding throughout the procedure.

Professional teeth whitening is not simply a matter of applying gel and switching on a lamp. It requires continuous observation, control and appropriate adjustment when necessary.

No. Professional teeth whitening is not automatically suitable for everyone. Good teeth whitening therefore starts not with the whitening gel or lamp, but with a proper consultation and client assessment.

Always use an intake form before every treatment. This helps you identify the most important points in advance and reduces the chance that essential information only comes up once the treatment has already started.

Always use an intake form

An intake form should be a standard part of every professional teeth whitening treatment.

Ask in advance about:

• age;
• pregnancy and breastfeeding;
• medication and any recent changes in medication;
• known sensitivity to light;
• sensitive teeth;
• pain or other dental complaints;
• allergies and previous reactions to products;
• illnesses or health problems the client currently has or has recently had;
• recovery after illness, surgery or medical treatment;
• recent dental treatment;
• orthodontic treatment or braces;
• previous teeth whitening experiences;
• the client’s expectations.

A positive answer does not automatically mean that the client cannot be treated. It gives you information to decide whether you can treat as normal, take extra precautions, postpone treatment or ask the client to seek advice from a doctor or dentist first.

An intake form never replaces your own professional assessment.

Medication can be important

Always ask which medication the client is taking.

Certain medicines may affect:

• sensitivity to light;
• sensitivity of the skin or oral tissues;
• dry mouth;
• the client’s general tolerance of treatment;
• recovery after medical treatment.

When using a whitening lamp, known photosensitivity or medication associated with increased light sensitivity is particularly important to identify beforehand.

As a cosmetic practitioner, you are not expected to determine whether a particular medicine is medically compatible with the treatment.

If you are unsure, the correct approach is:

do not guess → postpone treatment → advise the client to speak to a doctor, pharmacist or dentist

Illness and recovery also matter

Do not only ask whether someone is currently ill. Also ask whether they have recently been ill or are still recovering from an illness, operation or medical treatment.

Someone may already feel reasonably well while their body is still recovering.

A cosmetic whitening treatment is never urgent. If someone has been seriously ill, is still undergoing treatment or does not yet feel fully recovered, postponing the appointment is often the most sensible option.

You do not need to make a medical diagnosis. The aim is to gather enough information to recognise when a cosmetic treatment may not be appropriate at that moment.

Expectations are also part of the consultation

A good consultation is not only about safety.

Also ask:

What does the client expect from the treatment?

Some clients may expect their teeth to become exactly eight or ten shades lighter, or to achieve an extremely white colour.

You cannot guarantee that.

As explained in our FAQ about whitening results, the final outcome depends on factors such as:

starting shade → amount of discolouration → natural tooth colour → whitening gel → treatment protocol → individual response of the teeth

Discuss this before starting.

A client with realistic expectations is usually more satisfied than someone who has been promised a result that may not be biologically achievable.

Teeth whitening during pregnancy

We advise against teeth whitening during pregnancy.

It is a cosmetic treatment and can easily be postponed. During pregnancy, we therefore see no reason to expose a client unnecessarily to whitening products.

Our advice is simple:

pregnant → postpone treatment

After pregnancy, the client can be assessed again to determine whether treatment is suitable.

What about breastfeeding?

During breastfeeding, we also recommend postponing cosmetic teeth whitening as a precaution.

There is no generally accepted, well-supported rule stating that someone should express and discard breast milk for 12, 24 or 48 hours after whitening.

If a client still wants to have treatment while breastfeeding, we recommend that she discusses this first with her doctor, dentist or another qualified healthcare professional and clearly states which whitening product and active ingredients will be used.

Age and dental development

The development of the dentition is also important.

In young permanent teeth, the pulp chamber is relatively larger and the dentine layer is thinner. The pulp contains, among other things, the nerves and blood vessels of the tooth.

This means that the nerve tissue is relatively closer to the outer surface of the tooth in a younger dentition.

As the tooth continues to mature, more dentine is formed and the pulp chamber becomes relatively smaller.

This is one of the reasons why younger teeth may react more sensitively to stimuli from whitening products and to the temperature or heat generated by a whitening lamp.

What age limit do we use?

Age remains a guideline because every dentition develops at its own pace.

At X-treme Smile, we use 16 years as the minimum guideline age for standard cosmetic teeth whitening.

From the age of 16, cosmetic whitening may be considered provided that:

• the permanent dentition is sufficiently developed;
• the intake form reveals no contraindicating issues;
• there are no unexplained complaints;
• the client is suitable for treatment;
• the whitening product may be used for that age according to its instructions and applicable rules.

Clients under 16

We would not routinely treat a client under 16 simply because they would like whiter teeth.

There may, however, be exceptional situations.

For example, a 14- or 15-year-old may be extremely self-conscious about noticeable tooth discolouration or may be bullied because of it.

In such a situation, an individual assessment could be considered with the involvement and consent of the parent(s) or legal guardian(s).

You would look particularly carefully at:

development of the dentition → type of discolouration → sensitivity → dental issues → products used → reason for treatment

For safety reasons, never under 14

For safety reasons, we would never carry out cosmetic teeth whitening on anyone under the age of 14.

Even with parental consent.

Our practical guideline is therefore:

under 14 → no cosmetic whitening
14–15 → only in exceptional situations, with parental involvement and careful assessment
16+ → possible after full intake and assessment

Always also follow the legal age limits and instructions of the specific whitening product. Parental consent does not override those conditions.

Noticeable discolouration in a younger client

A young person with noticeably dark teeth is not automatically a suitable candidate for cosmetic whitening.

Especially if:

• one tooth is much darker than the others;
• one tooth is grey or almost black;
• the discolouration appeared suddenly;
• pain or marked sensitivity is present;
• the cause is unclear.

In these situations, the client should first be assessed by a dentist.

As a cosmetic practitioner, you do not need to determine what the cause is. You need to recognise when something falls outside the normal cosmetic situation.

Teeth whitening with braces

We do not treat clients with fixed orthodontic braces.

Brackets and other fixed components cover parts of the tooth surface. The whitening gel therefore cannot contact the enamel evenly.

After the braces are removed, this may result in an uneven colour appearance.

In short:

fixed braces → do not whiten

What about clear aligners?

With a removable clear aligner, the situation is different.

The aligner is removed before the whitening treatment.

However, you should check whether orthodontic attachments are present on the teeth. These small composite pieces cover part of the tooth surface and may affect how evenly the teeth whiten.

If there are many or large attachments, it may be better to wait until the orthodontic treatment has been completed.

So:

fixed braces → do not treat
removable clear aligner → remove it and assess attachments
many attachments or any doubt → preferably postpone treatment

Sensitive teeth

Sensitive teeth do not automatically mean that a client can never be treated.

But you want to know about this before the treatment starts, which is why it belongs on the intake form.

Sensitivity during whitening is not necessarily caused only by the gel. The heat generated by the whitening lamp can also be perceived by the nerve tissue in the tooth.

If the client already has clear, spontaneous or unexplained pain before treatment, do not simply start. Recommend a dental assessment first.

Always ask about allergies and sensitivities

The intake form should include questions about known allergies and previous reactions to cosmetic or dental products.

A client may also have an allergy or sensitivity without being aware of it beforehand.

Whitening gel should therefore be applied carefully to the tooth surface and should not unnecessarily come into contact with:

• gums;
• lips;
• oral mucosa.

These soft tissues are more sensitive to direct product contact than hard tooth tissue.

If unexpected redness, swelling, a burning sensation or another clear reaction occurs during treatment, stop and follow the instructions for the product being used.

The intake form is not just paperwork

Do not have the client quickly sign a form simply because it is part of the administration.

Use the answers.

A proper consultation means:

complete the form → discuss the answers → check any important points → discuss expectations → make your own observations → only then decide whether to treat

The form helps you avoid overlooking important issues, but the practitioner still has to decide whether the treatment should go ahead.

If you notice something you are unsure about, you do not need to make a dental or medical diagnosis.

The professional approach is:

recognise something unusual → do not diagnose it yourself → postpone treatment → advise medical or dental assessment where appropriate

Not every client needs to be treated

An important professional skill is being able to decide not to carry out a treatment.

Even if the client wants it.

Reasons to postpone or decline treatment may include:

• pregnancy;
• breastfeeding;
• a dentition that is too young or insufficiently developed;
• fixed braces;
• certain medication or uncertainty about medication;
• known photosensitivity;
• recovery after illness or medical treatment;
• unexplained dental pain;
• unusual localised discolouration;
• possible allergic or sensitivity reactions;
• doubts about the client’s overall suitability;
• completely unrealistic expectations.

Sometimes you can proceed after obtaining more information. Sometimes you postpone. And sometimes referral to a doctor or dentist is the better option.

In short

Not everyone is automatically suitable for teeth whitening.

Always use an intake form for every client before every treatment.

At a minimum, check:

age and dental development → pregnancy/breastfeeding → medication → light sensitivity → illness and recovery → dental complaints → sensitivity → allergies → orthodontics → previous treatments → expectations

Our practical age guideline is:

under 14 → never cosmetic whitening
14–15 → only in exceptional circumstances and with parental involvement
16+ → possible after a complete consultation and assessment

We do not treat clients with fixed braces. During pregnancy we postpone treatment, and during breastfeeding we also recommend waiting as a precaution.

Professional teeth whitening starts before the first drop of whitening gel is applied. A good intake form helps you identify important risks, questions and expectations before you begin.