Credit crunch fuels more natural tooth whitening

Consumers are adopting a more sombre approach to tooth whitening procedures in line with the subdued economic climate, it has been claimed.

According to dentists at the Cosmetic Dentistry Guide, people are tending to choose more natural-looking dental procedures instead of pining for the over-white Hollywood look.

Dr Kailesh Solanki believes that teeth say a lot about the financial and emotional wellbeing of a nation.

“After years of excess and extreme makeovers, people are now holding back to have a great smile without drawing too much attention to themselves,” he claimed.

“It seems that people in the UK are looking for a subtler, maybe even classier, approach to their smiles,” the expert added.

According to Dr Solanki, number six on the whitening scale – which is an off-white shade – is now more fashionable than the extreme white shades higher up the scale.

The expert also noted that, while extreme whitening treatments have declined, the credit crunch has not brought about a fall in the actual number of whitening treatments.

Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, recently suggested that teeth whitening can be a cheap and safe procedure as long as it is carried out by a professional.