REVIEW: Teeth Whitening Procedure by The Ivory Dental Clinic, Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok – Not Just for Food, Massage and Shopping

Bangkok, the capital of Thailand is a place frequented for food, massage and, of course, shopping. But guess what? The dental tourism business in Bangkok is booming! And it is not surprising, given the fact that most dental clinics provide top-notch quality service at affordable price. So if you are already going to Bangkok for a holiday, why not make a stop to the dental clinic? (Very applicable to those who do not have company dental insurance and reimbursement; freelancing or self-employed). My first visit to a dental clinic in Bangkok was actually last year, and it was a pleasant experience.

Recently,  I collaborated with a dental clinic located in Bangkok, Thailand --- The Ivory Dental Clinic, to experience the Philips Zoom! Whitening Treatment. My teeth shade is not that yellowish, but since I consume caffeinated drinks almost every day, it is inevitable that my teeth is not as white as I hope it would be.

The Ivory Dental Clinic

What is Teeth Whitening and Why is it Needed?

It is natural for one’s teeth to be less white over time. This is due to the mineral structural change of the teeth and its enamel, or other reasons like poor dental hygiene, genetics, age, environment or medication. But teeth can get discoloured or stained from smoking and drinking dark-coloured liquids (such as coffee, tea, cola, berries, curry and red wine).


And I am sure that this is not the kind of first impression you would like to give to people! One way to avoid such embarrassment is by going for teeth whitening treatments to get pearly-white teeth for a brighter, beautiful and more confident smile.

There are store-bought whitening tooth paste, mouthwash, strip and LED kits that you can use at home to whiten your teeth. But to have it professionally-done, you will need to visit a dental clinic to either:

(1) Get a customised teeth whitening kit, which consists of the whitening agent and a tray that is created from custom moulds of your teeth. Bring it home and whiten your teeth by yourself.

AND/OR

(2) Have the dentist to do an in-office teeth whitening procedure for your teeth. With a dentist performing this task, you are assured that it is likely to be safe, reliable and hassle-free. For The Ivory Dental Clinic, they use the trusted in-office teeth whitening brand, Philips Zoom! Teeth Whitening, which has been experienced by more than 10 million patients globally.

In-office teeth whitening involves using a peroxide-based bleaching agent applied to your teeth by the dentist. Getting it done at the dental clinic ensures that the whitening effect lasts longer, while your teeth gets brighter and dramatically whiter in about an hour or two. Hence, making it very suitable and convenient for the busy individuals or the tourist (say if you are in Bangkok for a holiday and decides to get your teeth whitened just like me). This is in comparison to the home whitening trays which require few days or weeks to achieve a gradual whitening effect.

Much clinical research and studies have proven that teeth whitening procedures done by a dentist is safe for all to undergo. However, it is not recommended for patients below 13 years old and pregnant/lactating women.

About: The Ivory Dental Clinic

The Ivory Dental Clinic (“The Ivory”) consists of a panel of experienced and well-trained dentists, providing a wide range of dental treatments and services – Specialising in cosmetic dentistry, dental implant, prosthodontics, orthodontics, dental surgery, endodontics, periodontics, and occlusion dentistry.

The Ivory Dental Clinic in Bangkok, Thailand

Located in the heart of the city, The Ivory is only a two minutes’ walk from the nearby Huai Khwang underground train station (Exit 3), which is just 4 stops away from Sukvumvit MRT station. If it is based by the Singapore context, it is like going to Newton train station from City Hall train station. After your dental visit, you can head to the nearby popular New Rot Fai Market Ratchada night market for more shopping and eating.

Large signboard at the shopfront.

Impossible to miss it if you are coming by Taxi/Uber/Grab.

(Just to share with you, I was actually attracted to the clinic's name - Ivory. Cos as you know, ivory is the hard and white material containing mainly of dentine, found in the tusks and teeth of animals. And I liked how their logo of an image of a tooth and tusk fits perfectly to the clinic name. So when I first came across this clinic, the first thought I had was 'White Teeth'. Great marketing effort there!)


Upon entering the clinic, I was warmly greeted by the reception staff, while being impressed by the clinic’s modern, minimalist and Scandinavian-inspired interior design and furnishings. The diverse earth tones complement brilliantly with the other colors, invoking a sense of unparalleled comfort.

Lounge Area for Before/After your Dental Appointment

Natural light shining through the open blinds

Information pamphlets and FREE WIFI available

Reception Desk

Filling up the Patient Registration Form

Teeth Whitening Acknowledgment Form

Refreshing coconut drink and watermelon served during registration.

The welcome drink and snack was a delight to have, given the typical hot weather of Bangkok. Such detailed attention to their patients' comfort was certainly commendable. Once registration was completed, they led me to get my blood pressure tested.


I was surprised as I have never come across this procedure in all of my visits to the dental clinic. So I asked the reason to do so, and was told that this is one of the protocols of the clinic (being ISO 9001-certified), and also due to the importance to test for the patient’s blood pressure level. For those with high blood pressure (HBP), please inform your dentist! So far, I have never come across this aspect of pre-treatment procedure in all of the dental clinics that I have been to all my life! What about you? :)

Taking the blood pressure test

After that, I did a clinic tour where I was led to the various treatment rooms and the PRIVATE ROOMS specially set up for patients doing teeth whitening. There was even a VIP room... Talk about exclusivity! ;p

I was also showed to the various machines and technology that The Ivory has and uses. As one of the few leading dental clinics in Bangkok to have received the ISO 9001 certification, The Ivory has high standards for the quality and service they provide, as well as the dental supplies and dental processes used. That is why their X-ray machines and dental chairs were all imported in from Europe, and of their strict dental tool sterilisation process --- Certainly an assurance to patients... We are in good hands, people!

The clinic even has the European-made 3D CT scan machine which can capture the minutest detail to full maxillofacial imaging, a costly investment that only the bigger and more established dental clinics would have. So I was showed a sample image and was amazed with the ease of seeing specific angles and the possibility to rotate it. This allows us to take lesser X-ray shots, thus reducing our exposure to X-ray radiation. And within minutes, the images are electronically sent to the dentist's computer which he/she can analyse and advise accordingly.

Once the quick tour was completed, we did a short video interview... You can probably check it out next time at The Ivory Dental Clinic Facebook page.

FINALLY.... It was time for my consultation with my dentist, Dr. Supakorn Teeradakorn. The soft-spoken and professional her was very patient to hear about my teeth concerns. She also explained about teeth whitening (such like it does not work on ceramic/porcelain crowns or veneers, and briefed through the steps slowly with me.

For those whom are thinking of doing teeth whitening to have it 100% white, sorry but I have to burst your bubble... Apparently, we cannot specifically "choose" the shade of our teeth to be whitened until, due to. many factors that may prevent it from happening, such as your teeth's acceptance level to the whitening ingredient. I was glad she told me that prior to getting it done. At least I could be mentally prepared, haha.

Apart from the in-office teeth whitening treatment, The Ivory also sponsored me the home whitening kit. In this way, I am able to periodically whiten my teeth at home, like a maintenance sort of thing. This is also more cost-effective as you would not want to head back to do another in-office teeth whitening too soon, right? ;) For the home whitening kit, Dr Teeradakorn did a mold of my teeth impression, so as to custom-make mouth trays to fill the whitening gel and fit onto my teeth (Looks similar to mouthguards). With customised trays that fit one's mouth and bite, one need not worry about the whitening gel leakage or gum irritation.

Prior to doing a mold of my teeth

The mold

Followed by a dental check-up to check for
signs of cavities, gum diseases, etc.

Before the teeth whitening, it is best to do Scaling and Polishing to clear up any plague as it will affect the end result. Also, cavities are to be treated first by putting in Fillings. Of which, I did both.

Resting in between of takes for the 2nd segment of the video interview.

Teeth Whitening Shade Guide

Using the whitening shade guide, Dr Teeradakorn picked out my then-current teeth shade. It was a mixture of 2M1, 2M2 and 2M3. By comparing it against the shade chart, it was easier to observe the distinct difference after the whitening treatment.

A blue mouth retractor was placed in my mouth to help keep it open throughout the whole process. Cotton rolls were also stuffed in my mouth to provide more comfort, and a pair of safety googles were given to me to put on.

I was offered a green face cover (to prevent any LED light accidentally emitting into my facial skin) but I did not put it on in the first half of the session, as I needed to take photos of myself, you see. So anyway, afterwhich, the whitening gel was applied onto my teeth by the dentist, followed by curing the gel using a light-emitting handheld device.

A shot to "remember" my not-so-white teeth.
Quite embarrassed to show my teeth actually....
And yes, I am contemplating to get braces or aligners (Invisalign, MBrace, eCligner)!

This is how it looks like,
before shining the Philips LED lamp into my mouth.

The Philips Zoom! in-office Whitening process consisted of a total of 4 sessions of whitening gel application. By using the Philips LED lamp, it accelerated the whitening process, hence each session lasted for only about 15 minutes. For each session, new whitening gel was applied onto my teeth.

When Hydrogen Peroxide (the active ingredient in the  light-activated whitening gel) penetrates into the tooth, assisted by the LED light, oxygen enters the enamel and dentin. This is the reason behind the successful bleaching of  stained surfaces while ensuring the teeth structure's integrity. With the combination of the gel and Philips lamp, one can see their teeth achieving up to 6 shades whiter (Results vary with individuals) after undergoing the Philips Zoom! Whitening treatment!

As much as I have read other people's scary teeth whitening experiences on how their teeth felt sensitive or painful during the procedure, I was lucky to not feel any of such at all. In fact, I kept dozing off and finally found myself having to be awoken when it was time for the 3rd cycle. And that was when I decided to put on the green face cover to simply relax and sleep away, while having my teeth whitened (since I was done with all the Teeth Whitening Selfies, haha!~ ;)

Moreover, how can I not doze off especially since I was in my own PRIVATE teeth whitening treatment room? As mentioned earlier in this post, The Ivory Dental Clinic provides their esteemed patients with their own conducive private rooms (located on the upper floor) while getting their teeth whitened. Instead of sitting on the hard dental chair for one hour, I was lying down on a big, soft, comfortable and super cushiony reclinable armchair, while in a cool and dim environment... And all snuggled up in a thick blanket. This is a perfect example of a company GOING THE EXTRA MILE for their customers, I tell you. Totally win! Thumbs up to the Ivory Dental team!

Being lightly tapped out of my dream, I awoke to positive results after getting my teeth shined for almost to an hour. One can rave and rave about how wonderful Philips Zoom! Whitening treatment is, and that's about it, and you would not believe it right? But guess what --- My initial teeth shades (2M1, 2M2 and 2M3) were incredibly whitened to mainly 0M1, 0M2 and 0M3. And that equates to having my teeth to be about SIX SHADES WHITER! So let the pictures do the talking...

My freshly-whitened teeth, almost similar to the samples

My freshly-whitened teeth against the sample of my initial shades

 I am superbly impressed with the results of my teeth whitening process done at The Ivory Dental Clinic. I am sure it was due to Philips's advanced technology and the experienced skills by Dr Teeradakor, which had me to fully enjoy the whole treatment without any pain.

But to add on, I did experience a low level of teeth sensitivity for the next 3 hours after my treatment. This is normal after a teeth whitening session. The sensitivity comes and go sporadically. It was bearable for me, but do remember to ask your dentist for some painkillers if you think you need them!

The kind dental team reminded me of the things to avoid eating and drinking for the next 48 hours, such as coffee, tea, wine, dark soy sauce, coke, etc... So I refrained myself  from drinking my favorite 25-baht Thai iced milk tea (Cha Yen), as well as from consuming any colored or caffeine-filled items for the next 3 weeks. This was because I wanted this whitening effect to last as long as it can. Of course, I can also use the home whitening kit that was specially customised and provided to me by Ivory Dental Clinic. This helps me to maintain my bleached teeth effect in the comfort of my own home!

Showing off my ivory white pearlies!

Special thanks to The Ivory Dental Clinic management for this sponsorship of my in-office and home teeth whitening treatment. I started finding myself smiling more, and with teeth showing. I am super proud of my whitened teeth! In addition, much appreciation to:

         (1) Nongyoa for all the detailed information and communication prior to my arrival at the clinic.

         (2) Dr Teeradakorn for being so patient and professional when dealing with me and my teeth.

         (3) Everyone else who made my visit to the dentist an enjoyable and not frightening experience.

Thank you, The Ivory Dental Clinic!

Want to get your teeth in one of the 50 shades of white? Visit The Ivory Dental Clinic if you are flying to Bangkok for a holiday, and get your teeth checked and treated, while enjoying high-quality service at good prices! Don't just visit Bangkok for shopping, food and massages!!!

Get more information on their latest promotion on their FACEBOOK page.

Visit their WEBSITE for

dental services and fees information.

COMPANY INFORMATION:

The Ivory Dental Clinic คลินิกทันตกรรม ดิไอวรี่

Address: 167/16 Ratchadapisek Rd.,, Din Daeng, Din-Dang,, Bangkok 10400, Thailand

Phone: +66 2 275 3599

Opening Hours: 10am to 8pm daily 

Click for Map and Directions: https://www.theivorydental.com/clinic-map-direction/ 

Click for Dental Costs: https://www.theivorydental.com/thailand-dental-costs/

P/S: Special thanks to the Management for being so patient and nice to me, while I churned out this blogpost amidst my personal matters. Though albeit late, they were so understanding to my situation, and I really appreciate them alot and cannot thank them enough! May their business prosper and all good things come their way! (^_^) As usual, all opinions remain my own for all reviews - Sponsored or not.