Teeth whitening in Malta: professional whitening that lifts the colour safely, under a dentist’s eye
Whitening here is fitted to your teeth and overseen by a dentist. Custom trays and proper-strength gel give a more even, longer-lasting result than the strips and kits you buy off the shelf.
What teeth whitening is, and how it works
Teeth whitening is a way of lightening the natural colour of your teeth using a gentle bleaching gel. The active ingredient, usually a form of peroxide, passes through the enamel and breaks down the stains that have built up inside and on the surface of the tooth, so the colour you are left with is a lighter version of your own teeth. It is not paint and it is not a coating — nothing is added to the tooth and none of the enamel is removed. That is what makes it the most conservative way to improve the look of your smile, and usually the first thing worth trying when it is only the colour that bothers you.
Professional whitening works better than a shop-bought kit for two simple reasons: the gel is a proper, regulated strength, and it is held against the teeth in trays made to fit your mouth. A one-size tray lets the gel pool unevenly and seep onto the gums, which is where the patchy results and the stinging come from. Trays moulded to your own teeth keep the gel exactly where it should be, so the colour lifts evenly across every tooth.
What whitening can change — and what it cannot
Whitening is very good at lifting the everyday staining that food, drink, tobacco and age leave on natural enamel, and most people get a clear, visible improvement. What it cannot do is change the colour of anything that is not natural enamel. Crowns, veneers and white fillings keep whatever shade they were made in, so if you have these at the front of your mouth we plan around them — sometimes whitening the natural teeth first and then matching a new filling or crown to the lighter result. Whitening also changes colour only, not shape: it will not close a gap, straighten a tooth or cover a chip. Where the shape is the issue, veneers are the treatment that does that, and we will tell you honestly which one your case really calls for.
Some discolouration sits deeper inside the tooth rather than on it — the darkening that can follow an old root canal, certain medications taken in childhood, or fluorosis. This kind of colour responds less predictably to whitening, which is exactly why a dentist looks first and tells you what is realistic, rather than simply handing over a kit and hoping.
Why a kit from the shop falls short
High-street strips and kits use weak gel and one-size trays that do not match your teeth, so the gel spreads unevenly and often onto the gums. With professional whitening the gel is stronger and the trays are made for your mouth, which means the colour comes up evenly and you are not guessing at how much to use.
Higher-strength regulated whitening gels
Custom trays for even, precise application
Supervised treatment with professional guidance
More consistent, longer-lasting results
Home whitening with custom trays
Our home whitening comes with trays made from impressions of your teeth plus professional gel. You wear them for a set period each day and watch the shade lighten over a week or two. The trays are yours to keep, so future top-ups cost only a tube of gel.
Precision-fitted custom trays included
Gradual, controlled whitening at home
Flexible and fits around your schedule
Trays reusable for long-term maintenance
In-clinic whitening in a single visit
If you would rather not wear trays at home, or you want a brighter result before a wedding, a holiday or an event, in-clinic whitening is done in one longer appointment of around 90 minutes. A dentist isolates and protects your gums, then applies a professional-strength gel using a branded system such as Beyond or Zoom. You see a difference the same day. In-clinic whitening is €400, and the two approaches can also be combined — a session in the clinic followed by trays to keep the colour up at home.
A visible lift in a single 90-minute visit
Carried out by a dentist with your gums protected
Branded systems such as Beyond and Zoom
A good choice when you are short of time before a date
What causes staining, and what whitening can change
Whitening works beautifully on some kinds of discolouration and barely at all on others, so it helps to know what is behind the colour of your teeth. This is why we look first rather than simply handing over a kit.
Surface stains from food and drink
Coffee, tea, red wine and dark foods leave stains on the surface of the enamel. These respond well to whitening and are the most common reason people come in.
Tobacco staining
Smoking leaves a stubborn yellow-brown film. Whitening lifts it, though the colour returns over time if the habit continues.
Natural yellowing with age
Enamel thins over the years and the darker dentine beneath shows through more. Whitening can brighten this, within the natural limits of your teeth.
Discolouration from inside the tooth
Some colour sits deep within the tooth — after an old root canal, from certain childhood medications, or from fluorosis — and responds less predictably. A dentist will be honest about what is realistic.
Crowns, veneers and fillings
The gel only lightens natural enamel, so existing crowns, veneers and white fillings keep their colour. Where these show at the front, we plan the order of treatment around them.
A clean comes first
Plaque and tartar stop the gel reaching the enamel evenly, so a hygiene visit beforehand often makes the result better.
Before and after
What whitening changes
Drag the handle to compare the same teeth, a few shades brighter.
Drag to compare
Illustration, not a patient’s result.
Treatment Process
What to expect, step by step
Step 1: Consultation
We look at the shade you are starting from and any crowns, veneers or fillings that will not whiten, then talk through whether home trays or an in-clinic session suits you better.
Step 2: Custom tray impressions
For home whitening we take impressions and make trays moulded to your teeth, so the gel sits evenly against every tooth instead of pooling or leaking onto the gums.
Step 3: Whitening treatment
You wear the trays with the gel for a set time each day at home, usually over one to two weeks. The colour lifts gradually, which also keeps sensitivity down compared with rushing it.
Step 4: Review and top-ups
We check the result and how it settled, and you keep the trays. When the colour fades over the months ahead, a little fresh gel tops it straight back up.
Choosing, keeping and trusting your result
Home trays or an in-clinic session?
Both are offered, and both give a good result — the difference is pace and convenience. Home whitening with custom trays (€250) lifts the colour gradually over a week or two of wearing the trays for a set time each day, which is gentle on sensitivity, and the trays are yours to keep so topping up later costs only a tube of gel. In-clinic whitening (€400) is done in a single appointment of around ninety minutes, with a dentist protecting your gums and applying a stronger gel using a branded system such as Beyond or Zoom, so you see a difference the same day. Many people combine the two — a session in the clinic to get there quickly, then trays to keep the colour up at home. If you have an event, a wedding or a holiday coming up, the in-clinic route is the one that suits a deadline; if you would rather take it slowly and spend less on upkeep, the home route is ideal.
Is it safe, and will it make my teeth sensitive?
Whitening overseen by a dentist is safe. The regulated gels we use lighten the tooth without softening or stripping the enamel, and the custom trays keep the gel on the teeth and off the gums. The main side effect is some temporary sensitivity to cold during the whitening period, which fades within a few days of finishing and is eased by using a sensitivity toothpaste while you whiten. The reason the dentist-supervised route matters is the comparison: unregulated online kits and high-street salon treatments use ill-fitting trays and gels of unknown strength, without anyone checking your teeth first, which is where the uneven results and the gum irritation tend to come from. Having a dentist look before any gel is used also means anything that needs attention first, such as decay or a gum problem, is picked up rather than sealed under a whitening tray.
How long it lasts, and keeping it up
A whitening result typically holds for somewhere between twelve and twenty-four months, and how long depends largely on habits — coffee, tea, red wine and tobacco are what pull the colour back down fastest. Because you keep your custom trays, maintenance is simple and cheap: a night or two with a little fresh gel whenever the shade starts to drift brings it straight back, with no need to start over. Cutting down on the things that stain, rinsing with water after them, and keeping up your regular hygiene visits all help the result last longer between top-ups.
Whitening or veneers?
It is worth being clear about the difference, because they solve different problems. Whitening lightens the colour of natural teeth and leaves their shape as it is. Veneers are thin facings bonded to the front of the teeth that change colour and shape, so they can also close gaps, cover chips and even up an uneven edge — a bigger, more permanent step. If the shape and position of your teeth are fine and only the colour bothers you, whitening is almost always the place to start. We will never talk you into veneers when whitening would give you what you are after.
Transparent pricing — no surprises
Home whitening uses trays made for your teeth; in-clinic whitening is done in one longer visit. We check your teeth first, so you know what will and will not lighten before you pay for anything. You can pay by card, bank transfer or Revolut.
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Whitening planned and checked by a dentist
Whitening at Apex Dental always starts with a dentist looking at your teeth, because the shade you can reach — and whether whitening is the right move at all — depends on what is causing the discolouration and on the fillings, crowns or veneers you already have. You are seen at our main clinic at Trident Park in Mrieħel or at St Anne’s Clinic in Birkirkara, both in central Malta, and our team can talk you through the options in English, Italian, Polish, German or Spanish.
A dentist checks your teeth before any gel is used
Custom trays made for your mouth, and yours to keep
Two clinics in central Malta — Trident Park and St Anne’s
Consultations available in several languages
Frequently asked questions
Ready for a brighter smile?
Book a whitening consultation and we will look at your teeth, flag anything that will not whiten, and recommend the option that fits your routine.