A dentist has been speaking about the improvements in tooth whitening over the past ten years at a conference in the Middle East.

At the Dentistry Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi, Dr Edward Lynch from Warwick University said there have been "tremendous advances" even since 2000, "allowing greater predictability in the results", AME Info reports.

The expert, who has been voted the influential person in UK Dentistry 2010 by his peers, explained that dentists are now able to carry out the procedure more safely and effectively.

He added: "There are huge advances in tray design further protecting the gums and bleaching the teeth in a more balanced way."

Last month, Martin G Goebbel, a dentist in the US, told KRQE News that teeth whitening may not take as long as most people think.

Indeed, he said the procedure could be carried out in around two hours if a person's teeth are in good shape.