Several shades lighter, with your enamel intact

An in-office session isolates the gums and applies high-concentration gel for roughly an hour, producing a visible change the same day. It is the right approach before a wedding, a reunion, or a photo shoot.

Custom take-home trays use lower concentration gel over one to two weeks. The end result is comparable, the sensitivity is usually milder, and you keep the trays for touch-ups for years afterward. Many patients combine both.

Before whitening we check for decay, cracks, leaking fillings, and gum recession. Peroxide entering an untreated cavity or an exposed root surface causes real pain and can worsen the underlying problem.

We also identify staining that will not bleach. Tetracycline banding, single dark teeth after trauma, and stains inside old restorations need a different approach — and it is better to know that before spending money on gel.

Coffee, tea, red wine, cola, curry, and tobacco are the usual culprits behind relapse. Rinsing with water after them and using a straw for iced drinks helps considerably.

Most patients maintain their result with a single tray night every month or two. Whitening does not damage enamel when used as directed; the sensitivity that sometimes occurs is temporary and manageable.