Teeth Whitening in Ashland

The Limits and Strengths of Whitening

A peroxide gel breaks apart the stain trapped in your enamel. It does its best work on yellow and brown discoloration from coffee, tea, red wine, tobacco and simply getting older. Gray tones caused by some medications or an old blow to a tooth are tougher to lift, and you'll hear that from us at the start.

Crowns, fillings, bridges and bonding keep their color through whitening. If any of that work sits on your front teeth, it will stay its current shade while the natural teeth around it get lighter. We mention this before you pay for anything, so you can choose to whiten first and have new work matched afterward.

After over 11 years in practice, we find nearly every whitening question boils down to two things: what kind of stain it is and whether it will lift. That's what we answer for you first.

What's Part of a Whitening Visit

A look at the cause

We check whether the staining sits on the surface or deeper in the tooth. Surface stain often comes off with a cleaning alone, which costs less than whitening.

A check for problems first

Gel on an open cavity or exposed root can hurt. We look for decay, cracks and gum recession before we whiten, and treat those first if needed.

In-office whitening

A stronger gel applied in the chair while your gums are protected. You leave with a lighter shade after one appointment.

Custom take-home trays

Trays made from impressions of your teeth, plus a milder gel you wear at home on your own schedule. Slower, but easy to touch up later.

Shade tracking

We record your starting shade so you can see the actual change, not just guess at it.

Good Reasons to Consider Whitening

• Stain from coffee or tea that brushing can't remove

  Everyday drinks build up yellow and brown staining over the years. It's the type that responds best to whitening.

• Your smile has lost its brightness

  As enamel gets thinner with age, the darker layer below starts to show. Whitening can bring back some of the brightness.

• A big day on the calendar

  Weddings, photo shoots and job starts bring in a lot of patients. Leave a few weeks so any sensitivity has time to fade.

• Your aligner treatment just ended

  Once teeth are straight, their color stands out more. We're an Invisalign provider, so we can help you time whitening around your aligner plan.

• A single tooth looks darker

  When one tooth darkens on its own, the nerve inside may have been hurt. We check it before any whitening, since it may need a different fix.

Your Whitening Visit, Step by Step

1. 1

   Check your teeth and starting shade

   First comes a look at your teeth and gums, a few questions about sensitivity, and a note of the shade you have today. If a cleaning is due, we usually do it before whitening so the gel reaches clean enamel.

2. 2

   Choose in-office or trays

   We lay out both options in everyday terms: how much time each one takes and what your teeth may feel like afterward.

3. 3

   Shield the gums, then whiten

   In the chair, your gums get covered before the gel goes on, and we check in with you the whole time. If you go with trays, we take impressions and show you the right amount of gel to use.

4. 4

   The first few days after

   Hold off on coffee, red wine and smoking for a day or two while your enamel settles. A desensitizing toothpaste often eases any sensitivity, and we'll name one that works.

What Moves the Price of Whitening

You hear the price for your option before any gel goes on. Insurance plans tend to see whitening as an elective, appearance-only treatment, so coverage for it is rare. Knowing what drives the number helps you pick the option that fits.

In-office or take-home

In-office whitening costs more up front because of the chair time and the stronger gel. Take-home trays cost less to start and make later touch-ups cheaper.

Work needed first

A cavity, crack or gum problem gets fixed before whitening. That treatment is billed separately, and your insurance may help with it even when it won't help with whitening.

How stubborn the stain is

Deeper stain may need extra sessions or more gel. After the exam, we tell you which group you fall into.

Ways to pay

Patients without insurance can join our Office Dental Plan, and we also offer the CareCredit Patient Payment Plan. Ask about either one on the phone.