Teeth Whitening in Gig Harbor, WA
Professional whitening lifts years of coffee, tea and everyday staining from your natural teeth. At Kvinsland Dentistry we use dentist-supervised custom trays that you wear at home, so you control the pace and we keep an eye on your results.
Professional Whitening at a Gig Harbor Family Practice
Many people try whitening on their own before they ask a dentist about it. Drugstore strips can help with mild surface staining. When the change you want is bigger than that, a professional whitening gel in a tray made to fit your teeth does more, and it does it with a dentist watching how your teeth and gums respond.
Kvinsland Dentistry has cared for Gig Harbor families since 1976. Dr. Eric Kvinsland and Dr. Austin Neal will look at what is actually causing the color you want to change before recommending anything, because whitening is not the right answer for every kind of discoloration.
What Causes Teeth to Darken
Knowing where the color came from tells us whether whitening will help, and how much.
Surface Stains
Coffee, black tea, red wine, cola, curry, berries and tobacco all leave pigment on the outside of the enamel. These stains build up slowly and respond well to whitening. A professional cleaning removes some of this buildup on its own, which is why we usually clean first and whiten after.
Internal Discoloration and Age
Some color comes from inside the tooth. Enamel thins over the years and the dentin underneath, which is naturally yellow, shows through more. Certain medications, including tetracycline taken while teeth were forming, and trauma to a tooth can also darken it from within. Internal discoloration is more stubborn and may respond only partly to whitening. When that is the case, we will say so, and we will talk about alternatives such as veneers.
Custom Take-Home Whitening Trays
We whiten with custom trays and professional-strength gel. The trays are made from impressions of your own teeth, so the gel stays on the enamel and off your gums, which is the main reason this approach is more comfortable and more even than a one-size strip.
Exam first
We check your teeth and gums, and confirm no untreated decay or gum problem needs attention before whitening.
Impressions and shade
We take impressions of your teeth and note your starting shade so we can measure the change.
Trays in a couple of days
Your custom trays are made to fit your teeth and are ready for pickup within a few days.
Gel and instructions
We dispense the whitening gel and show you exactly how much to use in each tray.
Wear at home
You wear the trays about 20 to 30 minutes a day, at whatever point in the day suits you.
Touch up as needed
When you reach the brightness you want, occasional touch-ups keep it there. The trays are yours to keep.
Trays vs. Drugstore Strips and Kits
Store-bought products use a lower concentration of peroxide and a generic applicator. They can lighten mild surface staining, and for some people that is enough.
- A custom tray holds gel against every surface evenly, including the teeth toward the back of your smile.
- Professional gel is stronger, so the change is usually larger.
- Gel stays off your gums, which reduces irritation.
- We check your teeth first, so you are not whitening over a cavity or gum disease.
Dentist-Supervised vs. Salon Whitening
Whitening is also sold at salons and mall kiosks. Those services do not include a dental exam, so nobody is looking at what is causing the discoloration, or checking whether a dark tooth is dark because the nerve inside it is dying.
That exam is the part that protects you, and it is the reason whitening belongs alongside the rest of your dental care rather than separate from it.
What Whitening Costs and How to Pay
Whitening is priced per case rather than by a flat rate, and a few things move the number: whether you need a cleaning or any treatment first, how much gel your starting shade calls for, and whether you plan restorative work that should be matched afterward. We will give you the fee in writing before you commit to anything, and the exam appointment is the right place to ask.
Dental plans treat whitening as a cosmetic procedure, so it is usually not covered, even when the rest of your visit is. If you would rather spread the cost, we offer financing through Cherry.
Sensitivity, and What We Do About It
Temporary sensitivity is the most common side effect of whitening. It usually shows up as a short zing with cold air or cold drinks, and it typically fades within a day or two of stopping treatment.
If it happens to you, tell us rather than pushing through. Shortening your daily wear time, whitening every other day instead of daily, and using a toothpaste made for sensitive teeth all help. If your teeth were already sensitive before whitening, start there instead.
Whitening With Crowns, Veneers and Fillings
Whitening gel works on natural enamel. It does not lighten porcelain or composite, so crowns, veneers and tooth colored fillings keep the shade they were made in. If you have restorations on your front teeth and you whiten the teeth around them, those restorations can end up looking darker by comparison.
Sequence Whitening Before New Restorative Work
This is worth planning rather than discovering afterward. If you are considering whitening and you also need a crown, veneer or filling toward the front of your mouth, whiten first and let the shade settle for about two weeks. We then match the new restoration to your brighter shade, and everything looks like it belongs together. Done the other way around, matching means replacing work you just paid for.
Who Is a Good Candidate, and Who Should Wait
Most healthy adults with natural teeth and yellowed surface staining do well with whitening. The exam sorts out the rest quickly.
Whitening usually fits well if
- Your gums are healthy and your teeth are free of untreated decay.
- Your staining is the yellowed, everyday kind from food, drink or age.
- Your front teeth are natural, without crowns or large fillings.
- You want a brighter version of your own smile rather than a specific shade.
It is worth waiting if
- You have untreated decay or active gum disease. Treat those first, since gel reaching an exposed area is painful and unhelpful.
- Your front teeth have crowns, veneers or large composite fillings that would no longer match.
- Your discoloration is internal, from medication or an injury, which responds differently and sometimes only partly.
- You are pregnant or breastfeeding. Whitening is elective, so the usual advice is to postpone and talk with your physician and dentist.
- You already have significant sensitivity or exposed root surfaces.
- You are still a teenager whose teeth are developing. We will tell you when the timing makes sense.
Keeping Your Results
How long whitening lasts depends mostly on what you eat and drink and whether you smoke. With touch-ups and regular cleanings, most people keep their results for a good while.
The first 48 hours
Skip dark foods and drinks right after whitening, including coffee, tea, red wine and cola. Teeth take on color most readily in that window.
Everyday habits
Rinse with water after coffee or wine, use a straw for iced drinks, and use a toothpaste made for sensitive teeth if you feel any discomfort.
Short touch-ups
Run a brief touch-up with your trays when you notice the color drifting, rather than waiting for it to go all the way back. Keep up with regular cleanings.
Start With an Exam in Gig Harbor
Whitening starts with an exam. We will tell you what is causing the color, whether whitening will move it, and what it will cost before you decide. We are at 5122 Olympic Drive, Suite A-201, open Monday through Thursday from 7:00 to 4:00, and patients rate us 5.0 on Google across more than 300 reviews.