Teeth Whitening · San Ramon
Whitening that doesn’t wreck your sensitivity
Done properly, it’s the highest-value cosmetic thing we do. Done badly, it just makes your teeth hurt.
Who this is for
- Years of coffee, tea, or red wine catching up with you
- A wedding, a milestone, or a professional headshot coming up
- Over-the-counter strips that didn’t do much except cause sensitivity
- You’re considering veneers and want to see how far whitening gets you first
Why professional whitening works better
Two reasons, and neither is marketing. First, concentration — we can use a stronger gel safely because we protect your gums while it’s on. Second, and more importantly, fit. Custom trays taken from a mold of your own teeth hold the gel against the enamel and off the gum tissue. Strips and one-size trays leak, which is exactly why they cause sensitivity while whitening unevenly.
In-office or take-home
In-office is one appointment of about ninety minutes with the strongest gel. You leave visibly whiter that day. It’s the right choice when there’s a date on the calendar.
Take-home is custom trays and gel you wear for a couple of weeks. It reaches the same place and tends to be gentler on sensitivity, because you control the pace. It’s also easier to top up in a year or two — you keep the trays.
A lot of patients do in-office first and keep trays for maintenance. That’s the combination we’d generally suggest.
What whitening will not do
It won’t change the color of crowns, veneers, bonding, or fillings. If you have a white filling in a front tooth, whitening the tooth around it will make that filling stand out — sometimes noticeably. That’s fixable, but it’s a second appointment and a second cost, and you should know before you start.
It also has limits on gray discoloration from old tetracycline or a tooth that’s darkened after trauma. Those respond differently, and sometimes the honest answer is a veneer instead.
Questions
Answered before you ask.
How long do the results last?
Typically one to three years, depending mostly on what you drink and whether you smoke. With take-home trays you can top up for the cost of a syringe of gel.
Will it damage my enamel?
Professionally supervised whitening at appropriate concentrations doesn’t damage enamel. The genuine risks are gum irritation from poorly fitting trays and sensitivity from overuse — both of which are about how it’s done, not whether.
Can I whiten if I have sensitive teeth?
Usually yes. We’d start with take-home trays at a lower concentration, worn for shorter periods, with desensitizing gel. It takes longer and it’s much more comfortable.
Should I whiten before or after other cosmetic work?
Before, always. We match crowns, veneers and bonding to your final shade — and porcelain can’t be whitened afterwards.
In their words
Thirty years of families who stayed.
Every quote below is a patient's own, unedited, from our reviews.
“We LOVE LOVE LOVE Avalon Dental! Dr. B is the best dentist we’ve ever gone to”
Cassondra H. “Dr B. always does a great job and you don’t feel the work getting done”
Marie T. “The staff always make my experiences with them the best and most comfortable”
Rebecca C.