Professional Teeth Whitening in Beverly, Chicago

Why Professional Whitening Is Different

Over-the-counter strips and rinses use a low concentration of peroxide in a one-size-fits-all delivery. They lighten the flat front surface of the most visible teeth and largely miss the edges, the gaps between teeth, and the back teeth that show when you laugh. That is why drugstore whitening so often produces a patchy result.

Professional whitening changes two things: the strength of the gel and how precisely it is held against the tooth. Because Dr. Rowe examines you first, the treatment is also matched to why your teeth are discolored — which is the part no box on a shelf can do.

Your Two Options

Plenty of patients do both: a single in-office session to make the big jump, then trays to hold it.

What Happens Before We Whiten Anything

• An exam and a cleaning first. Whitening gel applied over active decay or inflamed gums hurts, and whitening over a layer of tartar simply bleaches the tartar. Surface stain often comes off in the cleaning alone.
• Shade recorded. We photograph and record your starting shade so the change is measured rather than remembered.
• A candid conversation. If the discoloration is intrinsic — built into the tooth structure rather than sitting on it — whitening will underdeliver. In that case we would rather point you toward Pearl Veneers than sell you a treatment that disappoints.

What Actually Stains Teeth

Extrinsic stain sits on the enamel and comes from coffee, black tea, red wine, cola, curry, tomato-based sauces and tobacco. It responds well to whitening. Intrinsic discoloration lives inside the tooth and comes from ageing, trauma to a specific tooth, excess fluoride during childhood, or tetracycline exposure. It responds poorly, and a single dark tooth after an old injury usually needs internal bleaching or a veneer rather than a whitening tray.

Keeping the Result

• Use a straw for iced coffee, cola and iced tea — it keeps the pigment off the front teeth.
• Rinse with water after staining drinks rather than brushing immediately; enamel is briefly softened by acid.
• Skip charcoal pastes and baking-soda scrubs. They abrade enamel, and thinner enamel makes teeth look more yellow because the dentine underneath shows through.
• Keep your six-month cleanings. Most of what people mistake for re-yellowing is simply new surface stain.

Whitening and Gum Health

If your gums bleed when you brush, whitening is not the next step — treatment is. Gel against inflamed tissue is painful, and recession makes exposed root surfaces sting badly. Our LANAP laser therapy page covers what to do about gum disease, and the whitening can follow once the tissue is healthy.

Frequently Asked Questions