Teeth Whitening in Pine Beach, NJ

Coffee, tea, red wine, cola and dark sauces work their way into enamel a little at a time. This gradual surface staining is what professional whitening handles best.

Tar and nicotine leave a stubborn yellow-brown that brushing will not lift. The KoR gel is formulated to reach that kind of deeper staining rather than only polishing the surface.

Enamel thins over the years and the naturally yellower layer beneath it starts to show through. Whitening can lift the shade, though how far it moves varies from person to person.

Certain medications taken while teeth were still forming, and some illnesses, leave banding or greyness inside the tooth. These respond more slowly, and sometimes only partly.

White or brown flecking left by too much fluoride during tooth development can often be evened out, although a small number of cases do better with a different approach.

If a professional dental cleaning has taken off the film and the colour underneath still bothers you, that is usually the point where whitening starts to make sense.

The cost depends on which part of the KoR system suits you, such as an in-office appointment, custom take-home trays or both. Dr. Medlenov recommends an approach at your consultation, and you receive a clear estimate before any whitening begins, so there are no surprises. You can review our financial options before you come in to see the payment choices available at our Pine Beach office.

Most dental plans treat whitening as a cosmetic procedure and do not cover it. Plans do vary, so we go through what yours includes with you before treatment starts. Related care that your plan may treat differently, such as a dental cleaning or treating decay before whitening, is reviewed at the same time. Payment choices are explained on our financial options page.

Whitening works best on healthy teeth with staining from coffee, tea, wine, tobacco or ageing. Decay, inflamed gums or a cracked filling need attention first. Staining from medication or illness responds more slowly and sometimes only partly. If you are pregnant or nursing, or have sensitive teeth, tell us at the consultation so we can discuss timing or a gentler schedule. Results vary from person to person.

There is no drilling and no anaesthetic. Your teeth and gums are examined and your starting shade is recorded. Your lips and gums are then protected, and the KoR gel is applied in timed rounds while you sit comfortably. If you are using take-home trays instead, you are shown exactly how much gel to use and for how long, because using more does not whiten faster.

Some patients notice short-lived sensitivity to cold over the following days, which usually settles on its own. Avoid coffee, tea, red wine and dark sauces for the first day or two. After that, how long the shade lasts depends on your habits. Most patients find it holds well for a good while, and keeping your custom trays makes an occasional touch-up simple.

In-office whitening is a supervised appointment with your gums shielded and the gel applied under direct control. Custom take-home trays are made from impressions of your own teeth, so you can whiten at your own pace. Many patients start in the chair and continue with trays, which is how KoR is most often used. Over-the-counter strips cannot protect your gums or fit your teeth the same way.

No. Whitening gel lifts the colour of natural enamel only, so crowns, veneers, bonding and tooth-coloured fillings stay their original shade. Dr. Medlenov notes existing dental work at your consultation and plans around it. If a front tooth is chipped or has an old restoration that no longer blends in, porcelain veneers or dental bonding matched to your brighter shade may help.