Teeth whitening

Who this is for

Your teeth have yellowed with age or picked up stain from coffee, tea, red wine or tobacco, and your teeth and gums are healthy.
You are planning new front fillings, crowns or veneers and want to whiten first, so the new work matches the lighter shade.
You have tried whitening toothpaste or strips and want to know what a dentist can and cannot add.

Who should wait, or choose something else

Pregnancy. We wait until after the baby is born, as the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry advises. We also wait while you are breastfeeding.
Decay, leaking fillings or gum disease. We treat these first: gel that seeps into a cavity makes the tooth sensitive, and inflamed gums react to it. See deep cleaning.
Sensitive teeth or exposed roots. Whitening can make sensitivity worse for a while, so we find the cause first.
Crowns, veneers, bonding or fillings on front teeth. They keep their color and can end up darker than the teeth around them.

What we do at our office

We provide whitening in our office. Dr. Baruch Tetri, DDS, is a periodontist (a dentist who specializes in the gums), so your gums are checked as carefully as your shade.

The whitening system we use is KöR.

What happens at the visit

Check-up. We examine your teeth and gums, ask about your health, medicines, allergies and sensitivity, and take X-rays if they are due. We note each filling, crown and veneer that shows when you smile.
Treatment first, if needed. Decay, leaking fillings and inflamed gums are treated before whitening. A professional cleaning removes surface stain, and for some people that is enough.
Whitening. We record your starting shade, protect your gums and apply the gel. Tell us at once if a gum stings; gel has usually touched it, and we rinse it off.
Afterward. Mild sensitivity in the first days is common; with trays you can pause for a day or two. More gel or longer wear than prescribed irritates the gums and can roughen the enamel, without speeding anything up.
Review. We compare the shade with where you started. A front filling or crown that no longer matches can be replaced, but not straight away: bleaching can weaken the bond of new tooth-colored work to enamel.

Risks and limits

Tooth sensitivity is the most common side effect; it is usually mild and passes within a few days.
Gum irritation, from gel on the gum or a tray edge, is also common and usually settles within a few days.
Only natural teeth whiten; crowns, veneers, fillings and bonding keep their color.
Results vary and no shade is promised: yellowish teeth usually lighten well, brownish teeth less, and grayish teeth may hardly change.
The color fades, sooner with coffee, tea, red wine and tobacco; without them a result can last up to a year.

Whitening for teenagers

The ADA advises seeing a dentist before using any whitening product. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry discourages whitening while baby teeth remain, because the adult teeth that come in later will not match, and asks that an adult supervise any at-home product a young patient uses.

Questions patients ask

Are whitening toothpastes and strips the same as whitening at the dentist?

No. Whitening toothpastes remove surface stain without changing the color of the tooth. Strips and other over-the-counter gels use less peroxide than in-office whitening and usually take longer; if you use them, choose one with the ADA Seal of Acceptance.

How does in-office whitening compare with take-home trays?

Neither has been shown to be clearly better: a 2025 review of the trials found the same chance of sensitivity with both, milder with trays, on low-quality evidence. In-office whitening is quicker; trays let you pause.

Will whitening change my crowns, veneers or fillings?

No. If you are planning porcelain veneers or new crowns, whiten first and we match the new work to the result. To compare whitening with other options, see smile design.

What does whitening cost?

Dental insurance rarely pays for whitening, because plans treat it as cosmetic.

Sources

Request a visit

Book a check-up first and you will leave knowing whether whitening suits your teeth; we are at 16690 Collins Avenue, Suite 701, Sunny Isles Beach, serving Aventura and greater Miami.