ServicesTeeth Whitening
Teeth Whitening in Westborough
We lighten stains from coffee, tea, wine and time with in-office whitening, custom take-home trays or both. Every plan starts with an exam and a recorded starting shade. One person at our office answers your questions and keeps your visits on track.
What professional whitening can and cannot do
Whitening lifts stains that settle into enamel over years of coffee, tea, red wine and ordinary aging. We offer two methods. One is a single in-office session with a stronger gel applied under close watch. The other is custom trays you wear at home with a milder gel over a couple of weeks. Many patients use the office session to start and the trays to finish.
It works on natural enamel only. Gel has no effect on porcelain or composite, so a crown, veneer or tooth-colored filling stays the color it was matched to on the day it was placed. If you have dental work along your smile line, we plan around it before any gel goes on. Gray banding from certain childhood antibiotics, or a single tooth that darkened after an injury, may lighten slowly or very little. We tell you that at the start, not after the session.
From your first phone call, one person at our office handles your questions, schedules each visit and checks in on how your teeth feel afterward. You will not have to repeat your history to someone new each time.
What your whitening treatment includes
- Exam and starting shade
- We check for cavities, worn enamel, exposed roots and irritated gums first. Gel on an open cavity hurts and fixes nothing. We record your shade with a shade guide and photos so you can compare before and after with your own eyes.
- Cleaning before any gel
- Plaque and tartar sit between the gel and your enamel and leave blotchy results. If you are due, we pair whitening with your regular exams and cleanings.
- In-office whitening
- We protect your gums with a painted-on barrier, hold your lips and cheeks back comfortably, and apply hydrogen peroxide gel in timed rounds. Between rounds we check the shade and how your teeth feel.
- Custom take-home trays
- Trays are made from a scan or impression of your teeth, so they hold the gel against enamel and away from your gums. Store-bought trays cannot do that, which is why they often cause gum burn.
- A plan for sensitivity
- Short-lived zings are common. We can use a desensitizing gel, suggest a potassium nitrate toothpaste for the weeks around treatment, or space out your tray sessions.
Signs whitening may be right for you
Stains cleanings no longer lift
A cleaning removes surface staining. When teeth still look yellow afterward, the color is inside the enamel, and that is what whitening reaches.
A crown or bridge is coming
If you need a new crown or bridge near the front, whitening first lets us match the new tooth to your brighter shade. Once it is made, its color is fixed.
Patchy results from strips
Strips cover flat surfaces and miss the edges and the spaces between teeth. Uneven bands are a common reason patients come to us.
You just finished aligners
After Invisalign treatment, many patients want the color to match the new alignment. We can time whitening around your retainers.
Gradual yellowing with age
Enamel thins over the years and the darker layer beneath shows through. Whitening often brings back a noticeable amount of brightness.
How a whitening visit goes
- 1
A conversation by phone
You tell us what bothers you about your smile and any past sensitivity. The person you speak with sets up your appointment and stays your contact through the whole treatment.
- 2
Exam, cleaning and shade
Your exam is done by a board certified dentist, who looks at your enamel, gums and existing dental work. We clean, record your shade and walk you through which method suits your teeth.
- 3
Whitening, in office or at home
In the chair, you rest while the gel works in rounds and we check your comfort between each one. If you are going the take-home route, we check that each tray sits snugly, demonstrate the small dab of gel each one needs, and send you off with a written schedule for wearing them.
- 4
Final shade and follow-up
We hold the shade guide up to your teeth again and set the new photos beside the first ones, so the change is plain to see. Your contact then asks how your teeth feel and, if you like, plans a touch-up schedule.
What affects the cost of whitening
Most dental insurance plans treat whitening as cosmetic, which means the treatment itself is usually paid out of pocket. Our office accepts most dental insurance plans, and the exam and cleaning that come before whitening may fall under your preventive benefits. Patients without insurance can look at our Office Dental Plan. The CareCredit Patient Payment Plan is also available for spreading the cost into smaller payments over time.
- The method you choose
- An in-office session, custom trays or a combination of the two each involve different chair time and materials.
- Work needed first
- A cavity, gum irritation or an overdue cleaning should be taken care of before whitening, and that adds to the overall plan.
- The kind of staining
- Deep or internal discoloration may call for extra sessions or a longer tray schedule than everyday coffee staining.
- Touch-ups over time
- If you hold on to your trays, a later touch-up needs only fresh gel, not a new set made from scratch.
Teeth whitening questions
Something not covered here? (508) 466-0049
Does whitening damage enamel?
Professional peroxide gels used as directed do not wear away enamel. What patients usually feel is temporary sensitivity, which tends to fade within a day or two of finishing. If your teeth react, we lower the strength or change the schedule.
Will my crowns and fillings whiten too?
No. Crowns, veneers and tooth-colored fillings hold their original color. If one sits along your smile line, it can look darker once the natural teeth around it lighten, and we talk through whether replacing it afterward makes sense for you.
How long will my whiter shade hold?
Your diet decides most of it. Daily coffee, tea or red wine pulls stain back into enamel faster than a lighter routine does. An occasional short session with your trays keeps the color where you want it.
Can my teenager have their teeth whitened?
We usually wait until the permanent teeth are fully in and the nerves inside them have settled, since young teeth are more sensitive. We look at this during the exam. Our kids' dentistry page covers how we care for younger patients.
Is whitening covered by insurance?
Usually not, because most plans treat it as cosmetic. The exam and cleaning before treatment may be covered, and we can go over your benefits with you. CareCredit and our Office Dental Plan are both available if you want help with the cost.
Start with an exam and an honest shade goal
We have been in practice over 11 years, and whitening still begins the same way: a careful look at your enamel and a clear sense of what it will do. One person will be your contact from the first call to the final shade check.