Lauren* had always felt she had “bad teeth.” Before she came to our office, another dentist told her she needed a lot of dental work. She didn’t love that dentist. She had been following our office for a few years, and she knew I would take the time to learn what she was looking for and deliver it.
What Mattered Most to Her
Lauren would love straight bottom teeth someday, but that wasn’t her priority. Fixing her upper teeth was most important, because they are what shows the most in photos.
She also had a deadline: a big wedding she was attending in 3 months. Her dental work needed to be finished by the wedding date.
“Not a Candidate for Whitening”
For years, dentists told Lauren she had tetracycline staining, so she was not a candidate for teeth whitening.
“Yes, whitening tetracycline-stained teeth is hard, but it’s not impossible. It requires a longer whitening process, but very often the results can be breathtaking.”
Her Treatment
We completed 12 upper crowns, including a bridge, and we whitened her lower teeth to match. Her whole smile transformation took 5 appointments.
Her whitening had three steps:
- A 45-minute in-office conditioning appointment to start the whitening process.
- 8 weeks of nightly whitening at home with custom trays.
- A final 1-hour in-office deep whitening session.
The Result: About 8 Shades Whiter
Her lower teeth whitened about 8 shades, and they now match her upper crowns. To give you perspective, that is the lightest “natural shade” a patient can achieve. Anything whiter is considered a “bleach shade,” and it is often so white that it looks unnatural.
In the future, Lauren hopes to straighten her lower teeth. For now, she is thrilled with how beautiful and natural her teeth look. I’m in love with her smile too.
See more results in our before and after gallery.
*All photos and stories are of actual patients. Patient names changed for confidentiality.
