Get a Brighter Smile in 2026: 3 Reasons to Consider Professional Teeth Whitening

Before whitening your teeth, it’s important to take care of any underlying tooth decay or gum disease first.

Danny Jeon, DMD, performs a thorough dental exam before professionally whitening your teeth. Our expert team also provides a range of cosmetic and preventative dental procedures to keep you smiling all year long at Tucker Family Dental in Tucker, GA.

What causes tooth discoloration?

Teeth handle a lot of pressure every day. Over time, wear-and-tear causes the enamel to erode, revealing a yellowish layer called dentin.

Various other factors can stain your teeth, including:

1. Colorful foods like berries, chocolate, and tomato sauce
2. Beverages, such as red wine, coffee, and tea
3. Tobacco products
4. Excess fluoride over the years
5. Certain medications

Fortunately, Dr. Jeon offers teeth whitening to erase many of these stains.

Why consider professional whitening?

Professional teeth whitening offers the following benefits.

1. More effective whitening

Dr. Jeon uses more powerful bleaching agents than over-the-counter products. The result is generally quicker and more impressive than doing it yourself.

Tooth whitening can cause sensitivity, especially if you have any tooth decay. That’s why Dr. Jeon examines your teeth to ensure they’re in the best shape prior to whitening.

2. A polished smile makes you feel more polished

Feeling comfortable displaying your pearly whites makes you feel more confident. Whitening your teeth helps boost self-esteem, which can affect your life in far-reaching ways.

3. Customize your smile

Using a DIY whitening kit is hit-or-miss at best (mostly miss). 

Professional whitening adds a level of security. Dr. Jeon advises you on the proper shade for your smile and how to avoid over-whitening. Our custom molds also enable you to evenly coat each tooth, ensuring a consistent shade throughout.

Once you decide to enhance your smile professionally through whitening, it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.

The whitening process

The process involves several steps and requires a couple of visits to reach your desired results.

Dr. Jeon:

1. Creates molds of your teeth
2. Sends these to the lab to make clear custom-fitting plastic trays
3. Provides the appropriate whitening solution at your next appointment to use at home

The solution contains hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. You wear the trays twice a day for half an hour over two weeks to substantially brighten your smile.

Contraindications for teeth whitening

While teeth whitening works well for most, it’s not advised for others, such as:

1. Children younger than age 16
2. Pregnant women
3. Those with sensitivities to the whitening materials

If you have extensive crowns, implants, or bridges that can’t be whitened, Dr. Jeon discusses better ways to improve the look of your smile.

Create lasting results

Depending upon your lifestyle, diet, and dental hygiene, your whitening may last anywhere from six months to two years. During that time, it’s important to maintain your new smile. 

Dr. Jeon suggests:

1. Rinsing away stain-causing foods with water or mouthwash
2. Avoiding smoking and tobacco products, especially right after whitening
3. Using a straw for darker or more acidic beverages to bypass teeth
4. Brushing and flossing regularly to remove new stains and plaque

While whitening won’t lighten crowns and veneers, it will change the shade of your natural tooth enamel. Dr. Jeon may recommend toothpaste containing baking soda or hydrogen peroxide to stop new stains from forming.

If you’d like to schedule professional teeth whitening or discuss other dental concerns, simply call our office at (678) 233-2945 or book an appointment online with Tucker Family Dental today.