Our teeth take a beating, day in and day out. Between meals that contribute to plaque buildup and drinks that stain and other complications, it can be difficult to keep your pearly whites, well, white. Thankfully, metro area dental practices have a solution.

Located in the Ladue Crossing Shopping Center, Ladue Dental Group specializes in a wide variety of services, including teeth whitening.

The medical professionals here will be the first to tell you if teeth whitening is right for you. During appointments, dentists are on the lookout for discolored or sensitive teeth, white spots or decay, infected gums and other dental work – factors which may indicate that teeth whitening isn’t the best solution.

However, once dentists have confirmed a patient is a candidate for teeth whitening, they will work with the individual to determine whether an over-the-counter solution or dentist-supervised treatment would be best. In general, teeth whitening – often called bleaching – can last between four and 12 months.

According to Ladue Dental Group, in-office treatment typically whitens teeth between five and 10 shades, and patients are “likely to be more satisfied with the results of a dentist-dispensed kit than by a store-bought kit.”

Ladue Dental Group, 8859 Ladue Road, Ladue, 314-983-8011, laduedentalgroup.com

The team at Forest Park Dental understands that no matter how diligent folks are when taking care of their teeth, those teeth will eventually lose their luster over time. And while consuming or otherwise enjoying things like coffee, soda, wine, cigarettes and cigars may hasten this decline, Forest Park Dental can help restore natural color.

Forest Park Dental clinicians offer Phillips Zoom teeth whitening treatment as a solution. Dentists first make an impression of the person’s teeth, which is used to create custom-fitted whitening trays for each patient’s teeth. These clear plastic trays can be taken home and worn either a few hours a day or overnight, based on the dentist’s recommendation. All patients must do is insert whitening gel into the trays before use.

This simple solution is more effective than store-bought options like whitening strips because the trays whiten all teeth at once, according to Forest Park Dental’s website. Plus, clinic staff demonstrate how to use the trays and identify when to stop, so patients can count on less fuss and more consistency in their treatment.

Forest Park Dental, 4527 Forest Park Ave., St. Louis, 314-367-7200, forestparkdental.com

This Ladue-based clinic combines orthodontics with cosmetic dental services to take a holistic approach to a patient’s health.

Founded this June by Dr. Erin Fraundorf, BOCA features a treatment intentionally designed for each customer. This custom approach means patients work with clinicians to develop a “unique treatment plan” based on their goals and unique needs. This could include everything from orthodontic solutions to teeth whitening and beyond.

Either way, it’s the service that goes above and beyond what’s typical in the industry – and why Fraundorf’s patients are already raving about her services.

BOCA Studio, 9727 Clayton Road, Ladue, 314-907-2622, boca-studio.com

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