Whitening/Cosmetic Guide
Start With What Can Be Done Before Cutting Anything

01How Tooth Color Works — What Can and Can’t Be Whitened

There are two reasons teeth look yellow. Extrinsic staining left on the surface by coffee, tea, and tobacco, and cases where the natural color of the dentin beneath the enamel shows through. Extrinsic staining is largely resolved with scaling/AIRFLOW powder cleaning, while brightening the natural color requires whitening.

02Seongmo Dental’s Whitening — 4 Beautis Light Programs

Seongmo Dental combines the Osstem Beautis Light high-output lamp with professional-grade whitening agents, offered as 4 programs you can choose based on your schedule.

This procedure doesn’t shave down the tooth and is completed anywhere from the same day to within 3 weeks. The achievable brightness varies by individual based on the original tooth color, so we measure your shade before the procedure to set a realistic target tone together.

03Whitening Process and Sensitivity Management

Sensitivity is the most common side effect of whitening, but it’s a temporary reaction that mostly settles within 1-3 days. Using sensitivity toothpaste even before the procedure helps ease it, and for those with strong sensitivity, we adjust by lowering intensity per session and spreading out the number of sessions.

04When Whitening Isn’t Enough — in an Order That Avoids Cutting First

If it’s not purely a color issue, or the discoloration exceeds whitening’s limits, we consider the next steps. Seongmo Dental’s principle stays the same here too: start with the method that removes the least tooth structure.

① Resin Build-Up — Usually a Single Same-Day Session

Black triangular gaps between teeth, small gaps, and chipped corners are improved by applying resin with almost no tooth reduction, using the Bioclear™ special matrix and high-output light curing. Most are finished in a single same-day session.

② Veneers — No-Prep Is the Top Priority

For deep discoloration or when shape improvement is also desired, veneers are considered, but Seongmo Dental diagnoses with no-prep as the top priority. We choose from E-max ceramic, a 0.1mm ultra-thin platinum-foil hand-crafted method, or the Minish system (by a certified specialist), matching the method to tooth condition, and if some reduction is unavoidable, we explain the amount and reason first.

05Whitening vs. Resin Build-Up vs. Veneers

The order principle: Scaling/stain removal → whitening → resin build-up → veneers. If an earlier step solves it, you don’t move to the next.

06Making the Whitening Results Last

• 48-Hour White Diet After the Procedure — Avoid strongly colored foods/drinks like coffee, black tea, wine, curry, and kimchi stew. This period is when you’re most vulnerable to re-staining.
• Use a Straw for Dark Drinks — Reduces contact with the front teeth.
• Quit Smoking — The fastest way to cause re-staining.
• Regular AIRFLOW Cleaning — Periodically removing surface staining helps brightness last longer. Combine with scaling every 6-12 months.
• Touch-Up Whitening — If the tone fades over time, a short touch-up can restore it.

07Cost — Published at Fixed Prices

Whitening, resin build-up, and veneers are non-covered treatment. Seongmo Dental publishes fees at fixed prices, so you can check the cost for each program before consultation. See the Non-Covered Fee Guide for exact amounts, and after diagnosis we provide a total covering only the procedures you need. Whitening is a cosmetic procedure and isn’t covered by National Health Insurance or private insurance.

08Frequently Asked Questions