Professional Teeth Whitening
in Balwyn
Our dentist-guided take-home whitening will brighten your smile two shades or more, safely and at your own pace.
Providing expert dental care
Dental technology and procedures
Facilities and rooms
Plans & private health rebates available
Professional Teeth Whitening: Why We Recommend Take-Home
Whitening is the simplest cosmetic treatment we offer: no drilling, no injections and nothing removed from your teeth. It lifts years of stain and brightens your whole smile, and it’s often the first step before other cosmetic work.
There are two ways to whiten your teeth at the dentist. In-chair whitening is done in a single visit, and many practices offer it. Take-home whitening uses custom trays and a professional gel that you wear at home for about two weeks. We only offer take-home, because in our experience it gives a better result, costs less and is far more comfortable: the gel lightens your teeth gradually, rather than in one strong session that can leave them sharply sensitive.
Dentist Whitening vs Shop Kits
Whitening at the dentist is a very different thing from a shop kit or a whitening bar:
Trays that fit. Shop trays come in one size. Ours are made for your teeth, so the gel covers each tooth evenly and stays off your gums.
Gel chosen for you. We choose the gel to suit your teeth, and if they become sensitive, we adjust your treatment rather than leaving you to push through it.
A dental check first. A whitening bar won’t notice decay, gum problems or old crowns that won’t change colour. We check for all of these before you spend anything on a kit.
How Take-Home Whitening Works
Here's how it works with us, from your first check-up to top-ups later on:
Step 1
A check-up and clean
Dr Rostkier makes sure your teeth and gums are healthy enough to whiten, and we clean off surface stain so the gel works on the tooth itself.
Step 2
Your custom trays
We record the shape of your teeth and have thin, comfortable trays made to fit them closely.
Step 3
Fitting and instructions
When you collect your trays and gel, we check the fit and show you how much gel to use, so you're confident doing it at home.
Step 4
Two weeks at home
You wear the trays for about an hour a day, for up to two weeks. Some people reach the shade they want sooner, and you can stop when you're happy.
Step 5
Touch-ups when you need them
Your trays are yours to keep, so when your shade starts to fade, you only need more gel.
Planning Around an Event or New Dental Work
If you'd like whiter teeth for a wedding, a family photo or a new role, allow a few weeks: time for your check-up, for your trays to be made, and for up to two weeks of whitening before the day. Starting early also means there's no rush if your teeth need a clean or a small filling first.
Whitening also comes first if you're planning crowns, veneers or new white fillings on your front teeth. Those don't change colour once they're made, so we whiten your natural teeth to the shade you want and then match the new work to it. If you already have crowns or veneers at the front, we'll tell you before you start whether they're likely to need replacing so your smile stays even.
What Whitening Can and Can't Do
Whitening works best on natural teeth that have yellowed with age or picked up stain from coffee, tea, red wine or smoking. Yellow tones usually lighten more readily than grey ones.
It won't change the colour of crowns, veneers or white fillings. Deep staining inside a tooth, or a single tooth that has turned dark, usually doesn't respond well to whitening either. A tooth that has darkened after root canal treatment won't lighten with regular whitening, and we'll talk you through other options. For deeper discolouration, veneers or another cosmetic treatment may give a better result, and Dr Rostkier will explain honestly which is worth considering.
Whitening isn't suitable during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, so it's best to wait until afterwards. If you have gum disease, cracked teeth or untreated decay, we'll treat those first, because whitening gel on an unhealthy tooth can be painful.
Why Patients Choose Us for Whitening
Cost, Health Funds and Payment
The cost depends mainly on whether your teeth need a clean or any treatment before you whiten. After your check-up, you'll receive a written, itemised estimate before anything is made.
Whitening is cosmetic, so Medicare doesn't cover it and many health funds don't either. If your extras cover does include it, you can claim on the spot with HICAPS, and your check-up and clean are usually claimable as general dental. We accept all major credit cards, cash and cheques, and payment plans are available.
Meet Dr Steven Rostkier
Dr Steven Rostkier grew up in Doncaster, just up the road, and wanted to be a dentist from a young age. He graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1999, spent 18 months working in England to broaden his experience, and has looked after patients in Balwyn since 2006. Since graduating, he has trained further in implant, cosmetic and sedation dentistry, and in endodontics (root canal treatment).
"My approach to dentistry is achieving high quality, precision results using the latest technology, but no gimmicks. All to achieve your individualised goals."
He takes a conservative approach, recommending the least treatment that will give you the result you want. The work he enjoys most is implants, crowns and onlays, veneers and gum health. A father of four, he's at ease with children and families, and outside the practice you'll find him on the golf course or tennis court, travelling, or barracking for Carlton.
Our Friendly Dental Team
From the moment you walk in, our team will make sure you feel welcome and well looked after, and our hygienists will help keep your teeth and gums healthy between visits.
What Our Patients Say
Visit Us in Balwyn
You'll find us at 2a/379-381 Whitehorse Road, on the north side between Balwyn Road and Yerrin Street, near the Balwyn Library and the Palace Balwyn cinema.
Opening Hours
Monday: 8:30am to 7pm
Tuesday to Thursday: 8am to 5pm
Friday: 8am to 4:30pm
Saturday and Sunday: closed
We run on time 95% of the time. On the rare occasion we’re behind, we’ll let you know before you arrive.
Getting Here
By car: there’s parking at the rear of our building, and street parking on Mangan Street and nearby side streets (check the signs for time limits). Call us and we’ll tell you the best spot for that time of day.
By tram or bus: take the 109 tram to Stop 47 (Balwyn Rd/Whitehorse Rd). It’s a two-minute flat walk to our door. The 285 bus from Camberwell or Doncaster also stops nearby.
Questions before you book?
Call us on (03) 9831 3272. We’re happy to talk through the process, the cost or how to find us.
Questions?
Yes, when a dentist checks your teeth first and supervises the treatment. Shop kits and salon whitening skip that check, so problems such as decay or gum disease can be missed, and whitening over them can be painful.
It shouldn't. Some people notice sensitivity or mild gum irritation during the two weeks, and both settle once you finish. If your teeth are already sensitive, we'll suggest a desensitising toothpaste or fluoride gel to use before and during treatment.
It depends on your natural shade and what caused the staining. Yellowing from age, coffee or tea usually responds well, and grey tones less so. Dr Rostkier will tell you what to expect at your check-up, before you commit to anything.
Whitening fades gradually, and how quickly depends mostly on what you eat and drink. Coffee, tea, red wine and smoking bring stain back sooner, especially during your two weeks of whitening. Because you keep your trays, a few nights with a top-up of gel every so often keeps your shade where you want it.
Surface stain comes from coffee, tea, red wine, smoking and plaque. Deeper discolouration starts inside the tooth, from genetics, some medications, ageing or an injury.