how much does teeth whitening cost

How Much Does Teeth Whitening Cost? and 3 Other FAQ for Dentists

Americans pay dentists $140 million dollars each year to whiten their teeth. Teeth whitening is an 11 billion dollar industry altogether. When it comes to deciding between professional and DIY home solutions, it’s hard to tell which is the best value.

How much does teeth whitening cost to achieve pearly-white teeth again? Which method is most effective? Are there any risks for attempting either method?

These questions, and more, will be answered in our quick look at the cost of whitening teeth.

How Much Does Teeth Whitening Cost?

To get to the root of this question, we need to look at the costs of both professional and at-home products.

Professional Whitening

The average cost is at around $650. This cost is just a rough estimate because everyone’s teeth are different. The degree of staining and possible preexisting conditions can greatly affect this price.

What you get though is instant, dramatic, and long-lasting results. A professional whitening with your dentist is just one appointment. It takes less than an hour to transform your smile completely.

The bleaching agent used by dentists is not available over the counter. The advertised OTC products don’t sell the same exact formulas.

Store-Bought Whitening Kits

The DIY at-home whitening kits vary wildly on price. You can get “whitening strips” for as little as $10-20. You can buy teeth molds that cover more and bleach better for around $80-100.

Finally, you can also purchase semi-professional kits that cost about half as much as a professional dental job. These incorporate personalized teeth impressions to make the whitening trays. You get them in the mail and then wear them for about an hour a day.

What Do You Do After Whitening?

Restaining your teeth after whitening them is a tragic thing to do. To avoid this, you should avoid highly acidic foods, coffee, cigarettes, soda, and anything with artificial dyes in them.

Brushing should happen one hour after every meal. Brushing too soon after can actually be too abrasive. Remember to floss, either with a water pick or a good wax floss.

Besides following good hygiene, you should be seeing your dentist for regular checkups and teeth cleanings. Sometimes you need a little touch-up treatment if your teeth are showing signs of stains. Be prepared to notice imperfections more often with whiter teeth.

What Do Whiteners Work Best On?

Teeth whitening isn’t a magic bullet, despite it being highly effective. Bleaching teeth works best on typical yellow and brown staining. Uncommon stains that are blue or much darker colors don’t bleach out well.

This means either multiple professional treatments or considering other alternatives. Veneers or crowns could be more viable solutions to permanently stained teeth.

What Are the Risks?

Ask your dentist if your teeth are especially vulnerable to whitening. This could be from underlying problems or very high tooth sensitivity. After applying the treatment, the enamel is very sensitive and the gums can be tender.

These are only temporary and usually go away after a day. At-home whiteners carry the same issues, but usually milder due to having a weaker formula. Special toothpaste can be used to reduce sensitivity levels.

More Information and Consultations

If you want to know how much does teeth whitening cost for your area, you can call us. PB Smile Studio is an experienced an talented team of dentists. We offer free consultations for new patients.

We’ll help you achieve a better smile, whether that’s though tooth whitening or any other dental procedure you may need done.

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