Getting your teeth whitened through professional help, also known as going to the dentist’s clinic, costs around $500 to $1000. It depends on what kind of teeth whitening procedure you avail of, but the usual cost is around that range.
Accordingly, the teeth whitening procedures can make your teeth by eight shades brighter once you complete the process. The procedures take 30 to 60 minutes per visit. This gets repeated two to four times to get the results that you want. However, some dentists use technological advances that the teeth whitening procedure can get done in just two hours during a single appointment.
However, if you want to whiten your teeth through products you can buy over the counter or through at-home care, the cost will be significantly lower than what you would pay for in-office-based teeth bleaching.
The smarter choice here is going to the dentist because they already know how long they should keep the product on the teeth. Naturally, you can see the results faster than when you do at-home procedures. Dentists use heat and light to add to the speed of the process.
But if you insist on trying tooth bleaching kits, you could buy them over the counter, and it is best to ask your dentist what are the recommended products you can try. You can use whitening gels and strips, and these are applied to your teeth with a brush or a thin, sticky strip. The usual recommendation is to use these products twice a day for two weeks. The standard cost for this kind of at-home remedies is $10 to $55.
An illustration showing white teeth.
If you want, you can also use tray-based tooth bleaching systems. These are mouth guard-like trays that are filled with bleaching gel or paste. It is placed over your teeth, and you are recommended to use it for one to a few more hours per day. Sometimes, to see the results you want, you will have to use it for up to four weeks. The cost for this is $150 to $600. You can buy it over the counter or have a custom fitting through your dentist.
You can also opt for whitening toothpaste.
Know, though, that both in-office-based and at-home teeth whitening use peroxide-based bleaching agents. The only difference is the percentage. For clinic-based teeth whitening procedures, the carbamide or hydrogen peroxides reach 15 to 43 percent. For products you can buy over the counter, the bleaching agents are only 3 to 20 percent.
The longer the solution is on our teeth, the whiter it becomes. You need to be cautious, though, because the higher the percentage of bleaching agents present in the teeth whitening solution, the shorter they should be applied to your teeth. If you keep the products too long, the tooth will get dehydrated. If this happens, it will increase the sensitivity of the teeth.
Another thing you have to know is that teeth whitening, either through professional procedures or over the counter products, will never whiten porcelain crowns or tooth-colored bonding.
