Teeth Whitening Costs
Teeth whitening costs by and large determine the approach you choose to brighten up your teeth. Having a bright and attractive smile is something almost everyone wants.
But it wasn’t so long ago when the only teeth whitening systems accessible were through dentists who had that particular expertise. The dental procedure wasn’t very much publicized, being something the rich and famous had the excess cash to have done.
But these days, brightening your smile has been made affordable for almost everyone. From the teeth whitening system you see advertised on a TV infomercial, to endless whitening products you come across in the local drugstore, the choice is yours.
If money isn’t an issue, a dentist is probably the best place to begin. A dentist can offer suggestions on which teeth whitening system does the best job. They have several that they administer in their office that can give almost instant results. These typically aren’t covered by any dental plans, as they are considered to be elective or cosmetic dentistry, so the patient needs to pay out of their own pocket for this type of teeth whitening system.
Unlike an at home whitening system which keeps a weak hydrogen peroxide solution in contact with your teeth for an extended period of time, a professional teeth whitening system will keep a strong peroxide solution in contact with your teeth for a short period of time. Generally, an hour long dentist appointment will whiten your teeth in the same amount of time as they’d whiten during two weeks of at-home treatment.
Professional teeth whitening systems are convenient because they involve only several appointments (sometimes just one) in order to produce visible results. The teeth whitening costs for this procedure will be about $500 dollars.
On the other hand, a quick trip to a local drugstore usually results in your choice of several different at-home teeth whitening products all created to improve the look of a dingy smile. Rembrandt, Crest, and several other brands offer cheap teeth whitening systems.
The most popular teeth whitening system and one that’s often advertised on television and in magazines are the dental strips. These systems, like Crest White Strips, use a peroxide mix applied to your teeth over the course of a a couple of days or weeks for bleaching of any discolorations. The peroxide is held to your teeth either by a tray, similar to a football mouthpiece, or by adhesive strips. The peroxide mixture usually ranges from 6% to 10% peroxide, depending on the brand.
Those who don’t like going to the dentist may prefer this system, since no dental visit is required. It’s also cheaper than the alternative teeth whitening system. However, it may take a few weeks to see results, so the at-home systems are not good choices for those who want a whiter smile for an upcoming event.
There are some products that seem to work better than others. It seems like whenever a new type of product like this saturates the market, people start looking for the cheapest one. There are times when the cheapest ones are not effective.
It’s important to check with your dentist before trying some of the more advanced or deluxe systems to make sure that the dental work you have in your mouth won’t be altered by some of the chemicals that are in these products.
It’s important to not only check the ingredients in the product that you’re buying, but also compare the ingredients in similar products that are more expensive. Some times you are paying more because of the brand name and other times you’re paying more because there are more active ingredients in that brand name product. Compare more than price, compare the active ingredients, the amount that’s needed to be effective, and the size of the actual product.
Occasionally the products are packaged to appear that you’re getting more than you really are, or you need to use twice as much of the product if you follow the manufacturers recommended application.
Both at-home and professional teeth whitening systems put users at risk of possible side effects. In fact, an estimated one half of all people using at home whitening systems experience some temporary side effects, usually in the form of sensitive teeth or irritated gums. This come from an overexposure to peroxide. Customers who intend to continue using these systems are advised to use less peroxide or switch to a brand with a lower concentration of peroxide in the paste to avoid further irritation.
Having just issued the above cautionary warning, with so many different products available it’s easy to see why so many people are renewing the look of their smiles. With small teeth whitening costs or investment, and time, you’re able to completely update the appearance of your teeth.