Getting a whiter, brighter smile is at the top of many peoples’ to-do-lists, yet, when it comes to actually going after that smile, they’re not quite sure how to proceed. When they begin looking into whitening solutions and prices, they realize that there are a plethora of options, and at varying price ranges. While many individuals will look first at price and base their decision off of that, just as many – if not more – will understand that price isn’t always an accurate indicator of quality, and they’ll want to know WHY one solution is more or less expensive than another. And, if they’re thinking of paying the extra price, they’ll want to know if it’s actually worth it. Before they make a final decision, they’re going to research all of their options…
If you’re reading this now, that’s where you’re at: the research phase.
To make things easier on you, we’ve compiled a list of all the whitening solutions out there and included their benefits, drawbacks and, of course, the prices of each.
Professional Whitening:
Professional whitening is an in-office procedure that can be completed in just one office visit. Results are visible immediately and can last anywhere from one year to several years.
This process requires just 1-2 hours of your time and involves the application of hydrogen peroxide directly to your teeth. You can expect your teeth to look anywhere from two to eight shades whiter afterwards.
While all that may sound great and you may be thinking, “Where do I sign up?” we must warn you: the procedure costs in the ballpark of $650 and, depending on your teeth, may require you to wear take-home whitening trays for a certain period of time post-treatment.
Dentist-Administered Whitening Trays:
As mentioned above, take-home trays can be used to optimize the results of professional whitening, but they can also be used as a stand-alone treatment. In the long-run, these trays may be more effective than in-office whitening only because they tend to be used over an extended period of time.
Take home trays involve a set of custom-fitted trays into which you squeeze prescribed whitening gel. You must wear them a few hours each day (or night!) for up to two weeks if you hope to achieve the desired results. The results will vary, but should last for up to a year.
The trays do cost around $400 a set, but once they’re made, you’ll only have to buy the whitening gel. The upfront costs might be steep – and the time it takes to achieve the desired results long – but it does beat having to pay $650 every year or so to get those pearly whites back!
Now, if you have sensitive teeth, this is probably not the solution for you, as continuous bleaching does cause increased sensitivity.
Over-the-Counter Solutions:
The bonus with over-the-counter solutions is that they’ll cost you between $17 and $55. However, you’re getting what you pay for.
These solutions don’t provide nearly the dramatic results you’d get with professional treatments, and the amount of time/applications need to be doubled to get ANY results. Furthermore, over-the-counter solutions use far lower concentrations of bleach than dentist-prescribed solutions; for the average person, this means less dramatic results, but for the person who suffers from tooth-sensitivity, this could be a good thing?…
Because there are so many different whitening solutions that vary so drastically in their results, we’ve dedicated a whole other blog post to them. Visit https://dentalpassions.com/over-the-counter-teeth-whitening/ for more information on your over-the counter-solutions! Or, if you’re already sold on an in-office solution, visit https://dentalpassions.com/cosmetic-dentistry/ or call 847-742-4214 today.
