Cost of teeth whitening

Many people are looking for a whiter and brighter smile. A perfect set of whites can give you more opportunities. It is a reality in this world that you are judged by the way you look. So, investing on your beauty is one of the main events of life. Also, self-confidence can be more enhanced if you look good. And, if you know that you look good, you tend to become more sociable. You will be able to sell yourself to the corporate world. Life is much about marketing yourself to be able to succeed. Having perfectly white teeth give you an edge.

How do Americans value whiter teeth?

According to research, 99.7% of American adults think that having a nice smile is one of the greatest assets you can have. Another 74% believe that a crooked, stained or chipped teeth can damage your success in business and personal life. They say that an attractive smile is the key to be hired in a prestigious company and become successful in business deals and socially. This only implies that there is a great chance that you will not get the attention you want and deserve if you don’t have an attractive smile which includes white teeth.

So, how much do you have to spend for whiter teeth?

Since teeth whitening come in different forms, their costs also differ from one another. But teeth whitening is not as expensive and out of reach as it used to be years ago. It used to be thought that it is only affordable by the “rich”.

1-  Starting with in-office whitening procedure, it used to cost you about $650 to have this type of teeth whitening. But now it is not that expensive anymore. Yes, there are still offices that do charge anywhere from $500-$1000, but there are also lots of offices that have brought the prices down substantially to help the public afford that bright smile they deserve.  You can find specials running anywhere from $150-$350. The biggest advantage for many people is they will get instant results, up to 8 shades whiter  with in-office whitening. The results do vary on the type of staining you have and how yellow your teeth are. Another big advantage is that it will last for 1 year or more, depending on your choices of food and drinks and your oral hygiene habits.

If your teeth are very discolored, your dentist may recommend a home whitening after the in-office whitening.

2-  In the case of take-home teeth whitening, it used to cost about $400-$500. But now you can find lots of offices which offer this service for much less. This can run you anywhere from $100-$200. This costs a little less because you don’t use too much of the doctor’s professional time. It only takes longer time to see the aimed results (usually 7-10 days) but the result is just the same as the in-office bleaching and it can also last more than a year. This is because the concentration of the bleach is much less than the in-office products so not to damage your gums. A custom tray is made for you to also make sure of this.

3- Over the counter bleaching kits will cost you $17 to $55. The bleaching content of these OTC kits are much lower than the at-home teeth whitening you get from your dentist. Another reason for the lower cost is that you don’t get a custom tray fitted to YOUR mouth and you are not under the supervision of a dentist who will monitor you for any side effects or any accidents. This type of whitening may only last 2-3 months.

What would you be using after learning about the costs?  

The first thing to do is to talk to your dentist about it before using any bleaching kits be it in-office, take-home or OTC. Tell your dentist about your budget so they can steer you in the right direction. Many dentists give discounts for their regular patients. They also give modified payments where you can pay  with minimal or zero interest.

Keep this in mind: If money is the main concern, don’t just go for the cheapest option because in the long run, it can actually cost you more and you may end up with more problems. This is because the results will not be as great as the professional teeth whitening and you will have to repeat it every 2-3 months which will add to the cost very quickly and it can be damaging to have this done so often. So you may end up spending $100-$300 for a professional teeth whitening, but it will give you the optimal result and will last you much longer.

But of course, if you just want a temporary effect, let’s say you are invited to a special occasion and you can’t afford anything more than $50 at this time, then OTC bleaching products are definitely the best choice.

Hope this will help you in your decision of what type you should consider.

By: Dr. Ladan Zinati