How Much Does Professional Teeth Whitening Cost?

No matter how great your oral care routine is at home, the foods that we eat and then beverages that we drink can cause our teeth to become dull and yellowed over time. This staining can sometimes be markedly improved upon by professional cleanings with your dentist but if that is not accomplishing the brightness that you want, you might consider professional whitening at smile eden prairie!

Over the counter, at-home whitening treatments can be effective but if you are someone who does not have the time and patience to dedicate for maximum at-home results, professional whitening might be the best option for you. The at-home options will be less costly but will take a significantly longer time to accomplish the whitening and brightening that can be achieved with one visit to your dental office.

How much does in-office professional whitening cost?

Opting to have your teeth professionally whitened in your dental office has some great advantages. The time spent is usually only about an hour and a half as opposed to the weeks you would spend on at-home whitening to achieve results that may not measure up to professional treatment. In-office whitening costs between $250 and $1000 and is considered a cosmetic procedure so dental insurance is not likely to cover whitening. With professional whitening treatments, the concentration of peroxide is higher than that found in over-the-counter treatments which is why it takes only an hour and a half. Whitening always comes with the risk of burning your gum tissue but choosing to have your teeth whitened by your dental professional allows for a controlled and monitored environment and reduces your risk of burning your gums!

Before beginning any type of whitening treatment, it is important to discuss your options with your dentist. There are some tooth maladies that cannot be improved with whitening and others that will not change with over the counter options. For example, patients with tetracycline stains cannot use simple over-the-counter options, these patients require a more intense professional whitening option like Kor whitening. It’s important to also note that composite bonding does not whiten so if you want to whiten but have composite on your front teeth, your natural tooth structure will whiten but the composite bonding will stay the same color.

There is a large number of at-home whitening products available on the market today, costing between $10 and $60. Patients can get products such as whitening toothpaste, gum, strips, and trays. If you are prone to sensitivity, at-home whitening may be more beneficial for you than intense professional since whitening at home is a much more gradual process. It is not uncommon to experience “zingers” while undergoing any type of whitening but they should only last a couple of days and may not happen at all.

Once you have achieved your bright new smile, using products with baking soda can help brush away daily stains to help keep your new smile white and bright as long as possible!

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