There are times when your pearly whites don’t look so white anymore and that may get you wondering how much does teeth whitening cost.
Unfortunately, unlike medical procedures like having a mammogram, teeth whitening is rarely covered by health insurance or Medicare and you will most likely have to pay out of pocket.
The fee amount you have to pay depends on the type of professional whitening services, the dentist, the extent of teeth discoloration, and the number of sessions you have to go through before your teeth regain their white color.
However, typical whitening charges for teeth are approximately $500 per whitening session with a professional dentist.
Whitening Teeth by Bleaching
The most common method of whitening teeth is by bleaching. The dentist uses beach products that contain peroxide which act to remove surface stains and deep stains.
The dentist or dental hygienist will first make an impression of your teeth for purposes of making a mouth guard. The dentist will then apply a bleaching gel and instruct you to leave the mouth guard on for some time.
The dentist may instruct you to repeat the process at home daily for anywhere between two weeks and two months. There are whitening gels that can be left on for up to 8 hours at a time and this shortens the whitening period to about one week.
A special light may also be used to enhance the gel’s action on the stains and further shorten the whitening period. Bleaching teeth costs from $500 per session and this cost may be higher if your teeth require more sessions or depending on the quality of products used by the dentist.
Non-Bleach Whitening
Aside from using bleach products, the dentist may also use non-bleach products to whiten teeth. Such products clean only the surface stains and they work by physical and chemical action.
Whitening teeth using non-bleach methods is cheaper than using bleach products. Typical prices are about $400 for the whole procedure as the patient will go in for a single session and leave with instructions on how to apply the products at home.
Laser Whitening
New technological advances have resulted in the use of laser to remove surface and deep stains from teeth. The cost of teeth whitening using laser technology may fall anywhere between $300 and $800 per session.
This depends on the quality of equipment and length of session. In some instances, teeth that have been terribly discolored and covered in plaque may take two or more sessions and this will raise the cost of laser whitening.
Do It Yourself Teeth Whitening
Professional products are safer and work faster. Additionally, the results last longer. However, if you cannot afford the time or expense of paying a professional to work on your teeth, there are some do it yourself options that may work for you.
For instance, there are over the counter products such as Simply White and Whitestrips which cost $15 and $40 respectively. Such products can only lighten the color of your teeth one or two shades using the action of mild abrasives.
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