We all dream of a bright, white smile but with so many teeth whitening products on the shelves vying for our attention, how do we know what works and what offers value for money? When it comes to teeth whitening not all products are created equal or of equal value.
Why Do Our Teeth Change Colour?
It is a normal side effect of ageing for the whiteness of your teeth to fade over time. In fact as we get older, there are two types of colour changes. The first is surface staining on the outside of our teeth. This occurs mostly due to exposure to caffeinated beverages and tobacco. Some medications can also cause yellowing of the teeth. The other is that the dentin inside our teeth also starts to lose its natural whiteness as we get older, and the only way to address it is with bleaching agents.
Let’s a take a look at what different teeth whitening treatments cost and what sort of results you can expect afterwards.
Professional Teeth Whitening By Your Dentist
In-chair teeth whitening can be performed with a higher concentration of bleaching agent. Your dentist can use a concentration of 25% to 40%, whereas the bleaching agent contained in at-home treatments may only be 3% strength.
This makes whitening administered by your dentist both safer and faster. It also means it is the most expensive option but it will yield the best results.
Your dentist will be able to assess your teeth and show you how much whiter your smile could become. Based on your preferences he or she will then plan the sessions with you. Most people can expect between two and six bleaching sessions before achieving their desired level of whiteness.
As treatments vary you will need to speak to your dentist to find out his teeth whitening cost.
At-Home Teeth Whitening Strips
As Instagram has placed more of an emphasis on whiter teeth the demand for at-home products has grown tremendously. There is now a plethora of whitening strips available for you to try and most of them are priced at less than $50.
It is important that you protect your gums, lips and soft tissue as instructed on the packaging before you apply the strips.
These strips have a bleaching agent applied to one side so all you have to do is remove the sticky backing and position the strip over the teeth you want to bleach.
There are limitations with whitening strips and while they may work to some level on the flat surface of your teeth, they may not be able to expand around all the corners and bleach the sides as well.
The brand you purchase will recommend the number of applications you should apply, and the length of time you should leave the bleaching agent on for. Don’t be tempted to leave the strips on for longer to get a whiter result though, you could cause damage to your teeth enamel and soft tissue.
Whitening Toothpastes
At less than $10 for a tube, whitening toothpaste is the most cost-effective way to maintain a bright white smile. Whitening toothpastes cannot penetrate to the dentin of your teeth and, as such, can only remove surface stains. Whitening toothpaste is most useful to remove the stains built up by caffeinated drinks and tobacco products.
If you want to bleach the shade of your teeth, professional dental whitening is recommended. Some dentists may recommend using whitening toothpaste daily after a bleaching treatment to maintain your bright smile.
Still have questions about the cost of teeth whitening and what you should budget for? Contact our friendly team today and speak to a professional.