Is Teeth Whitening Expensive?
If you are serious about improving the appearance of your teeth, then you have probably already got a long list in front of you of products/techniques which claim to whiten your teeth. But which is best?
Well, the costs of these products certainly doesn’t help to make this decision easy.
On the one hand you want long term results, so naturally you would think a £400 treatment at your dentist is the only way forward. However, just because the treatment is expensive doesn’t always mean it is the best. In fact, you can receive the exact same results at a fraction of the cost simply by opting for a home teeth whitening kit.
Is there a middle ground?
If you are struggling to decide which is the best route for you, then hopefully the following overviews will help your decision:
Teeth Whitening at your dentist – prices vary across practices; however on average you can expect to pay £415 to have your teeth whitened at your dentist.
For this price, your dentist will create a mould of your teeth (to prevent the gel from touching your gums); clamp your mouth open; cover the inside of your mouth with cotton pads and then expose your teeth to UV light before applying teeth whitening gel to your teeth. Repeated 3 times for 20 minutes each time. You are then given this gel to take home (and your mould) so you can continue the teeth whitening treatment at home.
Home Teeth Whitening Kit – would you believe that home teeth whitening kits use the exact same 16% Carbamide Peroxide teeth whitening gel that dentists use? It’s true. The only difference is the makers of this gel have cut out the middle man (your dentist) so you can whiten your teeth yourself.
And starting at just £39.95, teeth whitening kits such as Dr George’s Dental Care can help you to whiten your smile at a fraction of a cost.
Home teeth whitening kits essentially use the same treatment method as your dentist (of wearing a teeth mould with your gel), but is usually done once a day for 30 minutes at home. In 2 weeks, Dr George’s Dental Care can help to whiten your teeth by up to 11 shades.
Teeth Whitening Strips – costing between £37 and £45, teeth whitening strips usually contain a weaker concentration of Carbamide Peroxide as the strips are usually applied directly to your teeth where you then are expected to wear them for a few hours or overnight.
NOTE: teeth whitening strips can be a little hit and miss in their effectiveness and are prone to causing streaks on your teeth, so you will need to careful about how you apply them.
Veneers – easily the most expensive of this bunch, veneers cost on average £200-£1,200 per tooth. Shaped to your teeth, veneers are free from staining and damage and can last up to 10 years before you need to replace them.
However, it is important to note that veneers can only be applied by shaving off a minute amount of enamel from your teeth – which can weaken your teeth – before being glued on.
As you can see, any one of these methods can help you to achieve your dreams of a whiter smile. It all becomes a question of whether you feel they are worth the price…
