How Much Does it Cost to Whiten Your Teeth?
Teeth Whitening Price Summary
Price Range: $20 – $1000
Average Cost: $50 for over-the-counter; $400 for dental office treatment
Cheapest Cost: $20 for store-bought whitening systems
There are affordable teeth-whitening options for just about any budget. Usually, store-bought whitening products are much cheaper than whitening services obtained at the dentist. Keep in mind, however, that lower prices may mean reduced effectiveness and a need for repeat treatments over time.
Store-bought Whitening Systems
Quality whitening products bought at your local store may cost anywhere from $20 to $100 and usually consists of a combination of any of the following:
- Whitening Strips: Easy to apply directly to teeth.
- Whitening Gel: Usually contains smaller amounts of ingredients dentists use.
- Led Light: Helps to speed the process of whitening gel.
- Teeth Whitening Pen: Apply directly to teeth each day for a couple weeks.
- Whitening Trays: The trays fit onto the teeth, applying whitening product directly to the teeth, but if the trays are not custom, the result could be inconsistent.
While store-bought products are quite affordable and begin to work quickly (sometimes within an hour) the initial results tend to be more limited than other options. Over-the-counter whitening products generally have lower doses of active ingredients, so repeat treatments may be needed to achieve the desired whitening result.
Other Over-the-Counter Treatment
There are a few stronger treatment options available online. Higher strength whitening products may be purchased without any consultation with a dentist, saving time and money. These may be more effective than most other store-bought products while costing about the same.
One website, www.smilebrilliant.com, offers many affordable whitening products priced from just under $30 to just under $90. No dental appointment is necessary.
Here are their products:
- Custom-fit Teeth Whitening Trays: $89.95
- Teeth Whitening Gel: $34.95
- Teeth Whitening Pen: $29.95
- Led Teeth Whitening System: $39.95, includes gel whitening gel pen, led light, and protective teeth trays.
Dental Office Treatment Administered at Home
Whitening treatments administered by a dentist are usually the most effective. While it is popular to have the treatment at the dental office, now many dentists are allowing patients to use custom whitening trays from home. First, the patient will need to receive a consultation in the dental office and pay costs for that initial visit. At that visit or a subsequent one, a custom-fit whitening tray will be created which can then be used at home for treatment. The cost of the tray can range anywhere from $150 to $500. At-home treatment may take a couple weeks.
In-Office Dental Whitening Treatments
For faster results, same-day treatment in a dentist’s office may be desired. Some treatment options include:
- Deep Bleaching: $650 – $1,000; Chair-side treatment using hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide.
- Zoom: $300 – $500; A led light is used in combination with a hydrogen peroxide gel to speed the whitening process. Often, teeth are bleached up to 10 shades lighter in just one hour.
Zoom whitening is fast becoming the most popular option where it is provided – offices such as Dental 90210 in Beverly Hills, CA or another dental office in Plantation, FL. Prices are relatively affordable and results are fast and quite noticeable from the first day.