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Exploring Your Options for Teeth Whitening

Your smile tells people a lot about who you are. A big confident smile lets people know that you are happy and feel good inside. However, no matter how confident you feel inside, a stained smile may give off the wrong idea about you. Your teeth is often the first thing people notice about you and you want to make sure that your teeth are white and give a lasting impression.

For many people, teeth whitening is a good choice for bringing their smile back to where they feel good about their teeth. Teeth whitening can lighten the effects caused by smoking, and drinking beverages such as red wine, tea, coffee and caffeineated sodas. There are many options when it comes to whitening your teeth. Here are some of your options.

Bleaching: Bleaching is a popular option for teeth whitening because it usually has good results and is cheaper than other methods. You can purchase over the counter bleaching treatments, or have your dentist perform the procedure. In general, you can expect to pay around $100-$500 for home bleaching treatments and up to $2000 for bleaching treatments that are performed by your dentist. These treatments work well on common stains caused by smoking, food and beverages.

Strips and toothpastes: There are many products that are available at your local drugstore to help whiten your teeth. These products range from gels, to strips to toothpastes. Toothpastes that contain hydrogen peroxide can usually lighten your teeth one shade if you use it over a sustained period of time. Gels and strips also help whiten your teeth. They do lighten your teeth one to two shades and the results usually last about four months. These options are much cheaper than professional procedures. You can expect to pay anywhere from $10 to $50 for at home treatments. If you are looking for an inexpensive, quick-fix, then this could be the right option for you.

Laser Treatments: Laser teeth whitening procedures offer good results, but these procedures are quite pricey. While you can expect laser whitening to lighten your teeth about four shades, you should expect to pay anywhere from $2000 to $4000 for this procedure. When you have laser treatment, you will spend about one hour in the dentist chair. If you really want a white smile and have the money to spend, this is a good option for you.

In general, you should be aware that you cannot expect miracles with any tooth whitening system. Some will yield better results than others. If you have unrealistic expectations, you will be disappointed. People with extensive cosmetic work such as crowns, bridges, veneers and implants should not have teeth whitening. This work will not lighten and may cause uneven results. Also, if you are pregnant, you will not want to have any in office treatments during your pregnancy. In addition, if you are a smoker and still plan on smoking after your treatment, you cannot expect lasting results. If you have questions whether teeth whitening is right for you, then you should consult your dentist.