Whitening options:

Our smiles mean a lot. It is our smile that is often the first thing people notice about us when they meet us. Although no one is actually born with completely white teeth, when our teeth are discolored it can make us feel bad about our looks and ourselves. Whitening discolored teeth can be as easy and inexpensive as buying one of the over the counter treatments available. There are gels, trays and whitening toothpastes available which all can help whiten our teeth about one shade. This is the least expensive way to go. Over all the over the counter methods cost around $50 or so. The over the counter methods usually take about 2 weeks to complete and some visible results are often seen before then.

Professional whitening takes place over several appointments and is the most expensive method available. However, dramatic results can be seen after the first appointment and the results can last for about a year or more in some cases. Having your teeth professionally whitened improves the color by several shades. The cost of professionally whitening discolored teeth is anywhere from $500-$1000. Since many dental insurance plans do not cover whitening this is a cost you may have to absorb.

You may want to visit with your dentist to have all of your questions answered about tooth whitening . Of course, you can try the over the counter methods without first consulting with a dentist but if you are going in for routine dental care anyway, it wouldn’t hurt to ask. Your dental hygienist can also help answer your questions.

Nothing can take the place of a bright and healthy smile. Since there are several whitening options available you may as well start somewhere and keep moving up until you have achieved the whiteness you want to see in your teeth. It is simple enough to buy some whitening toothpaste and gauge the results before moving up the whitening ladder. It could, on the other hand save you money to see the doctor first and avoid the less costly options if it is going to take professional whitening to get the desired results.

Never before have there been this many teeth whitening options . You could begin by taking a good long look at your teeth and deciding how much of a difference you would like to see. If your teeth only need a little brightness, one of the over the counter measures may do the trick. If you want to see a drastic difference, you may want to skip all of that and make an appointment with your dentist about professional tooth whitening.