As careful as you might be, teeth often get stained over time. There’s no shame in that – even the best brushers and flossers can have discolored grins. Fortunately, you don’t need to put up with or endure stubborn tooth stains. It’s a much better idea to try teeth whitening in Glendale! Here at Arrowhead Dentistry, Dr. Upton uses this service to help smiles shine all the brighter. Learn more by reading below or by booking a consultation at our office.
There’s a very good chance you qualify for teeth whitening. So long as you have decent oral health, the treatment has no requirements. That said, it does benefit some patients more than others.
The best whitening candidates are those with extrinsic tooth stains. That means treatment works best on areas discolored from foods, drinks, and similar factors. It can also help any patient who wants more confidence in social settings. In contrast, whitening isn’t as helpful for intrinsic stains – marks beneath the enamel.
At your initial visit, our dental team will point out your teeth whitening choices. The first is a take-home kit that brightens your smile more flexibly. Meanwhile, the second option is an in-office treatment done by Dr. Upton himself.
Based on the type you select, your treatment timeline will vary. Still, either approach should brighten your smile by six to eight shades.
With our office’s take-home whitening kit, you can brighten your grin from home. It consists of custom-made trays and a potent bleaching gel. So, treatment consists of wearing the gel-infused trays for a few hours daily over two weeks. At the end of this (roughly) 14-day period, your grin should be noticeably brighter than before!
Of course, note that our take-home kits aren’t those sold in stores. The latter kind doesn’t work well. Worse yet, store-bought versions can harm your teeth.
Our in-office whitening may suit you if you want fast results. With this service, you’ll undergo a one-hour dental visit at our practice. Dr. Upton would use this time to apply the whitener to your teeth. He’d then expose this gel to a special UV light. By doing so, the light would activate the whitener and brighten your smile!
Teeth whitening results aren’t permanent, but you can help them last. Consider the following tips:
When it comes to whitening your teeth, you get what you pay for. Though storebought whitening kits may seem like a better deal at first, when compared to the results you can achieve with professional whitening treatment, the value of whitening from your dentist is undeniable. Here’s a closer look at the different types of whitening available, and why professional whitening is often a better value for your money.
Though teeth whitening is typically one set price, there are a number of factors that can affect how many treatments you’ll need until you achieve your desired results, including:
In office teeth whitening can range in cost anywhere from $400 to $800, however in some rare cases it could reach or exceed $1,000.
Take-home whitening kits with custom trays from your dentist usually cost a few hundred dollars.
Over-the-counter whitening trays usually cost $100 or less.
The most affordable option by far are white strips or gels, which can be found at most discount stores and pharmacies. These usually cost between $20 and $40 a box and typically contain enough strips or gel to treat teeth for up to two weeks.
If you’re only paying attention to the numbers above, you may be wondering why professional whitening from your dentist is so popular when it’s so much more expensive than OTC whitening, but it’s important to remember that when it comes to cosmetic dentistry, the quality of the work is clearly reflected in the price you pay for treatment. When using more “affordable” products like strips and gels, many patients see little to no results, especially when they have severe discoloration. Worse yet, it often takes months to achieve the look they desire.
Conversely, professional whitening treatments are designed to lighten the tooth enamel by multiple shades in a much faster amount of time. For in-office whitening, most patients see noticeable results in just one treatment, while take-home kits provide the same changes within one to two weeks.
When selecting the right teeth whitening option, it’s important to consider what kind of results you’re looking for as well as how fast you’d like them, not just the price tag.
Professional teeth whitening is considered a cosmetic treatment, and therefore it’s typically not covered by traditional dental insurance. However, at Arrowhead Dentistry we are proud to offer a variety of payment options to make your professional whitening treatments more budget friendly, including:
At Arrowhead Dentistry, we’re ready to help you get your whitest, brightest smile with the help of professional whitening. If you’d like to find out if you’re a good candidate for this treatment and discuss the financial details for your individual treatment plan, please schedule a consultation with us today!