A white shining set of teeth is something that everyone tries to achieve. It gives us a great amount of confidence and happiness when we can express ourselves with a shining set of teeth. In modern times, teeth whitening is a procedure that can be easily performed anywhere including your home.
Many clinics in Houston sell the items necessary to perform teeth whitening at home. This has allowed many people to get their smiles enhanced without any interruptions in their daily routines. However, there are several factors that people should look at when deciding whether to go to a clinic for teeth whitening in Houston or follow a DIY teeth whitening routine at home.
One of the significant factors is the cost of the service which is different for both in-office teeth whitening and at-home teeth whitening. So, let us compare the cost of teeth whitening at home and in-office in Houston. But before that, it is important to know how teeth cleaning works.
How Teeth Whitening Works (In-Office Appointment vs. At-Home Routine)
- In-Office Teeth Whitening
If you visit a dentist’s clinic for teeth whitening in Houston, then a professional dentist will perform the procedure on your teeth. The first thing that the dentist will do is prophylactic cleaning to get rid of plaque and debris. Then, then the dentist will conduct a dental exam to check if you have any potential problems such as tooth decay, cavities, or gum diseases.
If any dental condition/disease is detected, then the dentist will help you resolve these dental issues first as otherwise these issues will become much worse and the teeth whitening procedure will become very painful and may not be as effective.
Then, photos are taken to measure the teeth’s color on a shade guide. For patients whose teeth are healthy, the dentist will begin the procedure of teeth whitening to make the teeth look naturally white.
This in-office teeth whitening procedure consists of several steps, such as:
- Insertion of a cheek retractor to expose all your esthetic teeth (the teeth that become visible when you smile)
- Covering gum tissue with a liquid rubber dam or hardening resin
- Application of bleaching gel for 15 to 30 minutes
- The previous application is washed off and fresh gel is applied for another 15 or more minutes
- Some treatments also involve an intense light focused on teeth to activate the bleaching process
- Checking how well the teeth has whitened and if they need more bleach for further whitening
- Removal of cheek retraction
- Mouth rinsing and measurement of immediate post-treatment teeth shade
- At-Home Teeth Whitening
In at-home teeth whitening, you will require all the necessary materials needed to perform teeth whitening and do the entire process yourself. This includes getting a brush, the whitening solution, trays, and strips. All of these can be acquired either online or over the counter at any dental clinic.
People can also get professional dentist kits from clinics as well which offer a lot of tools that the dentists use to perform the procedure themselves. These kits will give you greater control over the teeth whitening procedure when doing it yourself at home.
However, you won’t see significant change in shade of your teeth’s color. It takes a long time to whiten your teeth when following a DIY teeth whitening procedure.
Important Note: Before starting a teeth whitening routine at home, visit your nearby dentist to check if your teeth are healthy and if teeth whitening solution is suitable to address your issues.
What Is the Cost of In-Office and At-Home Teeth Whitening?
- Cost of In-Office Teeth Whitening
Determining the cost of in-office teeth whitening is very simple as the dentist will provide you with that info before the teeth whitening procedure begin. The cost of in-office teeth whitening in Houston can differ greatly depending on which dental clinic you decide to visit for teeth whitening (the quality of dental services, experience of the dentist, etc.).
One important thing to mention here is that teeth whitening is not considered a medical procedure, but instead a cosmetic procedure. As a result, you cannot expect your medical insurance to pay for this procedure and you will have to bear all the costs yourself. According to the Consumer Guide to Dentistry, the average cost of in-office teeth whitening is $650 and can range from $500 to $1500.
- Cost of At-Home Teeth Whitening
In at-home teeth whitening, it is hard to accurately judge how much money someone will need to incur to achieve the desired shade. Based on the current teeth’s color, the time it takes to whiten teeth at home varies a lot. Besides, each individual use different teeth whitening products and brands, which means different individuals are incurring different costs. The overall cost of at-home teeth whitening may be less or more than the in-office teeth whitening procedure in the long run.
According to the Consumer Guide to Dentistry, the average cost of at-home whitening using professional dentist-dispensed kits ranges from $100 to $400 and the average cost of at-home whitening using only over-the-counter whitening products ranges from $20 to $100.
Why Is In-Office Teeth Whitening Still the Better Choice?
Even with its higher price, in-office teeth whitening is a superior option due to the better quality of service. Doing teeth whitening at home will result in a much more unnatural shade for your teeth and an untidy finish. It also does not save you from any potential damage that you might incur if you are suffering from any tooth ailment.
Professional dental cleaning is necessary for both at-home and in-office teeth whitening to not let bacteria and plaque rest between the whitening material and the tooth enamel. Since dental cleaning is necessary, in-office teeth whitening is a much better choice than going for at-home dental cleaning afterward.
Conclusion
The cost of at-home and in-office dental cleaning can be difficult to sum up due to the different charges each clinic asks for the service and the different product prices of each option used by individuals for at-home teeth whitening. In terms of upfront costs, at-home teeth whitening is a cheaper option than in-office teeth whitening. However, this cheaper cost comes at a significantly reduced quality of the procedure.
So, if you are in search of a trusted dental clinic to receive either teeth whitening or over-the-counter products to perform teeth whitening at reasonable rates, visit All Stars Dental today. Take a look at these Google reviews left by previous clients to evaluate their quality of service.
To schedule a dental sealant procedure with All Stars Dental, call (713) 526-2424 or send an email at appointment@allstarsdental.com.
