Since the early 2000’s, the market for teeth whitening has grown like wildfire. If you cannot afford several hundred dollars for a dental visit to whiten your teeth, you can use at-home products that while/ not working as well, will dramatically whiten your teeth. For cost-conscious consumers, the question is which is the better bargain: Several hundred dollars for teeth that are seven or eight times whiter or a couple hundred dollars for teeth that are five to eight times whiter? The differences for each product offered as well as options for Alaska Dental Arts are discussed below.

Custom Fitted Teeth Whitening Trays

With these, the patient gets their trays custom fitted at their AK dentist and they can treat their teeth in the comfort of their own home. The benefit of this type of treatment is doing it at home, just a couple dental visits and no side effects like speech impairment during the treatment process. The patient can purchase whitening gels online or from their dentist, although the markup by the Dentist is pretty substantial, in some cases, as high as one hundred percent. If a patient has the option, they should opt to buy their whitener online as there is no difference between that and what they would get from their dentist. The tie commitment during treatment is substantial, up to three hours a night for 3 weeks and the overall cost can run as high as $1,000. The benefit is teeth that are up to 8 shades whiter.

In-Office Whitening Treatments

The treatment at a North Pole, Alaska Dentist office generally has two options: With or without a halogen light. Both treatments offer gum protection and the whitening agent used is either carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide based. The halogen light accelerates the whitening gel and breaks down stains faster. If a patient does not have the halogen treatment, they will have to return multiple times to achieve any substantial degree of whiteness. Without a halogen treatment, the costs are up to $1,000 covering 1 to 2 hours a treatment for up to 4 visits; the whitening attained will be up to 8 times. With a halogen light, the costs run between $600 and $1,000 for a single, one-hour treatment and a result that is about 8 shades whiter.

Non-Dentist At-Home Tray Treatments

These are effective, but the result will not be as dramatic as with a Dentist in North Pole, Alaska. Custom whitening trays can be purchased online, saving a minimum of 200 percent on the dentist fitted, custom trays. The labs used for fitting these trays are the same labs used by dentists; the tradeoff is the dentist is a professional and presumably, the patient is not. Treatment cost up to $150 and include 1 to 3-hour treatment sessions for up to three weeks in order to attain a whitening ratio of about 5 to 8 shades whiter.

Other Treatments

These include Teeth Whitening Pens with LED Whitening Light and Protective Tray, Teeth Whitening Strips and Boil-Bite Whitening Trays. The pen option runs about $60 for multiple treatments that achieve about 3 to 6 shades whiter. Strips cost up to $70 and require up to 120 minutes a session, nightly for up to 3 weeks for 2 to 4 shades of whitening. Boil-n-Bite trays are the least expensive and have the same time commitment as the strips to get up to 4 times the whitening.

What you choose really depends on your finances. An Alaska Dental Arts visit is the most effective, but costs the most. Whitening strips and Boil-n-Bite are the least effective, but also the least expensive. If you can afford it, a dental method of whitening is the best option and it will attain the greatest results.