Whiter teeth and brighter smiles are attractive, and many people are willing to pay whatever it takes, provided it boosts their confidence. Having whiter teeth is also associated with beauty and a healthy lifestyle. Tooth whitening helps to remove stains on natural teeth. However, your dentist will inform you that artificial dental work such as crowns, bonding, bridges, and fillings do not respond to whitening agents. You may also not qualify for whitening if you have tooth decay, gum disease, enamel erosion or hypersensitivity unless these problems are fixed first to prevent sensitivity following the whitening process. This may increase the total cost of teeth whitening.
Factors Affecting the Cost of Bleaching
Teeth whitening is a cosmetic procedure, which means that your dental insurance plan will not help to cover the cost. Although you will be paying out-of-pocket, it’s not always possible to reduce the total cost of teeth whitening because there are few variable factors. These factors include:
- Type of whitening treatment and sessions
- Extent of tooth discoloration
- Dentist skill and expertise
- Location of dental practice
- Additional procedures before whitening
Even with great results following teeth whitening, the changes tend to fade over time, with the whitening effect lasting about one year. So you should schedule follow-up whitening treatments every 6 to 12 months depending on your preferences.
It’s possible to cut down on the number of follow-up visits by following the recommended maintenance plan, which includes:
- Avoiding or reducing your intake of stain-causing foods and drinks such as tomatoes, berries, grape juice, red wine, coffee, tea, sports drinks, cola, and grape juice.
- Swishing a little water after eating or drinking can help reduce staining.
- Ceasing smoking – Smoking is not only bad for your health, but also your teeth. The nicotine, tar, and tobacco in cigarettes, cigars, and pipes will stain your teeth.
- Brushing twice a day and flossing daily to keep your mouth clean and stain-free.
To find out about the cost of teeth whitening for your specific case, please schedule an appointment with your cosmetic dentist in San Francisco today.