High-Quality In-Office vs. Bargain Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening might seem basic and straightforward, but it’s a complicated process. We offer Zoom in-office laser teeth whitening, which is the gold standard.

 Here are essential details to know about the hidden costs of bargain whitening services.

 First, it is essential to know that poorly done teeth whitening with abrasive products can cause tooth sensitivity and damage to tooth enamel and gums. Low/inferior quality products, or lack of skill, can result in damaged teeth, that isn’t worth any small cost savings.

 Second, if you find a low cost, cheap laser teeth whitening option, you won’t likely be getting the attention to detail we offer. With bargain options, you usually get one application of laser whitening. Cheaper alternatives will schedule a short amount of time to do the whole procedure, likely not enough to get the results you desire. One application might not whiten your teeth very much, so you may need to go back for an additional 1-3 visits. The time it takes to get to all of those appointments, really makes the cost add up for cheaper teeth whitening services. 

It is essential to understand all that goes into in-office whitening, so you know what to consider when choosing the best place to have the procedure. We schedule 2.5 hours for this procedure, so we can run the process as many times as necessary to get the desired result which could take up to 4 applications. The procedure could do relatively little the first couple of applications. We like to make sure patients get the results they desire.

 At our office, when we do in-office laser whitening, we include the fabrication of take-home whitening trays and a bleach kit at no additional cost for the patient. The kit/trays are a rare extra perk that most offices to do not include.  The take-home trays/bleach kit is for future touch-ups. Touch-ups are necessary for maintenance about every six to nine months after the initial in-office procedure.  It usually takes a couple of applications of the take-home trays/bleach kit to get the teeth back to the results seen after the laser whitening. The whitening product use with the take-home kit typically lasts a couple of years, and then refills can be purchased for approximately $52.00. These are quality additions that you won’t get with other whitening services.

 Third, there are a lot of gimmicks around teeth whitening. Many of these are a waste of money and also could be harmful to your teeth.

 One big thing in the market has been at-home trays with lights. One thing to know is that the lasers we have at the office are so much more potent than those “home use” lights. A laser and a light aren’t even comparable. If those lights were anywhere near as effective, they would be too expensive for the public to buy. You cannot get the same results at home as you’ll get with the professional lasers we have in the office.

 Finally, another gimmick is home use products marketed with photographs that show brilliantly white teeth. Don't be fooled by trick photography! People in the industry quickly spot lightened photos which are all too common in places where they are advertising their over-the-counter results.