Teeth Whitening – Monroe, LA

Who is a Good Candidate for Teeth Whitening?

Although potentially anyone wanting a lighter smile might benefit from professional teeth whitening, that doesn’t mean everyone is automatically a good candidate for it. Before proceeding team will examine your mouth and treat any areas of concern, such as cavities or gum disease, that might interfere.

Then, we’ll identify the discoloration to determine if this treatment can help. For instance, extrinsic stains caused by consuming too many darkly toned foods usually respond better to whitening than intrinsic blemishes in the lower layer of dentin.

How Does Teeth Whitening Work?

Teeth whitening products typically contain a bleach, such as hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide, that undergoes a chemical oxidation reaction in your mouth. They help break down stain molecules on your teeth, reducing their size and concentration to lighten your enamel.

Although over-the-counter solutions function the same way as professional-grade treatments, store-bought products often contain diluted gels that are less effective and can produce inconsistent results. Meanwhile, Dr. Roberson can provide all the supplies you need to achieve professional-strength results.

Take-Home Teeth Whitening

Not only do commercial-grade solutions include weaker whiteners, but they also rely on one-size-fits-all strips or applicators that leave plenty of room for error, which can cause uneven shading. It’s also easier to accidentally overapply or misuse the product, increasing the likelihood of developing sensitive teeth or gums.

Thankfully, our team can send you home with custom-fitted trays and ultra-concentrated gels that are designed to achieve results while mitigating potential discomfort. You can start to see a lighter smile in as few as two weeks, all from the comfort of your living room!  

Tips for Maintaining Your Brighter Smile

Teeth whitening can help you achieve the flawlessly bright teeth you’ve always dreamed of, but you must take care of them properly to maintain the results and avoid additional stains. The following tips can help you preserve your recent cosmetic enhancement:

• Implement at-home dental hygiene. If you don’t already brush and floss twice daily to remove plaque and bacteria that give darkly pigmented particles something to cling to, now is an ideal time to start!
• Avoid foods that stain. Common culprits to steer clear of include coffee, tea, wine, berries, and tomatoes.
• Eat more dairy. Options like yogurt, milk, and cheese are lightly colored and contain calcium to strengthen your enamel and prevent potential stains.
• Schedule touch-ups. You might need to repeat teeth whitening periodically to preserve the perfect hue.
• Attend regular checkups. Scheduling a checkup and cleaning every six months allows Dr. Roberson to catch and treat any areas of concern and polish away more recent surface stains.

Understanding the Cost of Teeth Whitening 

If you’re considering improving your smile by whitening your teeth, you’re probably curious about how much this incredible treatment costs. After all, it’s difficult to decide if you don’t know the price. However, because each treatment is completely tailored to your individual needs, it is not possible to give an accurate price quote until you’ve had a consultation with Dr. Roberson. In the meantime, here’s a closer look at how we determine the cost of treatment once you’ve been seen.

Factors that Affect the Cost of Teeth Whitening

Although teeth whitening is usually one set price, there are a variety of factors that can affect how many treatments you need until you’ve achieved your desired results, including:

• How severe your stains and/or discoloration are.
• The types of discoloration present, such as if they’re age-related, caused by medication, and whether they’re extrinsic (located on the surface of the enamel) or intrinsic (located within the tooth).
• Whether you’ll need any other procedures first, such as dental fillings or crowns. 

Types of Teeth Whitening: What Do They Cost? 

There are several different types of teeth whitening available, each with their own associated costs:

• Take-home whitening kits from your dentist come with custom-fit trays and usually cost a few hundred dollars. 
• Over the counter whitening trays that are not custom fit typically cost $100 or less.
• Teeth whitening strips or gels available from most big box stores and supermarkets usually cost $20 to $40 a box and contain enough product to treat teeth for up to two weeks.

Fast Teeth Whitening VS Inexpensive Teeth Whitening 

If you’re only paying attention to the numbers above, you’re probably wondering why take-home whitening kits from your dentist are so popular when they’re more expensive than the other options. However, it’s important to remember that when it comes to cosmetic dentistry you truly do get what you pay for. When using cheaper gels and strips, many patients see little to no results, especially with more severe discoloration. Worse yet, it can often take many months to achieve the look you desire, exposing your teeth to extended periods of sensitivity.

Conversely, when you choose professional take-home treatments from your dentist, you can get noticeable results in as little as a week or two. In fact, most patients see changes immediately. Thus, when considering which teeth whitening option to choose, it’s important to think about what kind of results you want and how fast you want them, not just the price tag.

Options For Making Teeth Whitening Affordable

Because teeth whitening is considered an elective procedure, most dental insurance plans will not cover this treatment. However, Dr. Roberson is proud to partner with CareCredit financing to help make your care more affordable. CareCredit is a third-party lender that can help break up the cost of your dental treatments into multiple low-to-no-interest payments that may be better suited to your budget.

We are ready to help you with your teeth whitening procedure, including navigating the cost. If you’d like to learn more about this treatment, please contact us to schedule a consultation.