Laser Teeth Whitening Cost

There is nothing that can change a person's appearance more dramatically than a bright, sparkling smile. In the same vein, there is nothing that can mar a perfect appearance than an ugly, stained and yellowed smile. Americans spend millions of dollars every year on professional and home teeth whitening tips in search of teeth that dazzle. 

Whitening procedures help whiten the teeth using bleaching compounds.  The most popular types of whitening are at-home whitening, where the person uses a home teeth whitening kit to bleach teeth on his own, and a professional teeth whitening, which a dentist performs in his office. 

The cost of a whitening treatment may wary depending on the kind of treatment that you choose, and the kind of results you want. However, if you are looking for extra fast results in as few sittings as possible, then you will find laser teeth whitening gives you the best results. Laser whitening is perfect for persons who have no patience to sit through several sittings with bleaching gunk smeared on their teeth. The effects can be seen immediately after the procedure. 

How is the Procedure Performed?

Basically, laser whitening uses lasers to speed up the effect of bleach on your teeth. There is a misconception that the lasers themselves are used to peel off the yellowishness of the teeth and zap the teeth into whiteness. That’s not true at all.

You dentist will first clean the teeth, and remove all signs of debris and plaque. If you have been negligent of your oral health for years, then you may have some amount of dental treatment to be performed before you can have laser teeth whitening done. All the plaque and tartar have to be removed before the procedure can be performed, because the laser won't be effective on teeth that are covered with plaque and harbor debris. 

Once the teeth are cleaned, the dentist will smear gel on the teeth. He will then beam the laser over your teeth. The gel or paste that’s applied on the teeth does the actual work of whitening the teeth. What the laser does is to use its light and heat to accelerate the effect of the whitening gel. The procedure can take an hour, and generally one sitting is enough to give you results you want to see. 

In case of teeth that have been severely discolored or damaged, more than one sitting may be required for you to see the result you desire. For instance, smokers who have nicotine-stained teeth and those who have neglected proper dental hygiene routines, may have teeth that are dark yellow and stained. Habitual coffee drinkers may also see stains on their teeth. Such people may need more than one sitting. 

A laser teeth whitening procedure can cost between $500 and $1000. It may seem like a hefty amount, but it is small price to pay for instantly whiter teeth.