I'm just wondering about whitening teeth. How much is the average cost of getting it done? Where do you get it done? Does it really work? And does it hurt? :)
Years ago, I bought an at-home kit from my dentist and had molds of my teeth done there. A few months ago, I wanted to re-whiten, so I used those trays and got some dental whitening at-home kit from a groupon deal. It was about $15, quality stuff (called the dentist to confirm before buying), and after a few nights, my teeth were back to white. I also think the Listerine whitening mouthwash works well!
I bought a $30 kit that comes with gel, trays, and a blue light. Between that and Crest 3D white toothpaste, I have pearly white beautiful teeth. That toothpaste claims it can remove 90% of surface stains in 14 days and they are not lying! I haven't bought the 3d mouthwash yet because it's always sold out!
I did Bright Smile about six years ago. It costs 500$ but I got a Sonicare toothbrush & their brand of toothpaste & mouthwash , that lasted 6 months. I really liked the results. I think I must be odd , though because my teeth hurt so bad that night. It was crazy.
My dentist 500 - no pain - worth it as long as you do not have any non perfectly white colored venieers or anything like that.
My dentist made trays from molds of my teeth so they fit perfectly. He then sells the gel that is 10%, 15% or 22% whitening chemical (hydrogen peroxide I believe). I use the 15% and only put a dot for each tooth in the front of the tray, you then press them on and wear them the first time for 4 hours after brushing and flossing. After that I wore them again for about 2 hours one week later. Now it has been months and I may wear them again some time soon, since your teeth will become darker again. I like the perfect fit, the % gel that was recommended (my husband used the 22% but my gums are too sensitive for stronger whitening), my dentist will check that all fits well if I want, and I can re-use them until the rubbery molds get old and start cracking (no signs yet after a little over a year and basically 2 or 3 uses). The cost was $500 total including 2 tubes of gel.
I would do it again, the molds that you heat and then press onto your teeth are not nearly as close a fit, the Crest WhiteStrips tasted awful and did not make my teeth whiter at all, and every kind of toothpaste seems the same to me (but I have not tried the 3D). A girl at work who is a lot younger than I am uses the Whitestrips frequently and has amazingly white teeth, so perhaps you have to keep using them, but I just did not like the taste at all.
My dentist used to do whitening and now she just recommends Crest White Strips because they work just as well as her system, which was much more expensive. My older daughter used them and now has beautiful white teeth.
About 10 years ago (before going to my current dentist) I did the expensive kind in the dentist office. It took longer than White Strips, irritated my gums and was really expensive. It did get my teeth white though.
