Is Teeth Whitening worth it?
No one likes having yellow teeth and the best way to combat this is teeth whitening. The only problem with that is there are so many different teeth whitening methods out there. One of the most effective teeth whitening methods is using products that contain hydrogen peroxide. When used carefully, hydrogen peroxide can be used to break down stains and brighten the teeth. There are five methods that hydrogen peroxide is typically applied to the teeth. These include: professional dental office whitening, tray whiteners, the Novashine method, whitestrips, and DIY at home solutions. There are some differences between the five to consider.
WHAT does the process look like?
- Dental Office - The dentist has two methods to whiten teeth. These are a high intensity LED light treatment or with custom made trays. The light treatment uses both light and high concentration hydrogen peroxide gel to whiten teeth while the custom trays only use hydrogen peroxide gel. The light treatment is faster but will be more expensive and sometimes painful.
- Tray Whiteners - The process for tray whiteners is very similar to custom made trays at the dentist office. The trays usually mold to your teeth and require the user to boil the mouthpiece in water first. After this, you have to bite down so the mouthpiece takes the shape of your teeth. After the mouthpiece cures, you apply a gel and pop in the mouthpiece to begin the actual whitening process.
- Novashine - The Novashine Whitening Kit includes an LED mouthpiece that requires no molding and a 6% hydrogen peroxide gel. First you must apply the whitening gel directly to the mouthpiece or use a cotton swab to apply it on your teeth. After that, you simply put the mouthpiece into your mouth and plug it into a device or outlet. The device turns on and an LED light is used to help activate the whitening gel.
- Whitestrips - The whitestrips require you to dry the teeth and then apply a whitening strip coated in hydrogen peroxide gel to the upper and lower teeth.
- DIY At Home Solution - There are many DIY ways to whiten teeth at home, but these can be very dangerous if not executed properly. The most common is using a hydrogen peroxide mixture. To safely whiten teeth at home it is recommended that the hydrogen peroxide is mixed in 1:1 ratio with water. You then have the application of using a cotton swab to apply it to your teeth directly or to use the solution as a mouthwash.
HOW much teeth whitening cost?
- Dental Office - $600-$1000 per visit
- Tray Whiteners - $100-$400 per set
- Novashine - $60 per kit
- Whitestrips - $20-$40 per box
- DIY Solution - $5-$10 for supplies
HOW much hydrogen peroxide is used?
This can be important because each method can only use a certain strength of hydrogen peroxide safely.
- Dental Office - 25-40% solution
The recommendation for any products used outside of a dental office is 6% or less.
- Tray Whiteners - 10%-22% solution
- Novashine - 6% solution
- Whitestrips - 6.5%-14% solution
- DIY Solution - 1.5-3% solution
HOW long does whitening take?
- Dental Office - 1.5-2 hours per visit
- Tray Whiteners - 2-4 hours per use
- Novashine - 10-20 mins per use
- Whitestrips - 30-60 mins per use
- DIY Solution - 1-2 mins per use
How much pain is related to the process?
- Dental Office - can be painful due to high concentration HP
- Tray Whiteners - sensitivity due to prolonged usage
- Novashine - pain free
- Whitestrips - extremely painful for some
- DIY Solution - pain free
HOW long before you reach your desired shade?
- Dental Office - 1-3 visits
- Tray Whiteners - 10-14 uses
- Novashine - 2-5 uses
- Whitestrips - 7-14 days
- DIY Solution - 2-3 times a week for a few months.
DO the whitening effects last? And if so, HOW long?
No matter which method you choose the whitening effects will not last forever. For all of the methods it is recommended you do the occasional touch up to your teeth. However, you can generally expect the whitening effects to last for:
- Dental Office - 6 months-2 years
- Tray Whiteners - 4-6 months
- Novashine - 4-6 months
- Whitestrips - 4 months
- DIY Solution - 1 month
IS the whitening option refillable?
- Dental Office - No
- Tray Whiteners - Yes but needs to be purchased
- Novashine - Yes, every 1-3 months, subscription available
- Whitestrips - No
- DIY Solution - No
Now that we've compared all of the options, you still may not be sure which teeth whitening method is the best for you. Here are a few questions you can use to evaluate your teeth whitening solution:
- How soon do I need my teeth to be white?
- What’s my budget
- How sensitive are my teeth?
- What kind of teeth whitening methods I have tried before and were they effective?
- Do I want to visit the dentist to get my teeth professionally whitened?