teeth whitening / teeth bleaching / costs and prices

How much do dentist dispensed at-home tray-based teeth whitening systems cost? Here's a very ball park estimate of the price that a dentist might charge, per arch, for the typical case when bleaching a person's teeth using an at-home tray-based teeth whitening (teeth bleaching) method. [Dentists use the term one "arch" to indicate either the upper teeth or else the lower teeth. A person's entire set of teeth, uppers and lowers combined, constitutes two "arches".] $150.00 - $260.00 For those cases where the tooth staining is severe, and thus the length of the treatment will need to be greater, you should expect that the bleaching fee will be more. As a means of cost cutting, it is not uncommon for a person to only bleach their upper teeth (just one arch). These figures come from an unscientific survey of fees found in our area. Our sources are: the web, dentists, and dental literature. Based on ACCRA's Cost of Living Index, we have extrapolated our regional data into the nationwide range estimate shown above. We anticipate that the lower end of this range would be representative of an average fee found in a small rural town (whose ACCRA Cost of Living Index is approximately 85). The higher end of this range would be more representative of the average fee found in a large metropolitan area on either coast (whose ACCRA Cost of Living Index is around 125). Even in the same area the fee charged by dentists for this procedure can vary significantly, at least by as much as 25%.

Determining at-home teeth whitening costs: The dentist's perspective. While dentists are in fact providing a service for a fee, most would no doubt prefer to think that their patients have chosen them primarily because of the quality of their work and the manner and environment in which they preform it. It seems unlikely that any dentist would be flattered to learn that they had attracted their patients simply because they had the area's lowest fees.

Most dentists would consider a consultation appointment to be an excellent way for a potential patient to determine both the cost of the specific dental treatment they need and also as a way to meet them and experience the environment in which the dental treatment will be performed. Most dentists will likely charge an examination fee for this visit, the receptionist making your consultation appointment should be able to quote this fee for you precisely. It's doubtful that a dentist would initiate an at-home teeth whitening process without fully evaluating a person's oral health, and this may require dental x-rays. The receptionist making your appointment may not know exactly what x-rays will be required, and therefore how much they will add to the cost of the consultation, but these are items you would need no matter which dentist performed the work. After you have had your consultation appointment with the dentist, if you decide not to have them perform the treatment, or if you simply choose to get a second opinion, in most cases you can request that your x-rays be forwarded to another dental office.

At Home Teeth Whitening: Page 1 What is "at home" teeth whitening? Are all teeth whiteners the same? Page 2 In what situations does teeth whitening work? How long does teeth whitening take? Page 3 When doesn't teeth whitening work? Page 4 What are the steps of the teeth whitening process? How long do the results of teeth whitening last? Page 5 What are the side effects of teeth whitening? Are teeth whiteners safe? Page 6 How much does teeth whitening cost? Page 7 Questions to ask about teeth whitening.

This topic sponsored by :  Ultra-White.com Teeth whitening products at up to 70% savings.

Determining at-home teeth whitening costs: The patient's perspective. It seems doubtful that any patient would want to choose a dentist based strictly on price, after all, the manner in which the dental treatment is performed should be of equal, if not much greater, concern. While the nature of at-home tray-based teeth whitening systems is simple, they can produce side effects and you must know that your dentist is concerned about helping you minimize them. Ask your friends and coworkers who their dentist is. Reputations travel, your friends will know who has treated them well and will also probably have a relative idea of how the fees charged by their dentist compare with other dentists in your area. A polite telephone survey to a few dentists' offices can give you a general idea of the range of fees in your area. Many dental offices will, however, be somewhat put off by such inquires primarily for two reasons. The first reason is that most dentists want to develop continuing relationships with their patients. They are interested in helping patients overcome their current dental problems and continuing on with periodic checks so to help them maintain their oral health. A phone call from a person "checking out the best prices in town" often does not fit this ideal. The other problem encountered is that dental office personnel realize that phone inquiries commonly result in "apples and oranges" comparisons. Without an examination by a dentist it is impossible for the dental office to know exactly what work is needed, and thus it is impossible for them to give you an accurate idea of the fee. Even using identical dental terminology when calling various dental offices can easily result in several different interpretations of the type of work in question. We think that by far the best method of evaluating costs is to seek dentist recommendations from your friends and then make a consultation appointment with that (or those) dentist(s). If you do choose to survey dental offices by phone we would expect that either the term "at-home tray bleaching" or else "nightguard bleaching" could be used to accurately inquire about the type of teeth whitening we have discussed on our web pages.