How Much Does Teeth Whitening Cost?

2

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  • brook2jack
    brook2jack Posts: 4,563 Forumite
    You can only legally get your teeth whitened by a dentist and they have to examine them first along with your gums to make sure they are healthy enough to white.

    A hygienist scale and polish will get rid of any surface staining and tartar so will not only whiten your teeth if they are stained but will also improve the health of your gums.

    People like nothing better than discussing their dentist and most people will have attended one in the last couple of years. So ask around.
  • pollypenny
    pollypenny Posts: 29,393 Forumite
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    What must your breath be like if you haven't been to a dentist for 15 years!

    Priorities? Oral hygiene, then whiteness, eh?
    Member #14 of SKI-ers club

    Words, words, they're all we have to go by!.

    (Pity they are mangled by this autocorrect!)
  • Slinky
    Slinky Posts: 9,984 Forumite
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    Surely having teeth whitened without sorting out any underlying problems is like wearing a brand new set of clothes over dirty underwear......
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  • NICHOLAS_2
    NICHOLAS_2 Posts: 613 Forumite
    pollypenny wrote: »
    What must your breath be like if you haven't been to a dentist for 15 years!

    Priorities? Oral hygiene, then whiteness, eh?

    Haha.

    My breath stinks a bit when i wake up, like most guys, but overall... i wouldn't say i have smelly breath. It's not like ive got rotting gums or anything like that, they're pink. It's just the off white teeth that i dislike.
  • Pennylane
    Pennylane Posts: 2,707 Forumite
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    pollypenny wrote: »
    What must your breath be like if you haven't been to a dentist for 15 years!

    Priorities? Oral hygiene, then whiteness, eh?

    You say that, but my brother in law .... A 6ft 2" massively built rugby player is the biggest wimp out and never went to the dentist in over 20 years. His wife and kids tried many times to get him to go for a check up but he wouldn't. I never heard anybody say he had bad breath. he cleaned his teeth regularly.

    anyway, eventually his family persuaded him to go and guess what? The dentist (who obviously had never met him and wasn't aware that he hadn't seen a dentist for 20 years) said he needed no treatment at all .... Not even a filling. He went out and told his wife and she couldn't believe it as she has a mouthful of fillings and crowns and has had several extractions and visits her dentist every 6 months and always has done. :rotfl:
  • Ben84
    Ben84 Posts: 3,069 Forumite
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    I'd visit the dentist first too, that's the important bit.

    After that however, I wouldn't spend hundreds on tooth whitening. I did mine at home with Crest Whitestrips. Cost about £20. I picked these ones as they're from a reputable brand, and were not acidic (dissolving my teeth wasn't the idea!). I went for the moderate peroxide concentration strips as I'd rather do a greater number of treatments than risk irritation with something too strong.

    I'm not a dentist of course, and these were just my ideas. It worked well however, my teeth whitened and have stayed white for some years since. Did them in 2009 and I'm just about wondering if I should use a short course of strips again. It has lasted well considering how much coffee I drink.
  • Toothsmith
    Toothsmith Posts: 10,074 Forumite
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    Whitestrips are not licensed in this country - so any source you have for them will be grey at best. Illegal imports, countrefeit could be anything.
    How to find a dentist.
    1. Get recommendations from friends/family/neighbours/etc.
    2. Once you have a short-list, VISIT the practices - dont just phone. Go on the pretext of getting a Practice Leaflet.
    3. Assess the helpfulness of the staff and the level of the facilities.
    4. Only book initial appointment when you find a place you are happy with.
  • Ben84
    Ben84 Posts: 3,069 Forumite
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    Toothsmith wrote: »
    Whitestrips are not licensed in this country - so any source you have for them will be grey at best. Illegal imports, countrefeit could be anything.

    Thanks, that's a good point. I believe mine were real as I ordered from a US company who I think unlikely to have any fakes, and I'm personally ok with using them as they're licensed in the US. You're right though, it's important to know this and consider it. It's been long enough I'd not thought about this for a while.
  • brook2jack
    brook2jack Posts: 4,563 Forumite
    Crest strips are illegal in this country and the whole of the EU. If you use them you are putting money into the pockets of people who are knowingly breaking the law.

    You are then going to put a chemical inside your body on one of the most sensitive parts supplied by people who are breaking the law. You are trusting them to supply a safe product. Does that really seem like a good idea?
  • Ben84
    Ben84 Posts: 3,069 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    brook2jack wrote: »
    Crest strips are illegal in this country and the whole of the EU. If you use them you are putting money into the pockets of people who are knowingly breaking the law.

    You are then going to put a chemical inside your body on one of the most sensitive parts supplied by people who are breaking the law. You are trusting them to supply a safe product. Does that really seem like a good idea?

    I bought them from Amazon US! We can order products like this from abroad for personal use, that's not illegal.

    As for safety, personally the US standards are good enough for me.

    I actually trusted this option much more than going to a beauty clinic here. I'd rather use a well known product designed for home use that I know the ingredients and manufacturer of, rather than have some mystery substance applied at a beauty clinic by someone who isn't a dentist.

    Anyway, each to their own. We should weigh the options and do what we're most happy with.
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