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Teeth Whitening – Englewood, FL

Bringing Brightness Back to Your Smile

Whether you care for your teeth or not, there’s a good chance they’ll darken over time. It’s pretty easy for these parts of your smile to stain – from meals, genetics, accidents, and other factors. The good news is that our practice can help make your grin bright again! Here at Davis, Boeller, & Rife Dental, we offer top-of-the-line teeth whitening in Englewood. Learn more about it (and its features) by reading below, or visit us for a consultation.

Who is a Good Candidate for Teeth Whitening?

A dentist assessing the shade of a man’s smile

As long as you have good oral health, you should qualify for teeth whitening; the treatment has few requirements for you to meet. Still, it’s a fact that this procedure benefits some people more than others. You’ll want to monitor certain qualities to see if you’re an ideal candidate.

In particular, the best candidates for teeth whitening have extrinsic tooth stains. These markings occur when foods, drinks, and other debris discolor your enamel, turning it yellow or brown. For that reason, a whitening treatment can often remove them quickly and restore your confident smile. Meanwhile, it isn’t as helpful for intrinsic tooth stains; it can’t eliminate marks beneath the enamel.

How Does Teeth Whitening Work?

A dentist bleaching a woman’s teeth

When you arrive for treatment, our dentists will perform an initial oral exam. This step lets them check your smile for stains and see if whitening would help, allowing us to form a proper treatment plan. Based on the exam’s findings, we can then tell you whether whitening is a good choice.

If we feel you qualify for treatment, our team will suggest you try one of the following whitening treatments:

Take-Home Teeth Whitening

Our office’s “take-home” teeth whitening is a personal kit with clear trays and a bleaching solution. By wearing the kit’s gel-filled trays for a few hours every day, a patient can achieve a much brighter smile in just two weeks. It’s to the point that your grin should look six to eight shades whiter!

In-Office Teeth Whitening

Per its name, in-office teeth whitening occurs at a visit to our office. It works by applying special bleaching to your teeth in multiple short bursts, usually over the course of an hour. That means it can provide dramatic results in just one appointment – a far shorter time than take-home whitening. As such, the in-office option for patients who need to quickly brighten their smiles for special events.

Tips for Maintaining Your Brighter Smile

A woman brushing her teeth in front of a bathroom mirror

While teeth whitening results don’t last forever, you can take steps to keep them from fading early. Just use the following tips and tricks:

Understanding the Cost of Teeth Whitening

closeup of woman smiling after teeth whitening in Englewood

Thinking about brightening your smile with teeth whitening in Englewood? Before making a decision, it’s natural to want a better idea of what the treatment might cost. While professional whitening is a great investment in your confidence, prices can vary depending on your unique needs. Below, we’ll break down the factors that can affect your final price and give you a better sense of what to expect.

Factors that Affect the Cost of Teeth Whitening

man smiling while holding dental mirror

Although professional teeth whitening usually comes with a set fee, a few key factors can influence the total cost:

  • Severity of Stains – If your teeth have significant discoloration, you may need multiple treatments to reach your ideal shade, which can add to the overall cost.
  • Oral Health Needs – Before whitening, issues like cavities or gum disease must be treated to avoid complications. Any necessary dental work beforehand will increase the final price.
  • Existing Dental Work – Whitening treatments don’t work on restorations like crowns, veneers, or fillings. If you want an even smile, you may need to replace some dental work to match your newly whitened teeth.

Types of Teeth Whitening: What Do They Cost?

woman holding whitening strips

Not all whitening treatments are the same, and their prices reflect that. Here’s a general guide:

  • In-Office Whitening – Fast and powerful, this option usually costs between $400 and $800. It offers dramatic results in a single visit.
  • Take-Home Whitening Kits – These include custom trays and professional-grade gel, typically costing a few hundred dollars. It’s convenient and effective for home use.
  • Store-Bought Whitening Trays – Available at most stores, these kits usually cost around $100 or less, but may not fit as well or deliver the same results.
  • Whitening Strips, Gels, and Toothpastes – These are the most budget-friendly options, priced between $7 and $40 depending on the product and retailer.

Fast Teeth Whitening vs. Inexpensive Teeth Whitening

patient smiling while sitting in dental chair

If you’re on a budget, it might be tempting to go for the cheapest solution. However, there’s more to consider than just upfront cost.

Professional whitening is a bit more of an investment, but it offers far better results, safer application, and longer-lasting brightness. Plus, your dentist will check your oral health beforehand, ensuring it’s safe to proceed. In the long run, many patients find that professional treatment saves them money and hassle.

Options For Making Teeth Whitening Affordable

woman smiling while holding dental mirror

Since whitening is considered cosmetic, dental insurance typically doesn’t cover it. But that doesn’t mean it has to strain your budget. Our office offers flexible financing to help you split the cost into manageable monthly payments, often with little or no interest. This way, you can brighten your smile without financial stress!

Teeth Whitening FAQs

Does Teeth Whitening Hurt?

Many patients experience anxiety around dental appointments because they worry they’ll be long or agonizing. Thankfully, teeth whitening is considered a minimally invasive treatment that doesn’t hurt, as is the case with most cosmetic procedures.

That said, some people have inadvertently placed over-the-counter bleaches over areas of tooth decay, which can be quite uncomfortable. You don’t have to worry about this when you visit our team for professional cosmetic services near Englewood because we will examine your mouth first to ensure no pre-existing problems interfere with your results.  

How Does Store-Bought Whitening Differ from Professional Services?

It’s natural to wonder why you should invest in professional whitening services when there are more cost-effective options at your local store or pharmacy. Although these commercial products claim to be able to brighten your grin, they don’t always give you the desired results. This is because these options contain diluted bleaching agents and pre-doctored strips or one-size-fits-all trays that don’t always sit correctly over your teeth.

Meanwhile, our team utilizes ultra-strength gels and specially designed trays to avoid application errors and achieve your ideal shade. Plus, we offer both in-office services and customized take-home kits for your convenience. You can enjoy instant results from an on-site procedure or choose to gradually lighten your smile from the comfort of your home with fitted trays and professional-grade gels.

Am I a Candidate for Teeth Whitening?

Potentially, anyone who isn’t 100% satisfied with the color of their teeth when they smile in the mirror can benefit from teeth whitening. However, before proceeding, you must consult with one of our dentists to ensure you’re a good candidate.

Before proceeding with any elected service, we’ll examine your mouth to ensure there are no cavities, gum disease, or other injuries and issues and will treat any areas of concern. Then, we’ll identify the type of discoloration to determine an appropriate treatment.

For example, external stains in your enamel from eating and drinking dark foods can usually be effectively reduced or eliminated with topical treatments. However, intrinsic discoloration that seeps into or originates in the lower layers of your teeth might require a different solution, like veneers or dental bonding.

How Can I Maintain the Results of Teeth Whitening?

Most dental insurance companies don’t cover the cost of services that are intended to improve your appearance more than your oral health, like teeth whitening. Because you’re personally invested, it’s only natural to want to do everything you can to keep your recently upgraded grin once you achieve the perfect shade.

Typically, you can expect the results to last anywhere from six months to three years, but it depends on how well you take care of your teeth. You can maintain a lighter grin by:

  • Watching what you eat. Stick with healthier snacks that won’t stain your teeth, like yogurt, cheese, or fresh fruits and vegetables. Avoid common culprits known to cause problems like coffee, tea, wine, and berries.
  • Implement a routine. If you don’t already, now’s an ideal time to begin brushing and flossing twice daily to remove plaque to prevent cavities, gum disease, injuries, and discoloration.
  • Schedule follow-ups. You may need repeated treatments to obtain just the right hue, and then may have to have occasional touch-ups to keep your grin looking fresh.
  • Don’t smoke. Cigarettes contain toxic chemicals that can bind to your teeth and tint them more brown or yellow than pearly white. Plus, they are a known risk factor for issues like tooth decay, periodontitis, and oral cancer, so they should be avoided.