Teeth Whitening – Long Island City, NY
Beautifully Transform Your Smile
Having yellowed, dull, or stained teeth can be really frustrating. It can make being in pictures annoying. You might develop a habit of hiding your smile behind your hands. You deserve to be confident enough in your smile to show it off to the world. That’s why at LIC Dental Associates, we offer two options for teeth whitening in Long Island City – take-home and in-office treatment. Whichever method you choose will beautifully transform your smile in no time. Call us today to schedule a consultation for teeth whitening.
Why Choose LIC Dental Associates for Teeth Whitening?
- Dedicated & Compassionate Team of Experts
- Extensive Training in Advanced Esthetics
- At-Home and In-Office Treatments Available
How Does Teeth Whitening Work?
If you select in-office treatment, you’ll simply have to carve out about an hour into your schedule for the appointment. First, we’ll protect your gums and other soft tissues in your mouth from the bleaching gel. Then, we’ll apply the gel to your teeth and wait about 15 minutes. After that much time has passed, we’ll clean your teeth and repeat the process. Most patients’ smiles reach the shade they’re looking for after three or four applications of the bleaching gel.
Maybe you’d prefer to achieve more gradual results from the comfort of your own home, which is why we offer take-home treatments. First, Dr. Saran will take impressions of your teeth to design your custom trays. Then, wear the trays for a prescribed amount of time each day, along with a bleaching gel much more potent than anything you can find over the counter. You should see results almost right away, with the most significantly whiter smiles appearing after two weeks or so.
What Are the Benefits of Professional Teeth Whitening?
If you’re self-conscious about the color of your teeth, you may have tried store-bought whitening solutions from the drugstore. Most of the time, however, these products simply do not deliver the results you’re looking for. This is because the whitening agent in these solutions is not powerful at all.
That’s where professional teeth whitening from the dentist comes in. These solutions are significantly more powerful than anything you can buy elsewhere. In addition, the dentist can adjust for any sensitivity issues you may have, so you don’t have to experience any discomfort throughout your treatment.
Finally, professional teeth whitening can help you obtain the smile you’ve been dreaming of. It can help you be more confident in your grin, and even keep you looking younger and more vibrant.
How Can You Maintain Your Results?
Keep in mind that even after whitening treatment, your teeth can become stained just as easily as they did before. That means you’ll have to work hard to maintain your beautiful results. One way to do that is to avoid staining drinks like coffee, tea, and wine. You don’t have to cut these beverages out of your diet entirely, but try and sip them through a straw. That way, the drink zips right past your teeth so it has no chance to stain. It’s also a good idea to completely avoid tobacco.
Another way to maintain your white smile is to practice good oral hygiene. This means brushing twice a day (preferably with a whitening toothpaste), flossing, and regular checkups and cleanings. By keeping your dental health in check, your grin will not only be gorgeous, but healthy as well.
Understanding the Cost of Teeth Whitening
Whitening your teeth can remove years of stains and discoloration caused by age, diet, and other factors. But with such a wide range of products available, it can be difficult to tell what you should expect to spend. The truth is, there are a variety of things that can influence the cost of this treatment, but at LIC Dental Associates, we’re proud to offer safe, effective professional teeth whitening options to suit every budget. Keep reading to learn more about how we determine the cost of this treatment so you can make the best choice for your wallet and your smile!
Factors that Affect the Cost of Teeth Whitening
Although professional teeth whitening is typically one set price, there are many factors that may affect how many treatments you’ll need to achieve your desired shade of white, including:
- How severe your stains and discoloration are.
- The type of discoloration present, including those related to age, medication, or diet, and whether they’re extrinsic (located on the surface of the enamel) or intrinsic (located within the tooth).
- Whether you’ll need any other procedures first, such as fillings, gum disease treatment, etc.
Types of Teeth Whitening: What Do They Cost?
- In-office teeth whitening from your dentist typically ranges in price from $400 to $800 and in some rare cases may exceed $1,000 or more depending on your individual smile.
- Take home whitening kits from your dentist, which include custom-fit trays typically cost a few hundred dollars.
- Over the counter whitening trays that are not custom-fit and can be purchased online and in some retailers typically cost $100 or less.
- The cheapest option by far is whitening strips or gels which are available at most big-box retailers, supermarkets, and pharmacies. These typically cost between $20 and $40 a box and contain enough product to treat your teeth for up to two weeks.
Fast Teeth Whitening VS Inexpensive Teeth Whitening
If you’re only paying attention to the numbers above, you’re probably wondering why professional whitening options from your dentist are so popular when they’re the more expensive options. The truth is, though, when it comes to cosmetic dentistry, the quality of the work is clearly reflected in the price you pay. Thus, when using “cheaper” strips or gels, many patients see little to no results, especially when they have more severe discoloration. Worse yet, it can often take months to achieve the look they desire and ultimately ends up costing more than professional treatment would have from the start!
Conversely, professional treatment from your dentist can lighten the tooth enamel by multiple shades in a much faster timeframe. For in-office care, this can be as little as one visit, while professional take-home kits can give you dazzling results in about two weeks, but many patients see noticeable changes right away. When choosing the right teeth whitening option, it’s important to consider what kinds of results you’re looking for and how quickly you want them, not just the price tag.
Options For Making Teeth Whitening Affordable
Because teeth whitening is considered a cosmetic procedure, it’s almost never covered by traditional dental insurance. However, the great news is that there are other options available for making this treatment more affordable. Our preferred third-party financiers, CareCredit and Lending Club, can help split up the cost of your teeth whitening into multiple, low-to-no interest monthly payments that are better suited to your budget.
At LIC Dental Associates, we’re ready to assist you with whitening your teeth. If you’re ready to get your smile whiter and brighter, schedule a consultation with us today to learn more about the financial details of this incredible treatment!
Teeth Whitening FAQs
Does Teeth Whitening Hurt?
Professional teeth whitening is one of the least invasive and most comfortable treatments in dentistry. You may feel some bubbling or tingling while the treatment works its magic, but you shouldn’t feel any pain.
Our team will carefully check for signs of gum disease and decay before your treatment—both of which could cause irritation—before your treatment. Once we’re sure your smile is free of issues, you’ll be able to comfortably take on the whitening process, either with an in-office procedure, or a take-home kit.
You may feel some slight sensitivity after the procedure, but it’s typically mild and should fade within a few days. Until then, watch your diet and steer clear of hot, cold, overly sweet, or acidic snacks.
What’s the Difference Between Professional and Store-Bought Teeth Whitening?
While over-the-counter whitening products use the same chemicals as professional ones, the biggest difference is concentration and results.
Most whitening treatments you can buy at big box stores and pharmacies have around 1% to 3% hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. This is perfect for gentle results or for touch-ups, but not ideal for total whitening.
Professional take-home kits have concentrations in the 10% range while in-office treatments can carry as much as 40% depending on the system.
These treatments are highly regulated and can only be performed by a licensed dentist. If you want the most dazzling smile possible, our cosmetic dentists in Long Island City have the experience you need.
How Long Does Teeth Whitening Treatment Take?
Professional treatments don’t just offer brilliant results when compared to store-bought products, they’re also much faster. In-office treatments can be done from start to finish in under an hour, while our take-home kits generally take around two weeks, depending on your desired shade.
Contrast this with over-the-counter whitening which can take weeks or even months to achieve the same results—risking overuse in the process.
If you need a faster, more effective whitening solution for a big event or just to enjoy your own smile again, give us a call. Our team is happy to walk you through all your options and help you decide what fits your needs best.
Does Teeth Whitening Work on Dental Crowns?
Unfortunately, no. Restorations, like crowns and bridges, are made with materials like ceramic and porcelain which are unaffected by whitening gels. While your teeth are porous, allowing whitening chemicals to penetrate them to break down stains, restorations are not.
If you want your restorations to match after brightening your smile, you’ll need to have them replaced. This is why our team often advises our patients to make whitening a part of their treatment plan before getting enhancements like crowns or veneers. If we know ahead of time, we can time your treatments and make your smile blend together seamlessly.