Times are rough, and this financial hardship allegedly motivated an Ohio couple’s attempt to steal away with plastic bags full of over-the-counter whitening strips from CVS and Target. Police apprehended Trentston Thompson and Victoria Holloway shortly after the thefts, and the couple remains behind bars, according to an August 27 WBBJ 7 report.
Yet the average cost of teeth whitening can actually be quite reasonable, meaning that there’s no need to enter a life of crime in order to get whiter teeth. What are the best ways to keep teeth whitening costs low? How can you make whitening last as long as possible? Family dentists share their best secrets.
Are You Willing To Take a Gamble With Your Children’s Teeth?
Whether we are talking about your teeth — or your children’s and partner’s smiles — there are some distinct differences between over-the-counter whitening methods, professional whitening sessions, or even the whitening kits dentists sell in their offices for patients to take home. Nearly all whitening products in your local grocery store and pharmacy are not regulated by the FDA. Packages do not have to list whitening agents, so you could literally be putting anything on your teeth and in your mouth.
Are You Going To Do Something About That Bad Breath?
Moreover, these products — if they work — accomplish whitening only. The overlying causes of stained teeth, such plaque and tartar buildup, go untreated. Without addressing these problems, this can leave you constantly whitening your teeth, and it can also lead to common dental and oral health problems, such as chronic halitosis, or stinky breath. (Eighty-five percent of patients with halitosis could drastically reduce or eliminate symptoms with treatment of the root cause!) Strips and other over-the-counter methods are mass-produced as well, meaning they may not fit the specific contours and shape of your teeth. Even if you do not have crooked teeth, every set of human teeth is completely unique, much like fingerprints.
There Is What In Your Toothpaste?
Toothpaste and, more importantly, whitening strips and gels sold in stores may contain harsh chemicals, like carbamide peroxide. This chemical is extremely abrasive, and it will erode the enamel on your teeth, even though that enamel is the hardest surface on your body. Enamel protects your teeth, and you need it!
The average cost of teeth whitening is well-worth it, especially considering other methods can leave you with bad breath and less tooth enamel.
