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Happy New Year: Finance Teeth Whitening in 2018

Tuesday - January 9th, 2018
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With the new year, we always take time to reflect on where we can improve. Improving your smile is a resolution that adds value to your life, not just this year but for many years to come. Teeth whitening is one method patients can look to drastically enhance the appearance of their smile. With plenty of payment plans or dental financing options to choose from, teeth whitening is just an appointment away. Just use our “dentist near me” tool to find a teeth whitening specialist at your closest Monarch Dental location to guide you through various teeth whitening methods. Use this financing guide, you can easily plan for your next teeth whitening appointment to get the smile you’ve always wanted!

If you’ve been putting off whitening your smile year after year, you may find it to be much easier and more affordable than you initially thought. With advancements made in teeth whitening technology, there are many more methods of teeth whitening to choose from. In addition to methods, there are also more financing options made available for patients with and without insurance. It’s easier now more than ever to whiten your teeth by a professional dentist to provide you with results that last without damaging the enamel on your teeth.

Reasons Why Teeth Stain, Yellow and Become Discolored

If you’ve come to decide upon whitening your teeth, it’s important to understand what caused them to become discolored in the first place. Whether it’s genetic factors or lifestyle habits, there are many reasons behind teeth discoloration. Determining the reason may often play a role into determining the best teeth whitening solution for your teeth. Discolored teeth can be broken down into two different stain categories – intrinsic and extrinsic.

Intrinsic Stains

Intrinsic stains reside from within the structure of the tooth. These types of stains can make teeth whitening a bit more difficult, as the appearance has been altered within the enamel of the tooth. Sometimes, medication can cause intrinsic stains. Not all medication will cause side effects such as these, but any time you take a medication, especially in children, be sure to ask whether or not it will have any kind of effect on your teeth. Ingestion of too much fluoride can also cause lighter marks on the enamel of your teeth, a process known as fluorosis. This can happen when excessive amounts of fluoride are ingested either in water, foods, or when supplemental fluoride is taken.

Extrinsic Stains

Extrinsic stains are what most people think of when they think of the reasons behind stained teeth. These stains lie within the enamel of your teeth, amongst the outermost layer. Generally speaking, lifestyle habits play a role into developing extrinsic stains. These are habits like smoking tobacco, chewing tobacco, drinking coffee or tea, or even wine.

Any highly pigmented foods or beverages have the ability to stain your teeth if they are consumed in high amounts all the time. These are foods like red wine, pomegranates, even dark colored soda beverages can attack the color of your teeth. If the foods are also acidic, they’ll wear away your tooth’s enamel over time making it much easier to leave an overall stain behind.

Other Reasons

Genetics age, and overall health can also play roles in the coloring of your teeth. At times, your genetics can more often than not determine what the color of your teeth will be. At no fault of your own, your teeth may appear more yellow than others. Our health also plays a role in the development of the color of our teeth. If you’ve experience high fever at a young age, it can cause teeth to yellow as well as nutritional deficiencies.

Age can also affect the color of our teeth because as we grow older, the enamel of our teeth will naturally wear over time. When this happens, the enamel on our teeth are a bit more translucent than it once was which will show the underlying dentin of our teeth. Dentin is another layer of the tooth that also holds color, and often times it can appear more yellow in hue.

How Teeth Whitening Can Help

Teeth whitening works by applying a solution that lightens the color of the enamel of your teeth, working to remove stains or discoloration. By changing lightening the enamel of your teeth, the appearance gives of a brighter, whiter smile. For this reason, teeth whitening treatments from a professional dentist can greatly improve the appearance of your smile for a much lower cost when compared to other cosmetic procedures. A professional dentist has the ability to assess both the color, thickness, and smoothness of the enamel of your teeth, which can all play a role in how your teeth will be whitened. Teeth whitening is a process that will have to be done with repeated treatment to attain the color you’re looking for as well as maintaining the color once you’ve achieved that stage.

For some patients, teeth whitening isn’t always the best option. Your dentist will go over whether or not you are an ideal patient for a teeth whitening treatment. Generally speaking, teeth that are yellow in color will take well to teeth whitening agents. However, teeth that are intrinsically stained may have uneven results from these types of teeth whitening treatments. For patients with dental crowns or fillings that have been made to be the color of your tooth, you may want to take precaution when choosing a teeth whitening method as the solution will only be able to change the color of your natural tooth, and not the other material. Patients can look to veneers as an alternative cosmetic solution for their smile.

Methods of Teeth Whitening

In-Office Teeth Whitening

One method patients can choose from is in-office teeth whitening, which is a teeth whitening procedure performed during an appointment at your dentist’s office. At your dentist appointment, your dentist will apply a professional-grade bleaching agent onto your teeth. To refrain it from getting in contact with your gums or lips, they’ll apply a shield to cover this area, protecting it from damage. The solution you’ll find at your dentist’s office is much stronger than anything you’d find over-the-counter or within whitening toothpastes.

The solution is typically left on the patient’s teeth for about 15 minutes while your dentist applies a special UV light onto the teeth. This light will help speed up the teeth whitening process. Your dentist will then rinse the solution off and apply it again a few more times at the same appointment. In doing so, your teeth will be much whiter after one appointment.

Appointment times range, but generally take about two hours when opting for an in-office treatment. As a patient, you shouldn’t feel any pain during this process aside from mild discomfort of having your mouth open for an extended period of time. The results of this type of whitening procedure can be seen as soon as your appointment is finished, making it an optimal teeth whitening method.

At-Home Teeth Whitening

Another affordable teeth whitening treatment that requires a bit more time as a patient, is a at-home teeth whitening treatment. With this process, a patient is given whitening trays that are custom made at your dentist’s office and a solution to apply at home. For this type of process, first the tray must be made to fit your teeth. At your dentist appointment, you will have a mold taken of your teeth that is used to generate a tray. The goal is to isolate each tooth from your gums and lips to ensure a solution isn’t touching these areas.

Once your trays are made, you’ll be given a bleaching agent to apply at home every day for about two weeks. At home, you’ll fill each trays with the agent, put the tray to your teeth and wait for a specified amount of time as determined by your dentist. Generally, it is about 30 minutes. Over the next two weeks, your teeth will change in color for a whiter smile.

At-home teeth whitening is a good option for patients that suffer from teeth sensitivity or a worn down enamel. It’s also preferred for patients that don’t have the time to come to the dentist office for an in-office treatment.

Advantages of Professional Teeth Whitening

While you may think that all teeth whitening solutions are the same, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Choosing to go with a professional dentist for your teeth whitening treatment can save you time, money, and even your teeth. Solutions provided over-the-counter can work at times, however, they lack the guidance and discretion of a professional dentist and may end of causing more harm to your tooth enamel than good. Some of the advantages of choosing a professional include:

An Even Appearance

When using an at-home or in-office teeth whitening treatment, you either have a mold or the hand of a professional dentist applying a solution evenly. In the end, you’ll receive results that create an even, cohesive white smile. Whitening trays and even teeth whitening strips can work, but may leave an uneven application on your teeth. Using over-the-counter solutions can sometimes highlight uneven discoloration on your tooth depending on the type of staining your tooth holds.

Quicker Results

When choosing a professional dentist for your teeth whitening experience, you’ll find results are attained much quicker with their expertise. Using an at-home or in-office solution will give you an agent that is much stronger than anything you’d find over-the-counter. While the time spent with a professional dentist will vary, it will give you quicker results than most other options.

Customized Options

When it comes to professional-grade bleaching agents coupled with advice from a dentist, your results will be customized to your preferences. The shade of white you prefer and the process under which you’ll go are all customized based on you, the patient. Patients looking for a naturally white smile can expect the best results to come from a professional dentist. The results you gain will last much longer, saving you more in the long run.

Finance Teeth Whitening

1. Payment Plans and Dental Financing

Financing your dream smile this new year has never been easier. At Monarch Dental we offer several flexible payment plans for patients to choose from. As teeth whitening is considered a cosmetic dental procedure, many patients choose to use their own funds to cover the cost of treatment. Teeth whitening at Monarch Dental can be surprisingly affordable, especially when patients are given flexible options to pay for their treatment.

Our dental financing includes:

You can apply for these dental financing options online or at your next teeth whitening appointment. Some plans will carry different terms that you may or may not qualify for.

2. Use a Dental Plan

Utilizing a dental plan is another way patients can save on teeth whitening treatments. The OneSmile dental plan allows patients to opt in through an annual fee, giving them access to discounts and savings across participating Monarch Dental branches. This is a great option for patients who know they’ll want to undergo a teeth whitening treatment and are looking for a way to save using their dental plan.

3. Coupons and Offers

This new year, check to see if your nearest Monarch Dental office is running any type of coupon or promotion you can take advantage of regarding teeth whitening. Coupons are an easy way for patients to receive a discount on full-priced teeth whitening treatments. Just use a dentist near me search to find your nearest Monarch Dental location and call to find what promotions are running at the time. You can also use our coupon zip code tool that allows patients to simply enter their zip code location and find deals nearest to them.

4. Dental Insurance

If you have dental insurance, look into your options for teeth whitening coverage. Oftentimes, dental insurance deems teeth whitening as purely cosmetic and may or may not cover the cost of your treatment. It’s best to check with your individual insurance provider to see what they’ll cover, before making your teeth whitening appointment. If you find that it is covered, or even partially covered, Monarch Dental accepts most dental insurance plans. You can call 1-844-800-7645 to see if we accept yours.

Teeth Whitening Cost?

The cost of your teeth whitening treatment can depend on several factors including your individual needs, expectations, and geographic location. It can vary from dentist to dentist, as well as the method of teeth whitening you choose to go with. It’s best to schedule an appointment with your dentist and discuss your budget and preference. From there, you and your dentist can come up with the most affordable option that will meet your expectations. Fast, immediate results can be found in an in-office treatment. However, at-home treatment will give you some flexibility while still maintaining great results.

Teeth Whitening from a Dentist Near Me

At Monarch Dental, there are several ways patients find teeth whitening an easy, affordable process. From various payment plans and financing options to choose from, teeth whitening has been made that much more accessible for patients looking to transform their smiles this year. To make an appointment, use a dentist near me search to find a Monarch Dental office closest to you. From there you can either visit us online, or call us at 1-844-800-7645 to schedule a teeth whitening consultation. We look forward to giving you the brighter smile you’ve always wanted this year!