How long teeth whitening takes depends on your treatment and how badly stained your teeth are. More expensive treatments whiten your teeth faster than cheaper treatments. A single appointment might be enough if you pay for treatment at the dentist’s office.
The length of time that teeth whitening takes can vary widely depending on the specific treatment method used.
At-home teeth whitening kits typically involve applying a bleaching agent to the teeth using trays or strips and allowing them to sit for a set amount of time, usually anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours. The total treatment time can range from a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on the bleaching agent’s strength and the desired whitening level.
In-office teeth whitening treatments performed by a dental professional typically take about an hour to complete. During the treatment, the dental professional will apply a bleaching agent to the teeth and may use a special light or laser to help activate the bleaching process.
The teeth may be visibly lighter after just one treatment, but multiple treatments may be needed to achieve the desired level of whitening.
Whitening strips take longer, and whitening toothpaste might never get your teeth all that much whiter on its own. If you don’t need to get your teeth white fast, whitening strips might be enough for many people. Whitening strips take longer but can save you more than a little money.
Whitening treatments vary hugely in price, from a few dollars for whitening toothpaste to more than $1000 or $2000 for laser treatment in many places. Usually, professional treatment costs well under a thousand dollars and is reasonably affordable. It won’t cost thousands of dollars unless you make multiple appointments, which is not usually necessary.
How Long Does Teeth Whitening Take?
With professional treatment, your teeth should look whiter right away. Treatment at the dentist’s office is powerful enough that one appointment is often enough. Either your teeth will look whiter right away, or they will look whiter after 24 hours.
If your teeth are badly stained or not responding all that well to treatment, you might need multiple appointments. This can take much longer because you cannot get your teeth whitened again after only a few days. The risk of side effects is too high if you get your teeth whitened twice quickly.
How Long Do Results Take With At-Home Treatments?
While whitening mouthwash works for some people, it is one of the slowest methods. You may have to wait three months to see results. Whitening mouthwash is best to keep your teeth whiter after treatment and should not be your primary way of whitening your teeth.
Whitening toothpaste can work a bit faster – about 3 to 6 weeks after you use it daily. However, whitening toothpaste usually isn’t enough to whiten badly stained teeth. It needs to be combined with a more powerful treatment.
Whitening strips are more powerful than whitening toothpaste or whitening mouthwash. They might make a significant difference on their own.
A pack of 14 whitening strips takes two weeks to use; you should notice a difference by the time you are done with them. Whitening strips don’t work well for everyone – results vary. You might need more expensive in-office treatment.
You can also get at-home whitening trays over the counter or from your dentist. Custom trays that fit your mouth are the best. These trays are more expensive than whitening strips but still cheaper than in-office treatments.
These trays take 2-4 weeks to work. Sometimes, they give long-lasting results, although nothing is as good as a professional, in-office treatment. At-home treatments always use relatively weak concentrations of bleaching chemicals, which are not strong enough for everyone.
How Long Does a Teeth Whitening Appointment Take?
An appointment may last 90 minutes, although it is often less. About an hour of your time is the usual standard. Sometimes, treatment may take only 30 minutes.
Your dentist must, at least, look at your teeth, take protective measures so that your gums don’t get irritated by the whitening gel, and apply a whitening agent to your teeth. This can take longer if the dentist uses a laser or an LED light.
