Are Teeth Whitening Strips Worth The Money? In an effort to save money, a lot of people will choose to buy at-home teeth whitening strips instead of coming into the dentist for cosmetic bleaching. While these strips can in fact lighten your smile, the question is, are they worth the money? Is it better to spend money on home whitening kits than to see a cosmetic dentist near you? Let’s take a closer inspection to find the answer. Cost Vs. Strength When it comes to the actual bleaching power of at-home whitening strips, it takes a long time to see results. Even after months of using the strips, you won’t get a fraction of the effects that you will from professional teeth whitening. You can take years of surface stains off your teeth with a trip to the dentist, but you may only be able to lose a couple shades with the home kits. If you want big results, you may need to spend a little extra money to avoid disappointment. Cost Vs. Longevity Teeth whitening kits like Crest White Strips are not designed to permanently whiten teeth. In many cases, their effects only last for about 6 months before teeth start to yellow and discolor again. Professional bleaching is not permanent either, but it will last much longer than the strips you use at home. If you use the aftercare kit included with your bleaching package, you should be able to go years without having to come back in for whitening. When you think about it, spending $50 on less than six months worth of lightening isn’t really a logical investment. You might as well spend a couple hundred dollars on a significantly stronger and more durable whitening solution. If you only need something to brighten up your already-white teeth, an at-home kit may be fine. Otherwise, dental bleaching is the way to go. Cost Vs. Convenience If you get your teeth whitened at the dentist office, you only have to come in for one session, one time. If you use strips at home, you may have to wear them for several days in a row or several hours at a time before you see results. If you don’t have a lot of time leftover in the day, it may be more convenient just to come into the dentist and get your teeth whitened all at once. Then you can walk out with a gorgeous, confident smile that people are sure to be jealous of. So, Are Teeth Whitening Strips Worth The Money? In most cases, no. Teeth whitening strips are not worth the money. There are better, more cost-effective ways to whiten your teeth, and you will be much happier with your results in the end. Talk to your dentist about your options to see if dental bleaching is right for you.