How Much Does Teeth Whitening Cost?
The cost of teeth whitening can range from a few pounds, or almost nothing, to about £795. This is a huge range, and this article will shed some light on why teeth whitening costs vary so much.
Why Teeth Darken
Teeth whitening is the age-old process of trying to improve the colour of the teeth. Teeth darken over the course of our lifetime because the dentine, the second layer of the tooth, and the enamel wear down, and the yellowness of the dentine shines through.
The foods and drinks we consume also play a part. Depending on their colouration, they contain tannins, a chemical that tends to percolate into the tooth and cause it to yellow or darken.
This creates an aesthetic issue: the teeth look duller, which can be very ageing. In today’s society we value aesthetics quite highly, and tooth whitening has been popular forever as a result.
Teeth Whitening Methods and Their Costs
There are various methods to whiten teeth. Let’s tackle each one in turn.
Household acids
This method uses household acids to erode and remove a thin layer of enamel from the front of the teeth, exposing whiter enamel underneath. Lemon juice is often the go-to because of its very high acidity.
It is an ineffective method because it does not change the underlying colouration of the dentine shining through, and it sacrifices a layer of enamel, which is unsustainable given that enamel is only 0.5 to 1 millimetre thick. It is a relatively dangerous method, but almost free. It would cost you a few pounds, depending on the price of lemons.
Over-the-counter whitening products
These come in various formulations: peroxide-based, acid-based, alkali-based or even abrasive. Their efficacy is variable because we do not necessarily know what is in the formulation. The manufacturers also do not tell us the process in detail, and these products often need a particular workflow to work best. It is therefore difficult to judge whether these methods are effective.
The cost tends to be relatively low because they are designed to reach the widest group of people. You can certainly get hold of them for less than £100.
Charcoal-based products
Charcoal products, sometimes found in toothpaste or whitening paste, seek to strip off a layer of the front of the teeth to reveal a whiter colour underneath. Again, this does not remove the colouration that is in the teeth, so it is a limited process, and it is also unsustainable because it removes enamel.
They are very cheap, costing a few pounds for the product, and can give a slight improvement in the short term. However, we do not recommend them.
Colour corrective dyes
These were once very popular on TikTok and social media in general. They are ineffective because all they do is apply a very bright contrasting colour to the teeth, which is then washed off. The teeth then appear whiter because our eyes colour-correct them.
This is an optical illusion and an outright gimmick. It does not improve the brightness of the teeth at an objective level. It is simply an optical trick on our mind to make the teeth look brighter after using a colour corrective dye.
Power whitening
This is often offered in high street malls using various bleaching products. The downside is that the bleach tends not to be of a high enough concentration, because under UK law anything higher than 0.1% peroxide has to be administered by a dentist or a healthcare professional.
These treatments therefore work mostly through dehydration. The teeth become dehydrated when they are exposed to air without the lips around them, which makes them look brighter temporarily until they rehydrate with saliva. This is again a short-term gimmick that tends not to work long term.
Whitening strips
Strips are effective and relatively cost-effective, as they can be used at home. They are applied to the teeth using quite high-strength peroxide, and they whiten the teeth by neutralising the tannins and brightening the overall colour.
The downside is that they can make the teeth very sensitive, as the concentration can be high. They are not necessarily legal in the UK at a concentration above 16% carbamide peroxide or 6% hydrogen peroxide. In America, however, 35% strips are available, and people often fly over to buy them and bring them back into the UK.
Professional whitening with a dentist
This is the one we recommend, of course. We have reached this view through the peer-reviewed evidence base, anecdotal data, and whitening our own teeth. We know that the only effective way to whiten teeth long term is to neutralise the colour that is in the teeth, that is, the tannins. Peroxide does this.
There are various formulations, but we have access to the most powerful one, which penetrates through the tooth, reacts with the tannins, pulls them out and leaves the tooth untouched. Importantly, it does not erode the enamel. The enamel stays exactly as it is. This makes the treatment sustainable long term, and you can repeat it regularly to top up the whitening as your teeth get darker.
You can have a daytime or a nighttime version. The daytime version is 1 hour a day for 2 weeks. The nighttime version is worn all night for 2 weeks. After that, you top up for one night every 2 to 3 months.
This is the gold standard for whitening and has been effective for hundreds of thousands of people. It is priced at £495 in our clinic, and can range up to £795 depending on the type of system you use.
Internal whitening
There is one more type of whitening for specific indications, which is internal whitening. This is for a tooth that has had root canal treatment and has darkened internally as a result. The dentist accesses the root canal treatment and then applies the gel.
It can be effective, but it does tend to relapse, and the cost is relatively high as well, from £495 upwards. We do not think it is particularly helpful, because the teeth tend to get darker anyway and the whitening will relapse. It is also not always possible, because it requires the dentist to cut away some of the tooth to allow the gel to penetrate into the tooth and the root canal system.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is whitening painful?
Sensitivity is common and happens in almost everyone, but do not panic. It is quite mild for most people and tends to go away after 2 weeks. We have never had anyone experience permanent sensitivity from whitening.
Can you whiten in old age?
Yes, you can whiten at any age. However, enamel tends to get thinner as we get older, so you will get the best result if you whiten as early as possible in life, when the enamel is thickest, because enamel is the part that whitens.
Can you whiten teeth that have no enamel at all?
Yes, which may seem slightly contradictory to my previous answer, because dentine can also whiten. It just has a lower propensity to whiten than enamel, as enamel dominates the colour in terms of brightness. But you can take dentine from an orangey colour to a slightly yellower colour, and almost to a white colour, depending on how you apply the gel.
Can you whiten composite bonding?
Typically, no. Whitening can lift the colour of composite slightly, but repolishing and refining the margins of the composite is the more effective approach, because dental materials do not respond to whitening on the whole.
Can you whiten ceramic, veneers, crowns, bridges or implants?
No. Ceramic work does not whiten. If you are having any of these done, it is important to whiten first and then match the colour of the ceramic to your whitened teeth.
Can the cost of teeth whitening be spread over finance?
Yes. We can spread the payments over a 12-month period, interest-free, or over 60 months, which is interest-bearing.
Dentist at Marylebone Smile Clinic and an Accredited member of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.
GDC number: 258353. Last reviewed: 9 November 2026