How Much Does a Deep Clean and Teeth Whitening Cost in Dentistry?

Maintaining a healthy smile usually involves two essential procedures: professional cleanings and teeth whitening. Cleaning helps protect your oral health, while whitening enhances the brightness of your smile. 

Whether you’re considering a routine dental cleaning, a more intensive deep cleaning for gum health, or a professional teeth whitening, one question comes up naturally: how much does it cost? Let’s dive in to explore these costs.

Dental Cleaning Cost: Routine vs. Deep Cleaning

Dental cleaning should be a regular part of your dental care regimen. It helps prevent the occurrence of larger, more complex dental health concerns. Let’s understand the difference between a routine cleaning and a deep cleaning, and how costs differ for both procedures.

Routine Cleaning (Prophylaxis)

A routine dental cleaning involves the removal of surface stains, plaque, and tartar from the teeth above your gumline. It’s the standard preventive treatment most people are advised to receive every six months.

Here’s what’s included in a routine teeth cleaning, also known as Prophylaxis:

• Physical exam of the teeth and gums
• Plaque and tartar removal
• Polishing and fluoride treatment (in a few clinics)
• Oral hygiene recommendations

Routine cleanings are one of the most cost-effective dental treatments available, and are usually recommended for people with no signs of gum disease. They help prevent bad breath, cavities, and early gum problems.

Deep Cleaning (Scaling and Root Planing)

Deep cleanings are very different from routine cleanings. Your dentist will recommend a deep cleaning if there are signs of gum disease, gum recession, bone loss, bleeding gums, or heavy buildup of tartar beneath the gumline. 

A deep cleaning procedure involves:

• Scaling: removal of plaque and tartar from below the gums
• Root Planing: smoothening of the teeth roots so the gums can reattach
• Administering local anesthesia
• A few follow-up appointments

Since the process is more complex than prophylaxis and takes longer, deep cleanings cost more.

The costs may vary, depending on factors like:

• Severity of the gum disease
• Number of quadrants requiring treatment
• Use of advanced tools like ultrasonic scalers
• Whether the dentist uses laser therapy or localized antibiotics
• Dentist experience and clinic location

Deep cleanings help halt the progression of gum disease. Without them, bacteria may damage the bone supporting your teeth, leading to tooth loss or mobility. 

Does Insurance Cover the Cost of Routine Cleaning and Deep Cleaning of Teeth?

It’s important to know that most dental insurance plans consider regular teeth cleanings as preventive care, and cover 100% of the costs for at least one or two cleanings per year. This means that using your dental insurance will reduce the routine cleaning costs to little or nothing out-of-pocket.

However, most dental plans cover 50-80% of deep cleaning costs after meeting the deductible. (Source) In fact, some basic insurance policies don’t cover scaling and root planing costs, while some of them require you to wait for 6-12 months before your coverage begins. You should check with your insurance provider to know about the exact terms and conditions for cost coverage of deep cleaning.

These inadequate coverages and delays may lead to long waiting times, worsening the gum disease. In such cases, patients can choose flexible, no-credit-check payment plans through platforms like Denefits.

Teeth Whitening Cost: What To Expect?

If you’re aiming for a brighter, more confident smile, teeth whitening is one of the most popular options. You can choose from various teeth whitening methods, depending on the level of whitening you’re looking for. Here’s a breakdown of available teeth whitening methods along with their respective costs:

➮ In-Office Professional Whitening

If you’re looking for fast and noticeable results, consider getting an in-office teeth whitening by a dentist. The process uses stronger bleaching agents and sometimes light or laser activation. A single teeth whitening session may typically cost between $300 and $1000, depending on the clinic’s pricing and whitening system used.

➮ Dentist-Provided Take-Home Kits

Many dentists these days offer custom tray kits to be used at home. These include a whitening gel and custom-fitted trays moulded according to your teeth. They work as a middle-ground solution in terms of costs and results. Typical price ranges from $200 to $600.

➮ Over-The-Counter (OTC) Whitening Kits

These whitening kits include strips, paint-on gels, or store-bought trays. They cost anywhere between $50 and $100, making them the most affordable option. However, OTC whitening kits offer more subtle results, take longer to yield results, and produce a less predictable outcome than dentist-supervised treatments.

What Influences Teeth Whitening Costs?

The final price you pay for a teeth whitening procedure depends on various factors, such as:

• Method of whitening: In-office teeth whitening procedures are more expensive but faster, take-home kits are less expensive but slower, whereas OTC kits are the cheapest but least effective.
• Severity and type of staining: Surface stains respond well to gentler treatments, but stains from coffee, smoking, or aging may need repeated, stronger treatments.
• Need for preliminary cleaning: If your teeth need scaling or cleaning before whitening, that adds to the total costs.
• Number of sessions required: In some cases, patients need a larger number of sessions to achieve the desired shade of white
• Clinic location and dentist experience: Clinics located in major urban areas or cosmetic dentists in high demand may charge more.

How Much Is Professional Teeth Whitening Without Insurance?

In most cases, dental insurance does not cover professional teeth whitening because it’s considered a cosmetic treatment rather than a medical necessity. That means patients usually pay the full cost themselves.

To ease this financial pressure, many dental clinics now offer flexible, no-credit-check payment plans to patients through Denefits, giving them the option to pay smaller amounts monthly instead of a large amount upfront.