Teeth whitening cost calculator: add up every item on your quote

Teeth whitening is not available on the NHS, so you pay for it privately. A quote often includes several parts. There is usually a consultation and examination first. For home whitening, the dental team takes impressions or a scan to make custom trays, then gives you a whitening gel to use with them. Some practices also offer whitening in the surgery. Later you may want top-up gel to keep the result. The teeth whitening cost is the sum of all these items, not only the headline price.

This calculator does not use average prices. It works only with the items on your own quote. Enter each item in its own field, so you can see which parts cost most and whether top-ups are included or extra. If your quote shows one package price, ask the practice what it includes: the examination, the trays, how much gel, any in-surgery session and follow-up appointments. A contingency reserve helps you plan for extra gel or a top-up session later on.

In the UK, tooth whitening is a dental treatment with clear rules on who may carry it out. The General Dental Council says it should follow an assessment by a registered dentist and be carried out on their prescription. Only registered dentists, dental therapists, dental hygienists or clinical dental technicians can provide it. Someone who has done a short training course, such as a beautician, cannot offer whitening legally or safely. You can check whether the person offering treatment is registered by searching their name on the GDC online register.

The NHS says whitening chemicals should only be used or sold by dental professionals who know how to use them safely. Products from other sources, such as beauty salons or some pharmacy and online kits, may not work as well and may harm your teeth and gums. A kit prescribed by a dentist, or treatment at a dental surgery, is described by the NHS as the safest option. Whitening is not done for anyone aged 17 or younger.

With home whitening, a dentist prescribes a kit with a whitening gel and small trays, and you usually wear the trays at home for around 2 to 6 weeks. Whitening by a dental professional uses strong chemicals, and side effects can include sensitive teeth and sore gums or a sore throat. Tell your dentist if you notice these. Whitening is not permanent. The NHS says the effect may last for around 3 years if you follow your dentist's advice, which is why some quotes include top-up gel.

If you already have crowns, veneers or white fillings at the front of your mouth, ask your dentist what whitening would mean for how they match your other teeth, before you agree to treatment. If a single tooth has darkened and is no longer alive (non-vital), internal bleaching of that non-vital tooth can be provided on the NHS when your dentist considers it clinically necessary. That is a different treatment from cosmetic whitening of all your teeth.