Ninety-nine dollars seems to be the magic number for a growing number of college students who want whiter teeth, according to Brighter Image Lab Direct, an online teeth-whitening company based in Texas.
Bill Watson, owner of Brighter Image Labs, said by dealing directly with the customers, he could save them a considerable amount of money. The Web site compares the price of the systems, starting at $99 with Brighter Image and going up to between $400 and $800 at the dentist office. Watson said the price difference made his services appealing to the college demographic.
"A lot of them were trying to get [teeth whitening] done," Watson said. "When they went to their parents and said how much it was, [parents] would say 'No, let's wait and do it later.' When we realized we could sell to them, we realized we could sell to anyone."
Watson said about 25 percent of the company's orders come from .edu e-mail addresses, but that does not fully represent the true number of students ordering. Often, Watson said, students will get their parents to purchase the whitening system for them.
Local dentist offices also see patients frequently for the procedure. The bleaching process includes two parts. First, a mold is taken of the patient's mouth and processed into custom-fitted trays. Next, the patient fills the trays with a bleaching solution and wears them everyday anywhere from one hour to overnight. Brighter Image Lab Direct, however, cuts out the middleman by providing clients the material to make a mold and mailing back the custom-fitted trays and bleaching solutions.
Thomas Clark of Clark Dentistry in Muncie said he told his customers to expect the process to take one to six weeks,
"Some people could bleach forever and not get what they want, but we take pictures and have them back in a week," Clark said. "Then we have them back at two weeks, and usually they are pretty good by then."
Clark said he, like many other dentists, sells touch-up kits with additional syringes of bleaching paste so patients can periodically re-whiten their teeth. The active ingredient in most pastes is either carbamide or hydrogen peroxide.
Teeth whitening is a relatively frequent procedure at Susanne Reedy Dentistry in Muncie, with about 10 patients taking advantage of it each month, dental hygienist Kalen Upton said. The dentist office is currently running a special of $180 to whiten the top teeth.
"When you advertise a good special, which we do in our rooms, they ask about it and nine times out of 10, they do it," Upton said. "It works great, and it's a great way to change your appearance."
Upton said dentists create their own trays at the office, so instead of waiting a few weeks to get them back from a laboratory, they normally have them ready the same or next day the impressions were taken.
For students looking for an even less expensive and hassle-free method of brightening their teeth a few shades, there are also several products offered by toothpaste companies.
Junior Emily Landis went to see her dentist about teeth whitening, and he actually advised her to get Crest Whitestrips, she said.
"I went to go talk to my dentist about it, and he is a really nice guy, so he was like 'Hey, save your money and go to a local convenience store and get the Crest Whitestrips,'" Landis said. "He said the stuff he uses is pretty much the same thing, and the strips' (effects) would probably last longer."
Upton said she thinks the benefits of getting a professional whitening job outweigh the cost and convenience of the strips.
"They do work a little bit, but once again there is no research behind those to see how safe they are," Upton said. "Also, they only work on the surface, not like the in-office bleach would. I've seen some people get good results, but heck, if you keep buying those strips, it adds up and before you know it you are up to $180."
Clark however, offers prescription strength whitening strips for patients on a more limited budget, or those looking to whiten their teeth only a little. He compares them to the ones that can be bought over the counter.
"They are entry-level bleaching like the Crest Whitestrips, but they are the prescription level so they are stronger," Clark said. "They really do your front teeth the best but don't get the back teeth well."
Teeth whitening is now the most requested dental procedure, Watson said, and college students make up a significant percentage of the population asking for it. Upton said that many of their clients are college age as well.
"We guard the college community very closely," Watson said. "We make sure they get their results. We make sure they are happy because that's where we get our growth."
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