Guide · Teeth whitening
How much does teeth whitening cost in Edinburgh?
Short answer: at City Dental Care, dentist-prescribed home whitening is £350 — around £29 a month on 0% finance. The longer answer is worth two minutes, because the whitening market is full of products that aren’t comparable and offers that aren’t legal.
The assessment comes first and costs nothing: it is a free cosmetic consultation. Your dentist checks your teeth and gums are healthy to whiten and that whitening will actually fix your kind of discolouration, before you commit to anything. We take a deposit when you book, under our Failure to Attend policy, and it is refunded when you attend; we confirm the amount when you book.
What the £350 actually buys
- Custom-made trays — moulded to your teeth, so the gel sits where it should and not on your gums.
- Dentist-only whitening concentrations — far stronger than anything legally sold over the counter.
- Supervision — your dentist monitors progress and adjusts the plan, rather than leaving you guessing.
Our page on teeth whitening in Edinburgh takes the appointments in order — the assessment, the scan that makes your trays, the kit itself and the review afterwards — and explains how long the new shade holds.
Why shop products and salon offers aren’t the same thing
Over-the-counter strips and whitening toothpastes are limited by law to 0.1% hydrogen peroxide, and one-size-fits-nobody trays can irritate gums. And a harder truth: in the UK, tooth whitening is legally dentistry. Only GDC-registered dental professionals may perform it. A salon or beautician offering whitening is breaking the law with your mouth — chemical burns and permanent damage are the documented risks of getting this wrong.
So a whitening offer from a salon is not a cheaper version of the same treatment, whatever its price: check that a GDC-registered dental professional is providing it before you compare. Ours is a Boutique home whitening kit for £350, with trays made for your teeth and your first application done at the practice at the fitting visit, with your dentist checking the fit and the amount of gel. You then carry on at home.
When whitening isn’t the answer
Whitening lifts staining from coffee, tea, wine, smoking and time. It does not change the colour of crowns, veneers or fillings, and internal discolouration (for example after a root canal) may need a different approach such as internal bleaching. That’s why the assessment comes first — so you only pay for what will genuinely work on your teeth. Planning composite bonding too? Whitening is usually done first, so the bonding can be matched to your new shade.
Ready for a brighter smile, done properly?
Book a consultation at 9 Earl Grey Street — an assessment, honest advice on whether whitening suits your teeth, and a written price before anything starts. The consultation is free. We take a deposit when you book, under our Failure to Attend policy, and it is refunded when you attend; we confirm the amount when you book. A free consultation is an initial consultation, not a full dental examination. If you need or want a full examination, it is charged at our published private fee: £85 for new patients and £55 for existing patients, x-rays included. NHS examinations are free for NHS patients of the practice.
