Tooth whitening has become increasingly popular, and it isn't hard to see why. Having a smile full of nice white teeth makes you feel more confident and attractive, and there are plenty of great ways to get this done. One increasingly common option is laser whitening, which involves a dentist placing a concentrated bleaching agent on your teeth and then heating it using a laser.

Laser whitening certainly offers several great benefits, but plenty of people still find themselves preferring the traditional bleaching trays. These are made from a mould of your teeth. When you go to bed, you apply some bleaching gel to the trays and then slip them in to wear as you sleep. Here are just four reasons you might want to consider trays over laser whitening.

1. Whitening Trays Cost Much Less

The one major downside associated with laser whitening is cost. While the results are great, it does cost a lot of money to have your teeth whitened by a laser, and it's going to cost just as much every time you need to have them re-whitened in the future. Whitening trays are far more cost-effective. You'll need to spend a few hundred dollars for custom-fit trays instead of usually thousands for laser whitening, you can then use those trays again and again — in fact, bleaching trays should last for several years. That means the only recurring expense will be the minor cost of the bleaching gel itself.

2. Some Laser Whitening Patients Need Trays Anyway

While laser whitening can work wonders, it isn't uncommon for dentists to suggest wearing bleaching trays at night over the course of treatment to enhance results. This means you'll need to pay for trays on top of the cost of laser treatment, and you also completely miss out on the benefit of not needing to wear anything at home.

3. Laser Whitening Requires Multiple Appointments

Laser whitening might initially seem more practical since it can be completed in quick visits rather than needing you to wear trays at home. However, you may find laser whitening less convenient even when trays aren't needed to enhance the process since it requires multiple sessions. This means having to take time out of your day several times, whereas with whitening you only need to go in once at the start and once at the end of treatment.

4. Whitening Trays Offer a More Gradual Change

One benefit of laser whitening is that results tend to be achieved faster, but that benefit has its own drawback. While some people are happy letting others know they're whitening their teeth, many will prefer to keep this to themselves. As such, the more gradual change achieved by whitening trays can actually be preferable.

For more information on teeth whitening, contact a professional near you.