Home kits, toothpaste, at the dentists office… which work, which are worth it, and what should one avoid?
Crest Whitestrips: Work very well, but you do feel like a dork in the evenings for a week.
Whitening Listerine: Also works, but makes you feel like you’re in a David Cronenberg film for the entire time that you use it.
I used the top-of-the-line Crest Whitestrips in preparation for my brother’s wedding in 2007. Even tho I’m a smoker and drink one cola a day (not a coffee drinker) my teeth looked amazingly bright.
This summer, I used the same Crest Whitestrips but they weren’t the top of the line anymore. The version I’d previously used was now the “middle of the line” and there was a more expensive version. I swear I got little to no change from using them, and Crest wants me to pony up an extra $10 for effectiveness.
I also used the Crest strips. Was really impressed for a few weeks, less impressed for a few more, and then back to normal. Heavy coffee drinker though, so maybe that hurts the situation.
I paid $250 for Zoom whitening treatments, and wow…please do not do it. Trust me, it’s the most painful experience ever! I had little zings of pain in my teeth for 2 days following the whitening. I was keeling over in pain just waiting for the next “zap” inside my tooth. It’s like someone is scraping a knife across my tooth and touching the nerve. I took ibuprofen and when that didn’t work took Vicodin, and that didn’t work. Nothing could take away the zings. Anyway I just had to wait it out and eventually it went away after 2 days. The reason why is microscopic pores or holes are opened on the surface of your teeth when they are being bleached and that’s why there is pain. I guess the bleach or peroxide they use gets below the surface…but, after all that my teeth were white!
I’ve also tried paint on teeth whiteners (why did they take those off the market?), Crest white strips, generic crest white strips, a custom $200 custom mold of my mouth tray set from the dentist and 6 tubes of squirty whitening gel, listerine whitening, and whitening toothpastes. All sem to do the trick. I only went with the Zoom because it was a one time deal and I hated doing those other whitening things daily.
A few years ago, I paid around $400 for a procedure at my dentist’s that sounds similar to the Zoom treatment decribed by BaconAndEggs. They painted my gums with some kind of waxy substance to shield them, and then painted a whitening substance on the teeth. They then shined a very bright, hot light into my mouth for about thirty minutes which reacted with the whitening substance. IIRC, I think there were several sessions.
I concur that it was uncomfortable, and that I had a few ‘zingers’ of pain over the next few days. But that stopped, and I haven’t had any pain since. And it did finally succeed in whitening my lifelong-dingy teeth.
I had previously tried several of the home treatments (Crest strips, etc.) with no noticeable effect. After we’d finished the treatment, my dentist said that my teeth appeared to have had a type of discoloration (a kind of blueish-green-ish tint) that resulted from being given tetracycline as a child. Tetracycline is an antibiotic that was commonly used when I was a kid (I was born in 1959) but is no longer given to children. The dentist claimed that it’s particularly hard to whiten teeth thus discolored, which would explain why the home remedies didn’t work.
I am happy with the treatment.
I used both Crest Whitestrips and the Generic brand - they are comparable.
When I went to a new dentist for a checkup they were ooohing and ahhhing -
“What did you use?” “They are so white…like model teeth”
That’s me - with the nice teeth…
As a Single Mom from YourTownHere, I discovered a method for whitening that your dentist does not want you to know about. In fact, the ADA has put out a contract on me.
No, seriously: tried the whitening mouthwash with virtually no effect, and the whitening strips which made a brief improvement that faded after a few weeks. I’m guessing my addiction to tea is going to trump whatever modern cosmetic science comes up with, teethwise.
Most whitening mouthwashes use good old Sodium Peroxide, and not in concentrations that do anything special, as far as I can tell. Toothpastes do an ok job of making a tiny improvement, but they are invaluable in that they keep your teeth looking ok, and help keep the teeth from getting more stained.
You have to change your diet and oral hygiene practiced after whitening treatments. Drink only water, no juice or red wine, no soda… and brush after every meal/snack, etc. Toss in some gum chewing.
And yes, skip the crappy foods.
Basically, keep everything off your teeth when you aren’t actively eating/drinking, and eat/drink things that offer little or no risk of staining or damage.
I use the over-the-counter whitening strips and am very happy with the results. I get compliments on my nice white teeth, but they aren’t “C-list celebrity” white.
My dentist told me that they were his preferred option for whitening, for those reasons.
The over-the-counter stuff isn’t strong enough for my teeth, I was sad to discover. I ended up going with the whitener from the dentist - you pay like a million bucks to have molds made of your teeth, and then you buy the whitening gel from the dentist (about $100) and use it at home for about 10 - 12 days. I’m fairly sure it’s the same active ingredient as the over-the-counter, but in higher concentrations. The results are good, and for me, last about a year and half, two years? Then I get more gel from the dentist. The tooth molds are a one-time expense though.
I was just looking at pictures from Christmas, and WOW I am due for another round of whitening. Some it is is just the teeth one is born with, I think. I have good dental hygiene overall, and without the factors usually cited for discolored teeth.
After a normal dental cleaning some years ago Rembrandt toothpaste was recommended to me. The chief effect is to prevent staining, it doesn’t really remove what’s already there. Then again, my teeth weren’t particularly stained, it’s just that I drink lots of tea and dark fruit juices and dark vegetables so in between regular cleanings they did darken slightly.
So how do they treat movie stars’ teeth so they can look spectacularly white, but still natural? Do the movie studios know something we don’t know?
One film that has always stood out for me in that way was “Once Upon A Time In The West.” All those grubby looking characters with beautiful white teeth. Wasn’t the least bit historically accurate of course.
I have tetracycline stains as well. I’ve tried the trays with bleach from the dentist (several times), and Crest White strips. Both worked well for coffee/cigarette staining but obviously didn’t touch the tetracycline stains (because the tetracycline stains are in the dentin, not on top in the enamel). The dentist and hygenist told me not to expect much with the ZOOM bleaching and said it might be really expensive and the payoff not so much worth it. So I’m interested to know that worked out well for you. I might just break down and try it if it really worked.
There’s been a teeth whitening remedy circling on Pinterest that uses hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. Has anyone ever tried this?
Veneers. Seriously a lot of those teeth are just plain fake
6% peroxide as a daily 15-second mouthwash, then rinse. From a dentist. (Not me.)
Dentist here, tetracycline stained teeth are a bitch to whiten. Most home and dentist delivered at home systems are for about a two week period. I recall a study or article a few years back, maybe by Dr. Jamiee Morgan of Utah, can’t recall for sure(sorry no cite) that talked about tetracycline bleaching and that it will work with OTC and dentist take home kits but it takes a few months of daily use not a few days. More days means more cost for bleach but it will work for most people.
For most people OTC and dentist fabricated trays work about equally well. The in office bleaching is faster but usually with more discomfort. I always recommend at home bleaching for people with sensitive teeth because you can skip days if your teeth hurt. Every other day for 20 days gives the same result as everyday for 10 day. Also use a toothpaste for sensitive teeth while bleaching, it helps.
My Dentist had me use high Fluoride toothpaste for two weeks prior to harden the enamel first. No pain, great results.
Crest strips work just as well.
Does anybody know if raw carrots tend to stain teeth? I have eating more lately as a replacements for high calorie snacks, but I wonder if they are staining my teeth.