Teeth Whitening

R

RyanUTAustin

1,000+ Posts
I am looking into getting some type of teeth whitening done and was curious what people thought was the best way.

The options I know of are to get the white strips over the counter, trays with bleach, or laser whitening.

What works best?
How much will it cost?
What are the downfalls?
Will my insurance cover anything?

Any advice would be much appreciated...
 
I've used the 7day over the counter strips a number of times over the years, and been quite satisfied. Some slight gum irritation while using it, but that quickly passes.

I've spoken to friends of mine who were dental assistants, and they've all said the OTC stuff is just as good (though maybe not as fast as some of the 1 day treatments) as what the dentist offers, and about $400 cheaper.

I'd give the OTC a try first, since it's cheap. Why waste money if you don't need to?
 
i agree with using the OTC stuff. i've used crest white strips and was pleased. i'd try the kind that you just use 5 minutes a day.

i did the 30 min a day kind and it was just too much sometimes.
 
I got it professionally done. I was pleased with the results initially, but it did not last very long. Much of this is simply a function of your type of enamel. Some can get whiter results than others, but if you have thin enamel the yellow or other color will show through more quickly after having it done.
 
Definitely avoid the dentist for this. It's not a one-time process. Depending on your eating/drinking habits (coffee, tea, etc cause stains) it will need to be repeated as frequently as every month or two and $400 a pop gets expensive for most people. The OTC methods have gotten very good as mentioned. I had custom trays made from an internet source for about $30 and use gel that runs about $10/year. Virtually all the methods use the same whitener, just in different strengths.
 
Why would Palm Beach Tan have mouth trays?

Anyone know where I can buy trays and have it mold to my teeth, what type of gel should I buy??
 
because it is just another way to make money, and typically people that care whether they are tan... care if they have white teeth.

it is the same **** at Palm Beach that you buy online. it is a "football mouthpiece" that you boil in water and mold it to your teeth.

the ones at the dentist are a little better as they are thinner and they molded more precisely.
 
Any suggestions on which method causes the least sensitivity? I like the results of the strips and stuff but my teeth hurt like hell afterward... I've never been able to finish a whole cycle because I can't stand the resulting sensitivity.
 
some people are just very sensitive. they have it from 16% to 35%. i'm not sure what the strips use, but you can bet it is on the lower end so they can market to people like you with sensitive teeth as well.

the lower the percentage, the less likely it will irritate your gums. however, they have some bleaches out there with some added chemicals that are supposed to help sensitive gums.

Here are the ones they sell at PPT:
Bleach Trays
 
I was at a trade show and they had this deal where for $99 you sit there in a dentist chair in front of everyone and have something applied to your teeth and then it was "light activated" so a bright blue light was aimed at your mouth. It was supposed to have a nice effect in 20 minutes and last for 6-8 months. I was skeptical and passed. Does anyone know what this is?
 
I was just looking for whitening products myself and came across this link on the Express News web site. I don't believe Express News endorses the site/products but thought it might be of some help.

Link
 
I have tried the strips a couple of times and had to give them up because of cold sensitivity. I couldn't even drink cold tap water without it hurting. The whitening agent in the strips is hydrogen peroxide and it does come in different strengths. But even using the weakest product I still had problems. Good luck!
 
i didn't like the trays... they made my mouth water, it was messy, and they slipped if i tried to swallow (all the saliva)
 
Ok, this thread hasn't really gotten me any further along with this.
It sounds like everyone has there own ideas of what is best.

I will try to be more specific of what I am thinking.

I am willing to spend $300 for this and want to get the best possible result.
I wouldn't mind getting fitted for the trays and using the gel.
Where can I buy these trays / gel?
Is this option the best in your opinion?
Any other comments....
Thanks,
-RC
 
dentist.net sells a custom tray that is supposed to be as good as one gets in a DDS's office. Less than 200 clams, I think. They send you the stuff to make an impression, then you mail it back, and a week or two later you get your custom-fitted tray. You can buy various strengths of gels at that same site.
 
I encourage you to at least try the strips first. Obviously much cheaper and if you don't notice a change after a fews days or if they make your teeth too sensitive, stop using them.

I was really surprised at how well they worked.
 
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