<p>My daughter wants to use some of her graduation money on getting her teeth whitened. Unfortunately, my children got my yellow teeth and I have always thought when they were adults it might be good to have them whitened.</p>
<p>My dentist has tried the home trays with me, but my teeth are so sensitive that I didn’t like it. If my daughter decides to have this done, she would prefer one of the blue light treatments, like BriteSmile. I have seen the commercials and don’t know if it is just a gimmick or if their treatment really works. We will check with out dentist and orthodontist and get their recommendations, but as always, I want my fellow CC family’s opinion.</p>
<p>What teeth whitening have you tried, especially BriteSmile or other similar blue light treatments? I also have no idea what the cost is and if it varies from dentist to dentist.</p>
<p>Has she tried the Crest whitestrips? I would start with those. I use them every couple of years as I am a huge soda drinker and over time I think my teeth darken. The hygenist complimented me on the results. Way cheaper and more private.</p>
<p>Yes, she has used the stripes off and on with very little change. I believe she has a discoloring like myself that doesn’t lighten with the strips. It has been a while since the dentist worked with me, but he mentioned that my teeth were difficult to lighten.</p>
<p>has she tried brushing her teeth first with baking soda and then use the strips. It does make a difference. Also we use daily the listerine pre-brushing whitening mouth wash and it does make a difference maintaining the color. You won’t get glaring white teeth, but they def did lighten up several colors within a week or so. Don’t use baking soda everyday, just once will be fine. Your teeth will even feel smoother after the baking soda. I do the baking soda about 1 x a month, and even my plaque level is almost nil between my 6 month visits. The dentist explained it is because the fine grit of baking soda is like the stuff they use to polish your teeth at the visit, just very very mild.</p>
<p>Also remind her that if she drinks coke, tea or coffee she will be staining them over and over again, thus that is white the whitening mouth wash and baking soda is also helpful.</p>
<p>I had good results with both brite smile and crest whitestrips. The crest strips require patience to get results but it can be done. You have to be diligent and use them exactly as recommended. The brite smile was much quicker, had good results. My teeth aren’t blaring white, just no longer yellow. I like how they look and it’s been quite a few years since I’ve done either. My dentist complimented me on the color too, said that so many people go too far but that mine looked really good.</p>
<p>I remember seeing a news show about how people hav actually caused damage to their teeth because they left them on to long or used them too frequently. I remember the show because they showed 3 people with before and after teeth using 3 different types of whitening. One was laser, one was the tray purchased through the dentist and one was the white strips. To be honest the laser was easy to tell, but it was hard to tell the difference from the mold and the strips, except for the price.</p>
<p>We have used “the Crest whitestrips” as directed with great results and never needed to use them again. Teeth remain very white. Our dentist highly recommended them instead of procedure. He said that effect is exactly the same at much less cost, although he was available to do procedure if decided to use his service instead.</p>
<p>I too have yellowy teeth, and they’ve always been this way. The strips get tea stains off with regular use, but do nothing to whiten my teeth.</p>
<p>My dentist used a new laser treatment on his own teeth last year and they look great. I’m not sure what it was. His website says “Our in-office system uses a state-of-the-art activation light which yields results in about an hour.”</p>
<p>I was assuming that laser and the blue light treatment were one and the same, but I really don’t know. I realize BriteSmile is just a name brand and that most likely the same treatment is available elsewhere.</p>
<p>After the holiday weekend my daughter will contact her dentist and orthodontist. I remember when one of the kids were in braces the orthodontist had his teeth whitened and one would assume he went somewhere good!</p>
<p>As a one-time treatment, the lasers are competitive to the dentist provided trays (vs. over the counter). Over the long term, the trays are cheaper since much of the dentist cost is in the one-time making of the tray. The chemicals from the Dentist are also stronger than available OTC.</p>
<p>My D also had yellow teeth and the Zoom procedure made a noticeable difference. Process was done by the dentist, then she got “booster” trays to use to maintain the look. SHe was happy and a year later it still looks good.</p>
<p>I did Britesmile twice - once before a special event a few years back, and then I went into adult braces and got Britesmile after the braces were removed. </p>
<p>My teeth were blindingly white for a few days afterwards, but it really didn’t last that long.</p>
<p>The light treatments do work but the sensitivity to the stuff can be tested and is often related to small cracks that adults but not younger people have in their teeth.</p>