<p>My teeth are naturally not so white ( especially compared to my pale Scot-Irish complexion)- and since I drink coffee/red wine/coffee/tea… really not so white & while I am not going to get them capped or anything so time/money intensive,
on LivingSocial! today is a coupon for DASH inoffice whitening.</p>
<p>Has anyone done this? Is it harmful? Does it help?</p>
<p>I haven’t done it yet, but plan to after the new year. Looking through before and after pictures at my dentist’s office convinced me and I am not one who cares overly much about my looks (no makeup but lipstick, wash and wear (undyed) hair). The after photos had a healthier and, I’ll admit it, younger look, without looking obvious or artificial. Also, I have an old crown on one front tooth that is (to me) noticeably whiter than my other teeth because is has not yellowed from all the coffee and tea I drink. I’d like to whiten the other teeth enough that it will match again.</p>
<p>“Before an After” pictures can be very misleading, because they are carefully selected to show off the most dramatic results. Your individual result will vary greatly due to many factors (I was fed tetracyclins when I was little - only veneers will witen my teeth). There are reports that say that OTC witening agents work just as well as the procedures done at the dentist’s office…</p>
<p>I would talk to real people who have had this done (maybe there’s a message board somewhere). Here are some reviews I found:</p>
<p>[Dash</a> In-Office Whitening System Reviews - Teeth Whitening Reviews](<a href=“http://www.teethwhiteningreviews.com/item.php?id=77]Dash”>http://www.teethwhiteningreviews.com/item.php?id=77)</p>
<p>I haven’t had it done but I know at least 6 people who did the laser teeth whitening treatments that were all the rage a few years ago and every single one said it was not worth it and their teeth looked nothing like the pictures.</p>
<p>My dentist and my son’s orthodontist both said the teeth whitening strips that they have out now in the stores are about as good as it gets unless you are willing to get caps.</p>
<p>Well the coupon is still $150- that would buy a lot of boxes of toothwhitening gel. ;)</p>
<p>MomLive, I had it done (because my D wanted it, and I had to be the guinea pig before she could have it because I heard that it was painful - yup, it was.) It was not worth it for me, because my teeth are permanently stained due to childhood antibiotic use. The laser and peroxides remove stuff like coffee stains from the enamel, but they do not do anything for stains like mine. I guess when I get rich I’ll get veneers. :)</p>
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<p>None of my friends who had the laser had permanent stains like yours - it was just run-of-the mill coffee type stains and they still reported they weren’t impressed with the results. OTOH, I think people are looking for dramatic results and that probably isn’t reasonable. Lightening a shade or two probably is reasonable.</p>
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<p>Yes it would - they are around $25 a box. You might want to try that first. I use them periodically and they seem to work. I can’t use them every day like suggested because my teeth are too sensitive, so if you are able to use them daily, you might be really happy with the results.</p>
<p>I have done in-office whitening - it was great. An instant improvement. I have also done trays provided by a cosmetic dentist. Also worked extremely well, but it will cost you five nights of sleeping with yucky tasting stuff in your mouth. For some, the latter can also be a little physically uncomfortable.</p>
<p>White teeth…very, very important. You won’t regret it. You deserve it.</p>
<p>Yup, lightening a shade can be easily achieved with the OTC kits. I was not expecting dramatic results (because I knew what was involved).</p>
<p>I’d rather have healthy enamel than artifically white enamel that is structurally weakened by harsh peroxide treatments. Brushing teeth after drinking coffee and red wine does more good for the teeth than a monthly peroxide blast.</p>
<p>I also had permanent discoloration from childhood as a result of being given tetracycline when very young. I was made fun of in elementary school for having awful-looking teeth. It was so bad that for about 40 years I always smiled with my mouth closed. I tried both the over-the-counter tooth-whitening medication and a couple of laser treatments, all with no effect whatsoever. I finally got veneers about four years ago, and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself. I’m still amazed sometimes, looking in the mirror, to see white teeth. To save money, I only had veneers put on about 10 teeth, that is, just the ones that show on the top and bottom when I open my mouth. I didn’t care so much about the rest. Still, it cost about $13,000 (if I remember correctly); I opened a CareCredit account which allowed me to pay it off over a full year with no interest. (If I hadn’t paid it off in time, then I would have been charged interest retroactively.) It made things a little tight for those 12 months, but it was before my son was in college, so it was still possible. And I’m very glad I did it. Being able to smile without shame for the first time is an amazing thing. To be honest, I don’t know if I would have felt it <em>quite</em> as necessary if I hadn’t transitioned, but it’s an inescapable fact that appearance is more important for a woman.</p>
<p>Caveat: I was warned that the veneers don’t necessarily last forever, and could theoretically have to be replaced every ten years or so. I hope not. Or maybe when I’m really old, if I live so long, I won’t care anymore. Except that you can’t really do without once you’ve had veneers put on, since they have to strip off the enamel in the front of each tooth in order to affix the veneer. They don’t have to file it down to a stump the way they do with caps, but it still doesn’t really look like a tooth anymore without the veneer.</p>
<p>I took my daughter to Brite Smile (Newbury Street, Boston) after she had her braces removed. Her teeth were genetically a little yellow, but not stained. Three years later, they still look fantastic - just as white as they did when she had the procedure. She maintains them with Crest white strips about every two-three weeks.</p>
<p>I had major dental work last year on my top teeth only, which involved a bridge and veneers. I wanted the work to look as natural as possible, but also aesthetically pleasing. I wanted my natural bottom teeth to match my unnatural top teeth perfectly. My dentist suggested using whitening trays because the whitening is gradual and there is less “rebound” compared to the one hour processes. So, I had custom whitening trays made and I used a gel product overnight for about two weeks. The color of the veneers and bridge were made to match my newly whitened lower teeth. A year later, my top and bottom teeth are still the same color. If I start to notice the lowers darkening, I’ll use the tray for a night or two.</p>
<p>My suggestion is to use a professional process, then use OTC products to maintain the color. You’ll get faster, better results.</p>
<p>I had the laser treamtment done in the dentist office and was sent home with gel to use for a period of time afterwards.</p>
<p>My teeth looked a little whiter, but the result certainly didn’t justify the cost. Additionally, my teeth, which are a little sensitive already, really reacted poorly. The discomfort was SIGNIFICANT afterwards, and lasted for days. It was painful and also had a biting down on aluminum foil quality. Rinsing with baking soda as instructed helped a little bit, but that was a long three days.</p>
<p>Not everyone reacts to the procedure the same way I did. I will never repeat the process again.</p>
<p>Gourmetmom, That sounds like the process my dentist uses. Do I understand correctly, you have not done a “touch up” yet?</p>
<p>Definitely try the Crest Whitestrips. I drink a ton of sodas and they really brightened my teeth. The hygenist commented on how white they were and asked what I had done.</p>
<p>I have not touched up yet. I used Nite Brite along with the custom trays. My husband used the same product for tetracycline stains and his teeth look much whiter as well. Again, I was not looking for a pure white, “chicklet” mouth - just a clean, natural-looking smile.</p>
<p>Chicklets is not my goal. I’d just like something closer to the front crown I got twenty years ago (in my early thirties). :D</p>
<p>One of my kids tried Crest Whitestrips (the more expensive Pro version). It really worked very well. His teeth turned bright white after about 7-10 treatments.</p>
<p>I am a dental hygienist. We have had amazing results through the years with custom fitted trays and Opalescence whitening gel. Some people may need to wear their bleach trays for 2-3 weeks nightly to get the desired degree of whiteness. Others get results much faster. We do recommend brushing with desensitizing toothpaste for 1-2 weeks prior to and during bleaching. In some cases the hydrogen peroxide may cause sensitivity. If it develops during bleaching stop for a few days, brush with desensitizing toothpaste and then continue until the desired color. Typically with touch-ups with every cleaning the teeth stay really white.</p>
<p>What I’ve noticed is that whitening really makes people look several years younger. We’ve had many older patients (70’s or so) bleach and it does improve their appearance. </p>
<p>In many cases I’ll suggest Crest white strips first if they can’t afford the custom fitted trays. The over the counter methods work well in younger people if their teeth aren’t unusually yellowed. </p>
<p>For easy maintenance there are mouthwashes that whiten the teeth that really work well for some people. Listerine Whitening works great to slightly whiten teeth but what I really like about it is what it does for people that build up lots of “tarter” and stain. Amazing results in some of my patients with this twice daily rinse. Rarely have I seen teeth not get whiter using the custom fitted tray method with prescription strength bleach. Using trays lets you control the color- if it gets too white just stop doing it. You can’t control that with the 1 hour whitening process.</p>
<p>As far as veneers- they are beautiful and durable if done properly. I’ve been in my current office for 27 years (with a dentist that has been the president of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentists) and some of my early patients still have their same veneers and they look as good as the day they were done. Sometimes even with my magnifying loupes I can’t tell they have veneers until I look at the back of the teeth. Highly recommend veneers despite the cost as they don’t require as much tooth preparation as a crown.</p>
<p>Bleaching has been around many years now and has been studied extensively with no apparent ill effects if used properly. If you minimize materials that cause stain your teeth will stay whiter without as much touch up. I have some patients that have actually given up coffee (gasp!) or tea to prevent stain. The worst things that stain are smoking, tea, coffee, red wine, and marijuana (in that order in my experience).</p>
<p>1moremom - the trays are probably the best choice for you because you can gradually whiten until your teeth are the same shade as the crown. They will never match the crown exactly because the transparency of your natural tooth is so different from the crown, however, you should be able to achieve a result so that no one will notice except you. Bleach won’t affect crowns, veneers, or bridges. </p>
<p>My dentist also gave me a desensitizing toothpaste to use before whitening, although I did not have any discomfort. The hygienist also suggested using a small amount of the desensitizing toothpaste in the trays after whitening for several minutes.</p>