My dentist sells Sheer Whites for $50 but they are available on Amazon for $21. They work great so I only use them 1 to 2 times a year. I always wonder if these whiteners could be damaging our teeth in the long run. I guess we are the guinea pigs even though they tell us they not to worry about any long term damage.
@BunsenBurner: no bleaching products will remove the tetracycline stains, but bleaching with a professional products in a custom tray from your dentist may provide lightening and better blending. The key is compliance from the patient as it will take months to achieve results. This means using the custom trays every day, not missing days, avoiding foods and beverages that will stain the teeth, and assumes that you don’t develop extreme sensitivity. You will not get white, sparkling teeth but they will almost always be brighter and much less noticeable.
Crest Whitestrips and Sheer White strips won’t do the trick as the bleaching concentration isn’t strong enough.
Dentmom, I don’t disagree with that, but that professional stuff comes at a steep cost. Is it worth the benefit? Does a $500 product produce 20X noticeably better results than the $25 OTC stuff? That is the question.
Have the trays, they work for me and no sensitivity. Between, I use Rembrandt (alternate with the usual recommended toothpastes.) I’ve been told by a hygienist that the strips work better on younger folks’ teeth, which are a more uniform surface, all around. Don’t know if that’s true.
The hygienist likes my results, though I’d like a bit brighter. She also said the optimum time to whiten is right after a cleaning, then on your schedule.
If the OTC products don’t work that well, the professional stuff will usually work. Yellow teeth whiten easier than those with gray casts. Straight teeth whiten better than crowded/crooked. Hard to make a guarantee, though. And, yes, younger people tend to do better with OTC.
For best results, follow the instructions. (Too many patients forget this part, whiten randomly, and complain it doesn’t work.) Have your dentist/hygienist show you how to load the tray, don’t dip your teeth into colored foods or liquids during the week of bleaching, don’t smoke, and use for the appropriate length of time on consecutive days.
The coconut oil pulling sounds intriguing. I may ask our dentist about it next month as well as my BIL dentists to hear their thoughts.
@Dougsey, it’s virgin coconut oil, unrefined and cold pressed, and, yes, it is found at most grocery stores.
@Nrdsb4, most people have to start with much smaller increments of time, even a minute or less, and build up. I did! Now, I swish it while I’m showering.
Interesting…
I don’t want to be a downer, but has anyone read anything about links between teeth whitening and oral cancer. I remember reading something about it a while back, but I haven’t looked recently.
I’ll look around and post if I find anything interesting.