teeth whitening

jacquelyn_erika

Do you whiten your teeth? If so, tell me what you use!! I am desperate. I try to take good care of my teeth but I wish they were whiter....or just WHITE. I feel like they are way discolored. Any tips would be great!

Kendrawinn

bump... would like advice on this too.

Bella3119

I would also like to know!!

After eating lunch the other day, I asked my 8 y/o daughter how's my teeth. She replied YELLOW. :sad: :blushing: I have been searching for the cheapest, quickest, effective way to whiten my teeth. Using baking soda and peroxide for now until I can decide which one to buy.

check out this link

http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/teeth-whitening

DannyMussels

Another site I used to frequent had an in-depth page about this.

You can get generic whitening kits off ebay, and the max strength is like 33% peroxide (if thats the chemical, i forget). You basically get a kit of moldable trays (dip in hot water) and a few tubes of gel. They burn, like most whitening kits, so keep em off your gums. For the most part, that's your best bet. You can also do your best to avoid foods that stain.

DannyMussels

Something along these lines:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/4x-10ml-Teeth-Tooth-Whitening-Bleaching-Whitener-Gel-44-Carbamide-Peroxide-Kit-/220961245736?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item3372510a28

I believe that's 2 or 3x stronger then commercial (crest or whatever) brand whiteners.

katy84o

check earthclinic.com oil pulling. It's supposed to help whiten teeth. I've done it a few times and my teeth always feel incredibly clean and when I used coconut oil my teeth are whiter. Also, if it's from coffee stains, once a week I brush with a bit of baking soda rinse my mouth out really well, then swish (no more then 10secs) with hydrogen peroxide.

sprinkies

Crest Whitestrips are awesome. i've always loved them.

the active ingredient in those is hydrogen peroxide. The dentist has carbamide peroxide. hydrogen peroxide usually is in a lower concentration but causes more sensitivity. Carbamide peroxide comes in a higher concentration but delivers less sensitivity. you need a higher concentration of carbamide for it to be effective. go to your dentist to have the custom fit trays/bleach if you get too much sensitivity w/ crest whitestrips.

ChrisStoney

this is pretty simple! Just go to your dentist, he will make a mold of your teeth, and you will get a plastic cover that fits your teeth, then you get the whitening gel from your dentist, once a year or so, the plastic cover can be re-made as needed by the dentist, I did this 4 years ago , it is not too expensive, and usually after I have a cleaning I will do the whitening once a year, the gell is about 100 or so and the treatment will last a year usually. Once you do it you will say, "why haven't I done this before"

Once you put the plastic in you leave it in for about an hour, you can do it at work, no one will notice unless you tell them, and it won't effect your job... so it is easy.

shellebelle87

this is pretty simple! Just go to your dentist, he will make a mold of your teeth, and you will get a plastic cover that fits your teeth, then you get the whitening gel from your dentist, once a year or so, the plastic cover can be re-made as needed by the dentist, I did this 4 years ago , it is not too expensive, and usually after I have a cleaning I will do the whitening once a year, the gell is about 100 or so and the treatment will last a year usually. Once you do it you will say, "why haven't I done this before"

Once you put the plastic in you leave it in for about an hour, you can do it at work, no one will notice unless you tell them, and it won't effect your job... so it is easy.

^^ This. This is the safest and most effective way of whitening teeth. Dont use products from a supermarket, they may do an initial whiten but the dentist products are the best

southofmadness

Crest Whitestrips work....no ****. They cost about $40 but are worth every penny. A lot of times you can find coupons for $10 off in the paper. The only complaint and it’s a small one .. sometimes they hurt like hell! ( like a stinging pain for a few minutes). Still……….worth it

http://www.crest.com/crest-coupons/

jacquelyn_erika

I would definitely go to the dentist and get trays that way but I have no dental insurance

RoboLikes

If you want dentist results without going to the doctor, get GLO Brilliant - its professional level teeth whitening system - no teeth sensitivity, easy to use, and the most effective teeth whitening product on the market.

megmay2591

I also use Crest White Strips, go for the Professional Effects, they are so much better than the regular ones and the cost difference is worth it. I've been using them for years.

stablesong

When I got my braces off my orthodontist gave me a syringe of bleach to use in my retainers. I'm sure dentists have it too. Mine was free, I guess a "parting gift," but I'm sure you could purchase some from a dentist or orthodontist.

Heatherbelle_87

dental insurance doesn't pay for the trays anyway! So check out groupon! Dentists in my area have deals atleast once a month.

Now coming from the Dental Assistant side of me (gotta love that training):

Crest white strips will work, just not as effectively as dental bleach trays because the bleach isn't as strong, but whether you use dental trays or OTC strips/trays here are the sucky rules:

WHILE whitening and for atleast 2 weeks afterwards you should avoid any foods that would stain a white t-shirt. This includes berries, wine, tea, coffee, dark sodas, dark leafy greens, most juices. You also must hydrate hydrate hydrate! The bleach literally dehydrates your teeth (yes your teeth can dehydrate). Your teeth have tiny little holes in them (microscopic) the stronger your enamel the smaller they are, the thiner the enamel (and closer to the dentin) the bigger. Bleach infiltrates these little holes and pulls the stains out but also "dialates" the holes for a short period of time. So if you partake of any of those foods or drinks they will have easier access to the deep portion of your teeth causing deeper (and eventually darker) stains. If your teeth are sensitive they will become MORE sensitive (these little holes lead to the pulp/nerves of your tooth). Bleaching areas with decay WILL hurt! If you have dental work that has fallen out (fillings) DO NOT BLEACH without talking to a dental professional, you could end up needing a root canal. Decalcification will not bleach, it may appear lighter but these can only be fixed by veneers, crowns or fillings. Bleaching usually make decalcification look worse. It is best to bleach after a professional cleaning. ALWAYS brush before bleaching

KatieCuth

bump

Heatherbelle_87

When I got my braces off my orthodontist gave me a syringe of bleach to use in my retainers. I'm sure dentists have it too. Mine was free, I guess a "parting gift," but I'm sure you could purchase some from a dentist or orthodontist.

a reputable dentist or orthodontist should not sell it to you unless you are an active patient. The bleach you receive in office is stronger then OTC and can do more harm when used wrong

BarbWhite09

Good ole crest whitestrips work wonders! [or get the off brand if you need to save money!] Or you could google teeth whitening home remedies, there are a TON of options. Just be careful not to ruin your enamel...When I was younger I sort of halfway destroyed mine.

inetgirl

Sprinkle baking soda on your regular toothpaste about 2 times a week. They will be white in no time at all... Also, when you do get ins or have a dental appointment, it makes the cleaning much easier.

ABeautifulDistraction

Put your toothpaste, preferably an enamel strengthening one, on your toothbrush. Dip into baking soda. Sprinkle with SALT. Brush your teeth as usual.
I do this 4 times a week, and it gently removes stains and polishes teeth. As another poster already said, you can rinse your mouth with peroxide.

pamperedhen

I have used peroxide and brushed with baking soda since a child. My uncle was the Dean at University of Pittsburgh Dental School and he advised me of this. People always compliment how WHITE my teeth are.:blushing:

mrschappet

I use crest 3D whitening toothpaste and I think it really works great.. I am a faithful coffee drinker :-) and I am told I have pretty teeth LOL

InnerPinup79

I absolutely loved crest whitestrips and didbt have to use them everyday for 7-14days. I would go s couple of days then "maintain" the look by doing it a couple times a month. I started going it about 7yrs ago. However I recently stopped last summer because I had this random hairline crack looking line on my tooth. None of my other dentists said anything until my new one (well the hygenist told me not the dentist) about the crack. Like mentioned, my teeth had become dehydrated!! I had no idea that existed. I was given a calcium paste for under $25 and encouraged to use ACT to help strengthen my teeth again.

It's not a noticeably huge crack but I know its there. I plan to get veneers one day anyways.

The crest ones work great but use caution!

stainlessteel

Be really carefull cuz I whiten my teeth a lot and I noticed they started to get transparent I just had an appointment today at the dentist and he said that's normal that wighting strips do that but the color comes back with time still I say be carefull or use one of those buffers the dentist uses it takes the yellow stains away really nice

Karrix

Plus White worked wonders for me, I always get complimented on how white my teeth are. This gel is also only 6$, much cheaper than the white strips, and works the same.

I've used Plus White & Whitestrips, and there isn't a difference in results to me.

deedog007

bump

Luke_Quist

I am a coffee drinker (non-smoker) and I did the ZOOM! whitening through my local dentist (no insurance required for this service). It was about $300, but I saw about 8-9 shades improvement after two hours. I did get some pretty significant zingers towards the end of the 4th (final) session. I think the overall experience was good and I will do it again, when needed next time. Let me know if you need/want more details. Hope this helps - good luck!

nikkilou1978

My dentist recommended Crest white strips. They work really well.

Chloe_Chaos_

My dentist is a hippie and doesn't advise for any of these things. Being that I'm on a budget I've tried the peroxide and baking soda thing and I haven't done it more than once a week (I keep forgetting!) but I think I'm going to try to get going on that a bit more. I dont think I would trust buying a syringe of gel from ebay