Teeth Whitening?!
Question:
Teeth Whitening?
I'm getting my teeth whitened soon at the dentist, and I was wondering if anyone knew a good, inexpensive brand that I could mention to him? Or does each office have their own specific one? Or should I just use off the counter teeth whiteners?
Answers:
Reviews agree that professional tooth whitening treatments are, by far, the quickest and most successful way to brighten up your pearly whites. This can be done at a dentist-supervised whitening center such as BriteSmile or by your own dentist, with a procedure like the Zoom! Chairside Whitening System. This technique uses light therapy to speed up the bleaching action of hydrogen peroxide, lightening teeth up to ten shades in about an hour. While it's the most expensive option, it also lasts the longest, up to a couple of years. A slightly cheaper option (*est. $300 to $600) is an ADA-approved bleaching kit provided by your dentist. These have 10% peroxide and a custom-fitted mouth tray that you can wear at home, either for one to two hours per day or overnight.
• Crest Whitestrips
(*est. $25)
Where to buy Best home teeth-whitening kit.Over-the-counter whitening systems are much cheaper, but not nearly as effective or long lasting as professional tooth whitening. Of the various options on the market, Crest Whitestrips earn the highest marks in reviews for convenience and effectiveness, which averages about three shades. One reviewer describes these strips as "little Band-Aids" that you wear on your top and bottom front teeth for 30 minutes twice a day. Crest Whitestrips use 6% peroxide. One drawback is that the strips can cause you to drool, so these are probably best used at home.
Where to buy Overnight tooth whitener.
If you're too busy to spend part of your day waiting for tooth whiteners to work, whitening while you sleep may sound appealing. Colgate Simply White Night is a brush-on whitener that The Wall Street Journal calls one of the easiest to use. Because it's a brush-on formula, it's easier to get in between uneven teeth where a strip might not reach. The gel is absorbed, so there's no need to rinse. Colgate also uses 6% peroxide -- the maximum allowable for over-the-counter tooth whiteners.