Teeth-Whitening System . . . Recs?

[achickwwit]

I need a good teeth-whitening system that has long-term results. My dentist offers three options, the cheapest being a $160 Trés White system that uses a tray system and takes about a week. I'm looking for something as effective but less expensive, if possible. Do you have any suggestions for systems that have worked for you. Over the counter would be great.

[kedzieb]

I need a good teeth-whitening system that has long-term results. My dentist offers three options, the cheapest being a $160 Trés White system that uses a tray system and takes about a week. I'm looking for something as effective but less expensive, if possible. Do you have any suggestions for systems that have worked for you. Over the counter would be great.

I used a similar system from my dentist and honestly it was worth the money for me. Nothing worked as well - I'd tried white strips and the type you paint on and they were ok. But the trays were wonderful - they were custom fitted to my teeth and there were no white spots or bleach taste. Plus, refill bleach was only $25 (about the same as a white strips pack) so now I use it every 6 months or so to keep my teeth white. Just something to consider when you figure out the cost.

My teeth have always been fairly white to begin with, so maybe if you have more staining (from smoking or whatever) the strips would give you better results than I had. I just didn't see much change.

[PinkMartini]

I used the "White Light" teeth whitening system when it first came out (last year) and it worked great... Here's a link if you're interested in it http://www.whitelightsystem.com/index.html

[achickwwit]

I also want to know about sensitivity. With the things that you tried, were your teeth more sensitive than normal? Did you already have sensitive teeth?

[greenbunny]

It totally depends on what your reason is to need the bleaching. Environmental things, like coffee or smoking, will do fine with the trays.

If you have chemical stains (like I do, from childhood allergy meds) that will not be enough for you. According to my dentist, nothing short of veneers will fix my stains, they go all the way to the pulp. I tried several rounds of trays and it worked for about a month until the stains leeched back out.

And the trays definitely made my teeth very sensitive--I cut back to using them every other day because I couldn't bear to drink anything.

[achickwwit]

Well, I need to get veneers for two of my teeth, and the dentist suggested whitening my teeth first so that the veneers they make match the "new" color. I don't have any specific stains...I don't drink coffee, soda or tea, nor do I smoke...my teeth are just a lovely shade of...hmm..."not-so-white." They're kind of yellowish, I guess. They really need an overall brightening. I don't think my teeth have ever been really white, but I'd like them whiter than this. So do you think trays would be effective? I'm so dreading the sensitivity thing.

[kedzieb]

I also want to know about sensitivity. With the things that you tried, were your teeth more sensitive than normal? Did you already have sensitive teeth?

I was a little sensitive to cold. Especially my one tooth that has a cavity (it's filled). Not painful, but annoying if I ate ice cream - luckily it was pre-wedding and I had no business eating ice cream. Hee!

I only used the trays for 2 weeks, so it was fine to deal with and after I stopped using them the sensitivity went away. No irritation of my gums - which I did have with the paint-on & strips since it got on the gums.

[Hello Kitty]

There's a thread (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=3112&highlight=teeth+whitening) here with some OTC recs. I did the tray system through my dentist and love it - it was definitely worth the cost ($100 at the time). I wouldn't do brite smile because it's only a one-time deal that you can't touch up at home.

My teeth were sensitive while I used the trays for the initial whitening. Some days they really really hurt. When I touch up now, for an hour, I don't have any problems. Everyone reacts differently to it though.

[achickwwit]

Thanks for that link. Now it's prompting a new question: If I whiten my teeth, get two veneers in the "new" color, am I going to have to be forever whitening my teeth? Has anyone had veneers or their teeth bonded AND had teeth-whitening treatments?

[jbenny75]

Nothing will keep your teeth white forever except covering them with veneers. Bonding will stain just like your regular tooth enamel. Your teeth will always pick up stain, so if you bleach them, you'll have to touch them up. It's really not that hard to do. For instance, if you did the trays from the dentist, after your initial whitening, you would just need to wear them 1 or 2 nights every 3-6 months. FWIW, I worked for almost ten years as a dental assistant. I was recently in an office that tried TresWhite and IMO, it sucked. I would put out the extra money and get the custom made trays that you put the bleach into every night, they do a 100% better job and that way you'll always have them for touch-ups. If you want to do OTC, Crest Whitestrips do a pretty good job. Some people have no problems with sensitivity. You'll just have to try it to find out.

[keska]

Has anyone had veneers or their teeth bonded AND had teeth-whitening treatments?

I have two canine teeth implants, bonding on my front four teeth and have done tooth whitening trays. I did whitening before the bonding and before I got the implants. My dentist chose to make my implants a shade darker than my teeth were after I whitened them. That way, as my teeth gained more color, everything matches. It's not a hugely noticeable color difference, so I can always whiten again.

Tray whitening works really well but I found it to be a total PITA to avoid all foods with color, citrus, tomatoes, etc. for the week and a half of whitening plus the week after. I'd have really white teeth in the morning, go eat some soup and see the difference where my teeth absorbed color from the soup.

[achickwwit]

I decided to start with the Crest Whitening Strips and then go from there. It has a money-back guarantee.

The instructions said it's best not to brush immediately before applying the strips, but it doesn't say anything about afterward. Do you brush right after taking the strips off, or how long do you wait? Are your teeth sensitive to brushing right after?

I bought Sensodyne toothpaste. I'm hoping that will keep the sensitivity at bay...

[greenbunny]

I tried the strips (no luck for me) but I didn't brush right after using them, I just rinsed the goo off with water. The directions weren't clear but I didn't want to take a chance.

The Sensodyne should help, that's what I used and it was a little better. Just don't consume anything of extreme temperature while you're whitening, like ice cream or coffee.

[jbenny75]

I'm not certain of the exact directions for the C.W.'s, but for take-home whitening from the dentist, the instructions are to brush when you take the trays out to remove the bleach from your teeth.

If you get sensitivity, it's normally to cold/air. I don't think I ever heard anyone tell me that they had sensitivity to brushing. You very well could, but mostly it's to air/temperature.

The Sensodyne is good to use. Also, anything with flouride- like ACT rinse or a flouride treatment at the dentist will help, too.

[Sin Nombre]

This is going to sound ridiculous, but I recently used Plus White 5-Minute Tooth Bleaching gel, and it worked better than the $300+ per brace bleaching braces I had made.

You just smear it on with a Q-tip and leave on for 5-15 minutes, daily, for the first two weeks. After that, use once or twice a week, as needed, for maintenance.

[kari]

I have been wanting to whiten my teeth for awhile, but I still have a baby tooth and am kinda afraid to 'mess with it'. Does anyone have a baby tooth (teeth) that have whitenend?

[ktsb]

I use the Crest strips and have had very good luck with them. My teeth were just getting a bit yellow for my tastes. The are now as white as possible (without looking like Ross on that infamous Friends episode :D ).

I do have sensitive teeth and did opt to use them once a day instead of twice. It still seemed to only take two weeks. I didn't need to extend the time.

I found them to be very convenient.

In answer to some of your questions:


I rinse with water after I take them out. Room temperature water generally.
The old ones said to whiten again in 6 months but the new ones last a long longer. Either a year or 18 months, I can't remember.


Good luck!

[PinkMartini]

Prior to trying the White Light system, I tried the Crest Whitening strips and boy did they make my teeth sensitive. Prior to using them, I never had a problem with my teeth being sensitive. But afterwards, even breathing hurt them! With the White Light system, I didn't notice ANY sensitivity problems, at all....

[Kates]

kari, I had a baby tooth whitened. My dentist didn't mention any potential problems, but my baby tooth still has super long roots (not sure if that matters :)).

I had my teeth whitened at the Dentist's office, before I had my teeth re-bonded. I don't notice any colour difference between my bonded and non-bonded teeth. Oh! I do occasionally use the left over whitener from the kit, and it has helped keep them whiter (or a least I like to think it does ;) )

[achickwwit]

Update: Crest White Strips was such a good idea. Even if I have to do this every six months, I don't care. My teeth are noticeably brighter in three days, and I only paid $35. I should have been doing this a long time ago.

[keska]

Does anyone have a baby tooth (teeth) that have whitenend?

Yes, I had two baby teeth the first time I whitened my teeth. It worked fine. Last year I had those teeth removed along with the permanent ones above them and got implants.

[Amy]

I had a BriteSmile treatment done at the dental office where I work. I had extreme sensitivity (my teeth are normally sensitive) afterward and for the rest of the day, but no pain what-so-ever when I woke up the next day. I have also done White Strips, but my problem is that I never do them consistantly. The BriteSmile was great b/c the results were immediate after an hour. I think that a PP said that you couldn't touch up the in-office procedures at home, but BriteSmile does have post-procedure touch-up pens. BriteSmile is similar to Zoom which is what they usually use on those makeover shows.