I know there are a few dentists on here and probably some people who have done or had procedures like this done before. Do Crest Whitestrips work as well as professional dental whitening procedures or is there a benefit to paying a dentist to have the procedure done? Are there any risks in doing it yourself? I'm considering it but I'm not sure which route I want to take.
Absolutely no difference. Only difference is how fast you'll get from point A to point B, in terms of whiteness. Ie. if you were to buy the cheapest, which is also the weakest percentage in terms of active ingredient, crest whitestrip, you would still eventually get to the same maximum whiteness that your teeth can attain, it would just take longer. I'd recommend getting the crest professional which says its a 4 or 5 on the scale on the box. Great, quick results.
oops, as far as side effects, some people experience hypersensitivity while using them. It is temporary and will subside once you stop using them, but if it really bothers you, you can alter the treatment regimen by alternating days, wearing for shorter periods of time, etc..
I hope you're kidding, because you are absolutely wrong. Not in a position now to type my view on this topic, but I will do so later tonight.
Wow only 4 post since 2003. That has to be a record ludicraze. Any way I'm subscribing to this thread. I also want info.
Best answer...and said in the most simplest of ways. I'll write a short story on whitening so that everyone can refer back to it in the event they have whitening questions later.
Haha yeah I've lurked for years but never post. I just happened to be logged in when I read your post, plus I needed something to distract me as the Thunder were going on a run, so I replied. I, too, am interested to hear Rezdawg's thoughts. We are just talking tray/peroxide whitening, and not something like non-vital bleaching right?
I was referring to the 3 basic methods of whitening: 1) Strips 2) Bleaching Trays 3) In-office whitening (the one with the blue light, even though the light is, more or less, just a ploy to make it look like its high tech) I'll write it up shortly...about to get some quality time with my laptop.
Where to begin? I’ll start with a brief lesson on tooth anatomy and color. Our teeth have 2 layers, enamel and dentin, which play a role in the color of our teeth. The enamel is the outer layer of our tooth, while the dentin is the underlying layer. The enamel is whiter/grayer in color while the dentin is more yellow in color…as a result, our dentin can have a big influence on the color of our teeth. In other words, if dentin was white in color, then the appearance of white teeth would be much more commonplace. The other factor that determines the color of our teeth are extrinsic stains. There are a number of factors involved here. Smoking will leave stains on teeth, foods containing tannins (wine, tea), metals such as iron…in other words, our diet and lifestyle contribute greatly to the color of our teeth. In many cases, a simple tooth cleaning can whiten our teeth, because the prophy brush used in a dental office can wipe away the outer most layer of stains left from smoking or drinking coffee. What exactly is the process of whitening? Bleaching products use peroxide to push through the enamel and parts of the dentin in order to break down deeper stains that have developed in our teeth (due to diet, lifestyle, age, etc…). The stronger the peroxide concentration, the fiercer the diffusion of peroxide into the enamel/dentin region. The deeper the peroxide is able to penetrate into the tooth, the more stains are removed. The strength of the peroxide is therefore important in how deep and powerful the whitening process can be. The Crest whitestrips typically contain about 10-14% peroxide. The in-office whitening that I use in my office contains 38% peroxide (Venus whitening line). There is a reason they don’t sell the 38% peroxide over the counter….because misuse of the product can cause some harm. However, proper use of the product will no doubt have a greater response than a bleaching product that contains one third of the peroxide concentration. Now, having said all that, will whitening meet your expectations? Hopefully your dentist can be honest with you with what results he would expect from the different whitening methods. The 3 main methods, from cheapest to most expensive: strips that you buy at CVS or the dental office, bleaching trays that are made at the dental office, and in-office laser whitening. The results can vary significantly. Some people will find no difference with in office whitening while others may find a big difference with just the strips. Let me give an example of someone that will not find positive results in whitening. As I mentioned earlier, the peroxide fights through the enamel layers to remove stains…what happens if you don’t have much enamel on the surface of your tooth? As I also mentioned earlier, the yellow dentin has a big influence on the color of our teeth. Therefore, in cases where you don’t have much enamel, the yellow dentin will show right through…doesn’t matter how white and stain free you can get your enamel, the yellow tint of the dentin will still shine through. This is an example where whitening may make some difference, but not to the degree which Im sure the patient is hoping for. I always tell my patients the following. Start with the whitestrips and see what kind of results you get. It is the cheapest option and will give the patient an opportunity to see the whitening response their teeth give. At the same time, the patient gets to experience a mild form of the sensitivity that can be caused from whitening. If the patient doesn’t get results from this, then I would suggest stepping it up to either bleaching trays or in-office whitening, if they are determined to get whiter teeth. Or, if the patient has nice results with the strips, then it may not be necessary to use any other whitening method. One thing is for sure though…the strips will not achieve the maximum results that are possible with laser whitening. Like I mentioned, some people may get no results with laser whitening…but that would also mean that they got no results from strips. There are really no side effects with whitening, other than sensitivity. But, that doesnt mean that you should just sit there with strips in your mouth all day, every day. If you want to do strips, do a cycle maybe once a month or so. If you want to do the in-office whitening, do it once a year...or maybe twice if you are serious about it. The most important thing is to probably get your 6 month cleanings on a regular basis to prevent the staining from diving deep within the tissues of your tooth.
Go to your dentist and get the trays made. Pay him for the solution. When it runs out buy it from Amazon for a fraction of the price. Strips sucks. Trays really work. Never did laser but I am sure it does a good job.
Thanks for the info rezdawg! One question, what is a fair price for the laser whitening? ........ ........ ........
Thanks for this Reza. Question, how much does in office whitening usually run? And does insurance cover it? I can email you privately for more information, that might be better. But either way thanks for the info!
No prob guys... In-office whitening is usually in the range of $400-$600. Ive even seen as high as $750, which is absurd. But, that number can vary from office to office based on demand. About a year ago, our price was $550. I decided that for our existing patients (patients who had already had exams, xrays, and cleanings), that we would charge $300. Then, it got into the routine where random people would call and ask if they can get the $300 special, so we would give it to them if they were friends or family of an existing patient.
Haha, for those that haven't been existing patients, i drop the $550 price to $300. But honestly, if you've never done whitening, best to start off with the strips just to get a feel for it. I'd be more than happy to offer the laser whitening to anyone here, but would want to make sure everyone is well informed before going through with it. It's not a cheap procedure, so it's important to be educated on the topic.
Prepare thy selves, for I am about to enlighten the lot of yall. Am I a dentist? No. I am not. I am, however, a 26 year old male with about as perfect teeth as you can imagine. Not to be vain in the least, but if there's one compliment I get more from the ladies than anything, it's "You have beautiful teeth." How did I do this, well I'll tell you. Prerequisite: This might not be possible for some of yall, and as it doesn't have anything to do with whitening, but I'm gonna tell ya anywway. I've have a total of 8 teeth pulled from my mouth. (4 wisdom when I was 19, 4 premolars/bicuspids prior to getting my braces on when I was 15). I also have the permanent bottom retainer. Those who have it know what i'm talking about. I only tell you this because, when I got my braces off Junior year in Highschool, I had great teeth, but they weren't too white. So this is what I did. Procedure: Use Arm & Hammer Backing Soda & Peroxide tooth paste. Buy a decent tooth brush (Oral B for me) and lots of floss & mouth wash. Completely go to town on your teeth: Brush, floss, mouthwash, brush again, until they are completely clean. Next, use those Crest White strips (max 2 applications a day) & don't stop until your teeth start getting sensitive. It may not be the smartest approach, as I said I am no dentist...BUT, I go through a pack of smokes every 2 days since I was about 16, & I have movie star teeth. Take it or leave it.
enjoy it while it lasts. high school friend of mine, head cheerleader, and one of the hottest girls in school, was just diagnosed with oral cancer. her teeth started falling out, ended up having most of her tongue removed, as well as her lower jaw. they did some reconstructive surgery, but suffice to say, she will never have the same quality of life. smoked at about the same rate as you.
