Tooth Whitening

[Michael]

My teeth are currently very yellowified and I would like for them to be less disgusting. A lot of the stuff I've seen varies from one source to another, so I figured maybe some people here would have some experience with over-the-counter tooth whitening products.

How long do people generally have to go before buying more? I've seen some sites say 2 months and others say a year. I know it'll vary depending on the brand of tooth whitener/food I eat/things I stick in my mouth, but 10 months is a big difference. What are some brands people have found to work well? What brands suck? How much whiter should I expect my teeth to be? I definitely don't trust the pictures, and I have no idea what "x shades whiter" means (how much whiter is 1 shade?).

Just some information that might help: I don't smoke (ever) or drink coffee/soda regularly (maybe once a month), I can't afford tooth whitening from a dentist (:|), and I'd prefer something I can pick up at Wal-Mart/Walgreens/random drugstore.

If anyone's got experience tooth whitening, how'd it work out for you?

Sara Lynn

I got my teeth laser whitened. It's really expensive, and surprisingly painful.. but it really did work. The downside, aside from the pain, was I could only eat "white food" for like 3 days. I'm a picky eater so I pretty much starved.

It's held up well, and I got it over a year ago. Your best bet is to get some trays made at the dentist.. I don't know how much that costs, but you can get some really good 1-hour whitener for about 80 bucks to put in it. You can do it everyday, every other day, once a week.. whatever. You get a ton so you can use it for a long time. I can see a difference after one use, though if your teeth are fairly yellow then it'll take more uses.

I use whitening toothpaste, Colgate I think? There are so many out now, also whitening mouthwashes. I have to do a lot of upkeep due to the amount of iced tea/soda I drink, but it's really not that bad.

It's kind of an expensive process if you go the tray route, but it's worth it in the long run, in my opinion.

edit: I didn't read your full post, cause I'm an idiot. For a cheaper route, I'd go with a toothpaste + mouthwash duo. Also electric toothbrushes really help clear away stains, and they don't have to be expensive, you can get battery powered ones now for way cheaper than ones you buy at the dentist.

Fantasma

There was a Spanish made product I used some time ago that helped a lot to white my teeth, it was a toothpaste, but I can't remember the name or brand.

You could try using pulverized carbon wrapped in a fine cloth and apply it on your teeth with enough water, this is something I saw when I was a kid, but I never tried it myself.

I know you can't afford going to the dentist for this procedure, but there is very effective method for doing this using ultra violet light.

Zeromus

Brush your teeth thrice a day (in the middle of the day after lunch, even) for at least 2 minutes. It's probably more about consistency than anything.

The Cat

The stuff you buy in supermarkets has been pretty often tested by those current-affairs type programs and found to be bollocks. Which isn't really a surprise, since pretty much all the manufacturers do is add bicarbonate of soda to the toothpaste. You can get rid of less intractable stains by buying bi-carb and brushing with it in addition to a normal toothpaste brush - it should be about a $1.50 or less for a half a kilo (1 lb) in the baking aisle of your supermarket. It takes time though and isn't nearly as effective as the proper treatments dentists offer. The laser thingy seems popular lately.

I've noticed that some dentists throw in a whitening after one has braces, so if you need straightening work done you could always combine them.

Dulcius_ex_asperis

I used Crest Whitestrips in high school (about 4 years ago) and I used them again about 2 years ago, and my teeth are still pretty dang white. A lot of people ask if I got them professionally done, but it was just the whitestrips. I'd recommend them.

Also, my mom uses the trays you get from the dentist and she was pretty mad that my results were better than hers (about $450 vs. about $35)

MichaelLC

Dulcius_ex_asperis wrote: »

I used Crest Whitestrips in high school (about 4 years ago) and I used them again about 2 years ago, and my teeth are still pretty dang white. A lot of people ask if I got them professionally done, but it was just the whitestrips. I'd recommend them.

Also, my mom uses the trays you get from the dentist and she was pretty mad that my results were better than hers (about $450 vs. about $35)

I used Whitestrips for my wedding this summer, and they did make a differnence. They were a pain in the ass to use, at least for me, anyway. Hard to keep them on my teeth, but only need to use each set for 20mins at a time.

Dulcius_ex_asperis

I didn't have too much trouble with them. I haven't used them in a while, though. I do remember them making my gums/teeth somewhat sensitive, though.

variant

You don't really need to do the dentist treatments.

Just get yourself some crest whitening strips and whitening toothpaste and you'll be good in like 6 weeks.

[Michael]

Alright, guess I'll give the Crest whitening strips a shot with all the recommendations. Any idea if any other brand's "whitening strips" are just as good or should I just stick with Crest?

chromdom

I'm looking at doing this in the next year, for my wedding. The wedding is probably going to be Sept. '08, so when should I go for the whitening? I had a thought yesterday that maybe do it around the holidays, and then again in late summer (my teeth are fairly yellow).

You and me, [Michael], we got this.

emp123

The Crest Whitestrips totally work but they were a pain in the ass for me to keep on my bottom teeth. They also didnt cover all of my teeth which was something I didnt like (when I smile you can see more than just the teeth the whitestrips covered). That said, I started using the Arm & Hammer Whitening toothpaste (specifically the blue one) and I noticed a difference.

The Black Hunter

Brush like a demon.

minimum 20 circular strokes on the front of your teeth on each side (left, front and right side), then the same or more on the edge of your teeth.

Toothpastes works by grinding away the yellow bits as it is quite literally very fine grit.

delphinus

The Black Hunter wrote: »

Brush like a demon.

minimum 20 circular strokes on the front of your teeth on each side (left, front and right side), then the same or more on the edge of your teeth.

Toothpastes works by grinding away the yellow bits as it is quite literally very fine grit.

dont listen to this guy. VERY bad advice. your teeth have become stained. doing this method is like using a hair brush to clean the gray off a rock. theres a reason dentists have metal tools.

you can try it this way, and may even work. but you WILL be doing insane damage to your gums like i did. you push your gums upward exposing some nerves and you will be HYPER sensitive to hot and cold foods.

just brush your teeth regularly

Bouncing_Soul

I bought one of those Oral B Triumph electric toothbrushes. It seems to have made a difference for me, definitely cleans my teeth a lot better than just a regular brush.