Teeth Whitening

[EyeElle]

Hi ladies,
I am wanting to whiten my teeth for the wedding and I was wondering if anyone can recommend a brand that really works.
I heard that the listen whitening mouth wash works but that the strips are better. Can anyone offer suggestions.
Thanks ladies.

 

[Haven]

Can I give you a non-recommendation? I had Zoom whitening professionally done by a cosmetic dentist before our wedding and it did NOT work. It was very expensive (I think between $500? Maybe it was $300) and it didn't do a darn thing for me. Stay away!

I haven't tried the strips recently, but there have been some threads about teeth whitening in Hangout over the last few years. I bet you could find them if you did a search, there were a lot of good recs in them.

 

[iheartscience]

I got trays made by my dentist before my wedding and got bleach from the dentist as well. It worked really well but it made my teeth very sensitive...so sensitive that I haven't used the trays and bleach since my wedding almost 2 years ago.

I just moved and wanted to whiten my teeth again but I don't have a dentist yet (need new bleach because I threw my old stuff away in the move) so I picked up some Crest White Strips from Target. They work really well and my teeth are noticeably whiter and it's only been 4 days. They also hurt your teeth though, so be prepared for some sensitivity!

ETA I don't think the whitening mouthwashes and toothpastes are nearly as effective as the strips or a kit from the dentist. That stuff only stays on your teeth for a few minutes at most. It might help with maintenance but I'd be surprised if you see noticeable results just from mouthwash or toothpaste.

 

[TooPatient]

I recently saw the suggestion that a 50/50 solution of salt and lemon juice acts as a bleach for cleaning. Supposedly this is really good to use on your teeth for whitening and doesn't cause the extreme sensitivity that some of the other products can. I think you just mix it up and then use your toothbrush to apply (like brushing your teeth with this?) then rinse.

I haven't tried it myself yet. (I might get ambitious and try it tonight if I remember)

 

[Future Mrs. Sterling]

I like Crest White strips. They make your teeth sensitive, but not nearly as sensitive as the trays from a dentist, which I've also used. I actually thought the Crest White strips did just as good as a job as the trays from the dentist, and were not as painful. I actually had to stop doing the trays 2 days early because I couldn't take it anymore!

 

[sunnyd]

This stuff works wonders! No sensitivity and after one 5 minute use, you can tell a difference. Miracle stuff!

http://www.pluswhite.com/minikit.shtml

 

[EyeElle]

Thanks everyone for the replies.

thing2of2 - I knew those mouthwashes were to good to be true lol
Sounds like the Crest White Strips are the best way to go. Although i am worried about the sensitvity, but no way to avoid it.

TooPatient - Did you decide to try this?? I have never heard of this before, and it does make me curious to try it

 

[TooPatient]

Thanks everyone for the replies.

thing2of2 - I knew those mouthwashes were to good to be true lol
Sounds like the Crest White Strips are the best way to go. Although i am worried about the sensitvity, but no way to avoid it.

TooPatient - Did you decide to try this?? I have never heard of this before, and it does make me curious to try it

I didn't get home until late last night so didn't get a chance. I'll give it a try this weekend and let you know.

 

[kittybean]

DH and I both used Crest Premium White Strips for about a month before our wedding (I made him do it!). Instead of using them twice every day, we used them once every other day, and although it took longer, the sensitivity was greatly diminished. I think they worked really well. Our teeth looked very white, but not unnaturally so.

 

[nicoleben]

Dont know if anyone posted this yet, but its worth a shot. Crest came out with 2 hour teeth whitening strips that last the same amount of time as the strips you put on your teeth like once a day for a week. I always have great results with over the counter crest white strips. I honestly put them on for 3 days and im good to go for at least a month or so. Hope this helps.

 

[Kiley]

Just another endorsement for crest whitestrips. My friend is a dentist and he couldn't believe the results that I got with them. I'd also definitely buy the "advanced seal" ones, they stay on the teeth better and you don't have to worry about any of the goo squeezing out!

 

[jazzoboe]

Yes, I used the 2-hour ones before my wedding. They definitely do work even faster than regular Crest Whitestrips (which I've also used before and liked- but yes, def. get the advanced seal ones!) but they also caused a bit more sensitivity due to being on your teeth longer, and maybe a stronger product. It was not unbearable though, I would just start a couple weeks before your wedding and maybe only use them every other day. I know when I use them they sometimes leave funny white spots on me teeth, too, but those go away in a few days, so I'd suggest giving yourself time to whiten as much as you'd like and be done at least a few days before my wedding. I have to say, my teeth are still looking nice and white and it's been over 3 months now, so I'm pretty pleased!

 

[lucyandroger]

I had BriteSmile done in a dentist's office just yesterday. The whole thing took about 2 hours and I'm really happy with the results. My teeth were sensitive for a few hours afterwards but today I feel fine. I got a spring special so it cost $349.

 

[Amber St. Clare]

You can cut down on sensitivity issues by using Sensodyne for 2 weeks prior to whitening.