what do I need to know about teeth whitening?

[klimax]

I need advice regarding teeth whitening, has anyone done this? There are many different processes, which method is most effective.. And how long do they last. I'm not worried about price as long as it's clearly teeth whitening and not just something that doesn't work.

 

[klimax]

I'm going to use Crest Whitestrips professional. Anyone else use this? Does it work?

 

[Wenteen]

In a small cup, mix half a teaspoon of baking soda with half a teaspoon of water. Mix to form a paste. Dip your toothbrush into the cup, to cover the bristles with the baking soda paste.[1]​

Alternatively, you can dip a wet toothbrush directly into some baking soda, and the powder will attach itself to the bristles. However, the taste of the baking soda will be very strong if you use this method.
Brush your teeth

as you normally would, but really concentrate on getting the brush into all the cracks and crevices. Don't brush your teeth for any longer than two minutes, as baking soda is a mild abrasive and may begin to erode the enamel on your teeth​

Spit out the baking soda and rinse your mouth with water or mouthwash. Give your toothbrush a thorough rinse as well.You should repeat the process of brushing your teeth with baking soda every other day for one or two weeks. You will notice a slight difference in the whiteness of your teeth after just a few days, and a substantial difference after a couple of weeks.​

 

[patelsd]

Custom made trays from a dental office are the gold standard, most predictable, long lasting results. If you get the whitening agent (which you can buy on amazon fyi) go for a carbamoyl peroxide not a hydrogen peroxide compound and stick to something in the 10-20% range, above that is extremely caustic to tissue. In office bleaching (Zoom!) is effective for short term only.

As far as using the strips, they work to an extent. They don't really adhere to the shape of your arch and the spaces between your teeth so they have a tendency to produce results that are inconsistent tooth to tooth.

 

[StanislaZ]

I recommend you to visit a dentist

 

[RobinWhite90]

do at home teeth whitening sets without peroxide also work or would it be best to use sets with peroxide? I've also seen people use the strips but complain about having white spots on their teeth afterwards. Are those normal or is this a bad sign?

 

[Spinster Jones]

Honestly, it’s all a marketing gimmick. People with a Hollywood smile have usually filed down their teeth and glued on crowns. One can file down the outer layers of the teeth as well, but that just ruins the enamel and opens it up to cavities. Some people glue on porcelain veneers, but that usually has to be re-applied every couple of years as well. The yellowing of teeth is usually just the gum slowly being rubbed away by brushing, and the roots of the teeth poking out. Just embrace it, guys.

 

[FTLOD]

Most white strips rely on hydrogen peroxide to whiten teeth. That hydrogen peroxide is bound in a gel which is some mixture of glycerin, PEG, water and probably some other long-name chemicals that help it stay in place as well as bind it to the plastic strip and your teeth, once applied.

Hydrogen peroxide will whiten your teeth, but it can be hard on the enamel and cause damage in the long-run if used too long. Professional options include: having your dentist make you a custom teeth whitening tray, or laser whitening. An issue with professionally whitened teeth is that they can appear too white, laser white, making it obvious that they've been whitened, but not everyone would consider this a bad thing.

Your best best for noticeably white teeth is to be consistent about brushing (2-3 times a day, gently), flossing (also 2-3 times per day), drink some water after every meal or acidic drink like coffee, wine or juices, then maybe give it a few minutes after the water to swish with some alcohol-free mouthwash. One thing I've often heard is that you should avoid brushing directly after a meal or drink, but rinse your mouth out with water and give it up to 30 minutes before brushing, something about letting acids settle, but I'm not really consistent with it and I've never bothered to look into the veracity of it either.

Other than that, if your teeth hurt or are decaying, see a dentist, and if not, it'd probably be a good habit to see a dentist or hygienist once or twice a year for a checkup and to get tartar or of those harder to reach/see places. Get a soft-bristle brush and don't brush too hard or you'll wear away your gums and enamel. Don't need a death grip on it, if you're consistent with brushing, just enough pressure to remove daily plaque accumulation. Finally, I've heard good things about toothpastes and mouth washes that contain stannous fluoride rather than the standard sodium fluoride, apparently stannous fluoride can help strengthen enamel.

*didn't realize OP was from 2013

 

[deepsleep]

Honestly, it’s all a marketing gimmick. People with a Hollywood smile have usually filed down their teeth and glued on crowns. One can file down the outer layers of the teeth as well, but that just ruins the enamel and opens it up to cavities. Some people glue on porcelain veneers, but that usually has to be re-applied every couple of years as well. The yellowing of teeth is usually just the gum slowly being rubbed away by brushing, and the roots of the teeth poking out. Just embrace it, guys.

Actually porcelain veneers would last between 10-30 years.

 

[Spinster Jones]

Actually porcelain veneers would last between 10-30 years.

Yeah, might be if done correctly. But people usually do it as cheap as possible...