Teeth Whitening
Teeth Whitening Strips
Teeth Whitening Strips
A newer product available to help people have whiter teeth is
teeth whitening strips.
These almost invisible strips are applied to the teeth with a
minimum of discomfort, twice daily for 30 minutes each time.
Despite what you see on commercials, you probably want to do these
at home in the morning and at night. Teeth whitening strips can be used in combination with
whitening toothpastes, and in fact can be found sold in kits with whitening toothpastes, for
your convenience.
Teeth whitening strips can whiten your teeth up to 3 or 4 shades,
in one to 4 weeks. You will usually see some results a few days after starting.
Results can last up to 4 months. Teeth whitening strips can be
fairly simple to use as well. A concern with teeth whitening strips is that you will end up
with inconsistently whitened teeth.
This can be mitigated by careful application of the strips, as well as brushing regularly with the
whitening toothpaste. Flossing well, right before or right after brushing can help.
Before applying the strips, rinse your mouth out well with cool water, then follow the directions
on the strip package to ensure the most successful experience.
The main advantage to using these over these counter whitening products is the price, kits which
contain strips with peroxide gels on them often cost $15 - $60, where dentist office procedures can
run in the thousands.
A disadvantage, besides the potential for inconsistent results, is
that irritation of the gums can occur. Gum irritation should go away, but can be treated with
gels for gum irritation if they do not or if it is more than minimal irritation.
Teeth whitening gels
Clear bleaching gels are available over the counter in many pharmacies and drugstores.
These peroxide based gels are applied by you to your teeth with a small brush twice a day for 2
weeks. If you use these, be especially careful not to get any of the gel on your gums, as this will
cause gum irritation.
You will usually see results in a few days, and after the
treatment period, the results will often last as long as four months.
It is also important to be careful to apply evenly, as otherwise,
you can have inconsistent whitening which you may not notice until a week has
passed.
These products are priced about the same range as the teeth
whitening strips.
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