My teeth are clean, but stained, and it really affects my confidence. Who here has experience with whitening products? I have tried to use the Crest strips, but the pain from the increased sensitivity left me bedridden for over 24 hours. I tried both the 14 day treatment (6%? peroxide) and the 7 day strips (10%? peroxide). The 7 day strips are the ones that put me in the bed. However, the 14 day strips were also quite uncomfortable. I wasn't able to function due to the pain, but I didn't need to lie in bed.
So, is there something that I can do to whiten my teeth without so much pain? Are there methods that don't use peroxide? Will my teeth eventually whiten on their own, with proper care? Are my teeth unhealthy because they are yellow, or is it purely cosmetic?
posted
I was just at the Tri-Cities local Hands' On Museum and they actually had a display about this - some student's science class experiment.
Here's what the experiment showed:
Drinking dark colas (such as Pepsi) made teeth the darkest.
Drinking beverages such as coffee were next worst.
then orange juice.
But the teeth that sat in cow's milk were beuatifully, gloriously white!
Hope that helps . . .
Beyond that, the best I can offer is the idea that the dentist should be able to offer a cleaning/whitening . . .
Posts: 5609 | Registered: Jan 2003
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quote:but the pain from the increased sensitivity left me bedridden for over 24 hours
Wow, that's terrible! When you talked to your dentist (I assume you went to the dentist after getting such severe side effects) did he give you any suggestions?
My friend in dental school highly recommends sensodyne for senstitive teeth. When we were both in college, he signed me up for a teeth-whitening research lab test. I did a three month peroxide treatment and experienced some sensitivity. But overall my teeth were whitened for a while.
Posts: 4116 | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
I would avoid using any of those over the counter things, since they have caused pain in the past. If it hurts...it is a bad idea to continue.
I would advise going to ask a dentist. They have whitening treatments that work better than what you would get in a store...and they can make sure that you are not messing up your teeth.
Posts: 1901 | Registered: May 2004
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Sounds like I should see my dentist. I don't plan to use the Crest strips any more, even though I have about $50 worth sitting in my bathroom. I have also tried the Sensodyne, but it didn't help all that much.
Shan, if I could remove my teeth and leave them in milk, I'd do it! I have cut down on my "cola" intake since the first of the year... but orange juice? Good thing I would rather spend my limited money on milk!
Actually Skillery, in Tennessee, they only buy the paint-on stuff, since the strips don't work well with all the gaps. So, it's more like serial tooth whitening. Plain old "Tooth whitening" takes place in parts of rural Alabama. Here in Georgia, we're just ignorant. Posts: 1069 | Registered: Feb 2005
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posted
I know that for my teeth, it was purely a cosmetic thing. My dentist explained to me that most people's teeth aren't actually naturally white - they're typically off-white or have a slight yellow tinge to them. My teeth, however, were slightly more yellowed than the average so I never really liked to show my teeth when smiling. What my dentist and I worked out was this:
A mold was taken of my mouth from which they made thin, clear trays that fit snuggly against my teeth. They then gave me a few boxes of syringes containing... well, some sort of whitening agent. Then I went home, filled the trays just a little-little bit (too much is redundant, gets on your gums, etc.) and kept them in overnight. It's a bit hard to fall asleep at first but, in the morning, there's a noticable difference. When you first use it you're supposed to repeat it every night until you get to the shade of white you're comfortable with (but not generally for more than 5 days). After the first treatment, you can use it for just one night every six months or as-needed to maintain it.
The worst side effects I can recall are that it makes your teeth feel very "cold" and it hurts a bit if you bite something hard. I'd highly recommend this method since it's easy to upkeep, though check with your dentist to make sure the gel won't have any more severe side effects for you first. If they're uncertain, maybe you could ask them to let you test it on just one tooth first?
Posts: 1548 | Registered: Aug 2002
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Pixie, thank you for the information. I will mention this when I go in for my next checkup. Did you ever try the strips? If so, did you have any sensitivity?
Posts: 1069 | Registered: Feb 2005
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Sorry, I didn't try the strips. I'm not picky about most things, but when it comes to medicine I rarely try anything more generic/OTC than Excedrin.
Posts: 1548 | Registered: Aug 2002
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I was only able to use the 14 day treatment for two days (using only one treatment per day instead of two) and the 7 day treatment for 1 application. I didn't really see any change, but that's not unsurprising. I do know people who have used them and been quite pleased, though. I noticed the difference in their smiles, myself.
Posts: 1069 | Registered: Feb 2005
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I have to stop myself from drinking all of the milk in the house! I like to say that's why I've never broken any bones, but I bet it's due to my cautious nature. Posts: 1069 | Registered: Feb 2005
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Did you mean to say that it's surprising or not surprising?
Edit to add: I tried the Crest whitestrips right around when they first came out (about a year and a half ago) and I'm not sure how the strength compares. There was only one strength in stores, but I had the Professional Strength that you could only get from a dentist (I'd just gotten my braces off). I didn't use all of them, but they still made a huge difference. I definitely recommend them if you don't have sensitivies.
posted
Thay have toothpastes that have the whitening stuff in them. They work well enough from what I can see in my teeth. The one I use is "Colgate total (Plus Whitening)".
Posts: 1401 | Registered: Jun 2004
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If the toothpastes can work for you, that's great! I think it depends on just how stained your teeth are and how they got that way. If you're looking for a drastic change, whitening toothpastes only made my teeth about one shade lighter but I'd highly recommend them for prolonging the maintanence of any professional treatment.
Posts: 1548 | Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
I use the Crest Total Whitening myself, and it does take care of my surface stains.
My stains are due to years of just not caring about my teeth. It has been five years since that time, but I still am paying for the negligence (that goes for my weight, too).
One thing I need to ask my dentist - will these stains fade with time? Will the toothpaste eventually take care of it?
Also, I wonder if cavities will make the pain worse? I would think so, but I don't think I have any cavities... that I know of.
Posts: 1069 | Registered: Feb 2005
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I have cut down on my "cola" intake since the first of the year... but orange juice? Good thing I would rather spend my limited money on milk! ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
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