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650 of 654 found the following review helpful:
A Dentist Reviews This Product Jul 21, 2007
By kone
"kone"
I am a dentist who recommends Crest-brand White Strips to my patients becasue they do work to whiten teeth. However, they have to be used correctly and I recommend that you follow the directions exactly as specified inside the box.
1. First brush your teeth with a wet toothbrush to remove the layer of plaque (toothpaste is unnecessary). Rinse your teeth well with water. Tooth enamel has pores, and the pores need to be open for the chemical to penetrate.
2. Use the strips as directed on the box. The instructions will tell you to bleach twice a day for 30-minutes a time. The inner part of the strip has a chemical called hydrogen peroxide; (in-office, or dentist-assisted dental whitening uses a 15-35% version of the same chemical) that causes the stains inside your teeth to be oxidized and turn white. Applying the strips has a small learning curve as you will probably bend or fold a couple of them before you get the technique down.
2. Leave the strips on for the time recommended in the instructions and do not overbleach your teeth, as this leads to sensitivity.
Disadvantages
1. Hydrogen Peroxide can "burn" your gums. If you notice a burning sensation when you use the product, it is the chemical oxidizing (or burning) your gums (it will turn them white with a minor chemical burn). Depending on how severe the burning is, it may cause you to want to stop the treatment. It is OK to stop the treatment for a day or two to let the gums heal. Once they are healed, resume treatment with the White Strips. Try to not get the strip on your gums.
2. Your teeth may become senstiive during the week treatment time. Try to tolerate the sensitivity if it is mild, but if more severe, take a day or two off to let the teeth settle down and then pick up where you left off. You may notice much more sensitivity to cold water, ice cream, etc. The peroxide causes an inflamation of the inner pulp, or nerve center of the tooth and makes the teeth very sensitive to biting or cold drinks or foods. If your teeth become too sensitive, back off on the strips until the sensitivity is gone before resuming bleaching.
3. The strips only cover your front teeth, so only your front teeth will bleach. You may notice the distinct difference between the back (unbleached) teeth and the front (bleached) teeth. Since most people notice the front 6 teeth anyway, this is not a big deal. However, if you have a wide toothy smile, you may want to have a dentist make you a tray that will hold the chemical on the back teeth to whiten them too.
4. The bleaching effect works best on yellow stains. If your stains are due to tetracycline (brownish grey stains in a band on your teeth, your best bet is to have a dentist whiten your teeth as the dentist will use a tray to hold a more concentrated form of the chemical on your teeth for a longer period of time.
Now comes the confusing part: Crest White Strips come in 4 different packages, each a bit different than the others. The main difference is in the strength of the hydrogen peroxide, and the price. The higher the dose of hydrogen peroxide, the most costly the product package. Here are the 4 packages: 1. Crest White Strips Classic (6% hydrogen peroxide, 14-day treatment). 2. Crest White Strips Premium (10% hydrogen peroxide, 7-day treatment). 3. Crest White Strips Premium Plus (10% hydrogen peroxide, and has 12 additional strips). 4. Crest White Strips Renewal (9.5% hydrogen peroxide). The cheapest method (at around 25 dollars, is the Crest Classic Whitestrips, but it takes 2 weeks to complete the treatment). Premium and Premium Pro are both 10% peroxide formulations, work in 7-10 days, and the "Premuim-Plus" gives you 12 additional strips. I am not sure why Crest recently came out with "Renewal", as it is a 9.5% hydrogen peroxide formulation which is not significantly different from the 10% concentration. Leave it to the manufacturer to confuse the consumer!
Crest White Strips work for the vast majority of people. Younger people with yellow stains seem to respond better than older people or those with gray stains. White Strips don't work as fast as a dentist-made custom tray bleaching, (or in-office bleaching) but over time, you will get a result that will be close to that of a dentist, and you will save money too.
I recommend starting with with either the Classic or the Premium-Pro. The Classic works in 2 weeks and is about $1.80 a day. The Premium Pro works in 10 days and is about $2 dollars a day. The Premium and Premium Pro are likely to give you more sensitivity than the Classic.
If you are not satisfied with the results and still want whiter teeth, you can then see your dentist for a more concentrated form of bleaching using a custom-tray system or in-office bleaching. This is much more expensive, but the concentration of hydrogen peroxide is much higher and this tends to work better on stubbornly-stained teeth.
Jim "Konedog" Koenig, DDS
386 of 390 found the following review helpful:
A Dentist Reviews This Product Aug 24, 2005
By kone
"kone"
I am a dentist who recommends Crest-brand White Strips to my patients becasue they do work to whiten teeth. However, they have to be used correctly and I recommend that you follow the directions exactly as specified inside the box.
1. First brush your teeth with a wet toothbrush to remove the layer of plaque (toothpaste is unnecessary). Rinse your teeth well with water. Tooth enamel has pores, and the pores need to be open for the chemical to penetrate.
2. Use the strips as directed on the box. The instructions will tell you to bleach twice a day for 30-minutes a time. The inner part of the strip has a chemical called hydrogen peroxide; (in-office, or dentist-assisted dental whitening uses a 15-35% version of the same chemical) that causes the stains inside your teeth to be oxidized and turn white. Applying the strips has a small learning curve as you will probably bend or fold a couple of them before you get the technique down.
2. Leave the strips on for the time recommended in the instructions and do not overbleach your teeth, as this leads to sensitivity.
Disadvantages
1. Hydrogen Peroxide can "burn" your gums. If you notice a burning sensation when you use the product, it is the chemical oxidizing (or burning) your gums (it will turn them white with a minor chemical burn). Depending on how severe the burning is, it may cause you to want to stop the treatment. It is OK to stop the treatment for a day or two to let the gums heal. Once they are healed, resume treatment with the White Strips. Try to not get the strip on your gums.
2. Your teeth may become senstiive during the week treatment time. Try to tolerate the sensitivity if it is mild, but if more severe, take a day or two off to let the teeth settle down and then pick up where you left off. You may notice much more sensitivity to cold water, ice cream, etc. The peroxide causes an inflamation of the inner pulp, or nerve center of the tooth and makes the teeth very sensitive to biting or cold drinks or foods. If your teeth become too sensitive, back off on the strips until the sensitivity is gone before resuming bleaching.
3. The strips only cover your front teeth, so only your front teeth will bleach. You may notice the distinct difference between the back (unbleached) teeth and the front (bleached) teeth. Since most people notice the front 6 teeth anyway, this is not a big deal. However, if you have a wide toothy smile, you may want to have a dentist make you a tray that will hold the chemical on the back teeth to whiten them too.
4. The bleaching effect works best on yellow stains. If your stains are due to tetracycline (brownish grey stains in a band on your teeth, your best bet is to have a dentist whiten your teeth as the dentist will use a tray to hold a more concentrated form of the chemical on your teeth for a longer period of time.
Now comes the confusing part: Crest White Strips come in 4 different packages, each a bit different than the others. The main difference is in the strength of the hydrogen peroxide, and the price. The higher the dose of hydrogen peroxide, the most costly the product package. Here are the 4 packages: 1. Crest White Strips Classic (6% hydrogen peroxide, 14-day treatment). 2. Crest White Strips Premium (10% hydrogen peroxide, 7-day treatment). 3. Crest White Strips Premium Plus (10% hydrogen peroxide, and has 12 additional strips). 4. Crest White Strips Renewal (9.5% hydrogen peroxide). The cheapest method (at around 25 dollars, is the Crest Classic Whitestrips, but it takes 2 weeks to complete the treatment). Premium and Premium Pro are both 10% peroxide formulations, work in 7-10 days, and the "Premuim-Plus" gives you 12 additional strips. I am not sure why Crest recently came out with "Renewal", as it is a 9.5% hydrogen peroxide formulation which is not significantly different from the 10% concentration. Leave it to the manufacturer to confuse the consumer!
Crest White Strips work for the vast majority of people. Younger people with yellow stains seem to respond better than older people or those with gray stains. White Strips don't work as fast as a dentist-made custom tray bleaching, (or in-office bleaching) but over time, you will get a result that will be close to that of a dentist, and you will save money too.
I recommend starting with with either the Classic or the Premium-Pro. The Classic works in 2 weeks and is about $1.80 a day. The Premium Pro works in 10 days and is about $2 dollars a day. The Premium and Premium Pro are likely to give you more sensitivity than the Classic. If you are not satisfied with the results and still want whiter teeth, you can then see your dentist for a more concentrated form of bleaching using a custom-tray system or in-office bleaching. This is much more expensive, but eh concentration of hydrogen peroide is much higher and this works better on stubbornly-stained teeth.
Jim "Konedog" Koenig, DDS
103 of 105 found the following review helpful:
 great product, natural results Nov 26, 2004
By Judy
I've been using this product for 4 days and I can see a result already. Not the glow in the dark, frighteningly unnatural white that you often see on people who have had a dental bleaching--you know that silvery white look that doesn't occur in nature. I think the strips have whitened my teeth without making it obvious I've been whitening them. It's how my teeth looked ten years ago, before ten years of coffee and soda buildup. Although I've read reviews that state people have had pain in their gums and teeth, I've not had a bit of trouble with pain. The only real caution is--DON'T SNEEZE. Or if you have to sneeze, keep your mouth firmly closed. When I sneezed, the strips came flying out of my mouth. Also, you really can't talk very well while they're in your mouth, and you feel a bit like you're foaming at the mouth. However, there is very little after taste--and my teeth look cleaner without look other worldly. I would definately recommend.
54 of 54 found the following review helpful:
Whiter Teeth for 12 Months Mar 13, 2006
By Liora Hess
I've used the regular Whitestrips before this and got great results (my sister, a dental hygienist, saw me and exclaimed "wow, your teeth are white!"), so I was eager to try the Premium Whitestrips.
Contrary to what some reviewers are stating here, the difference between the different Whitestrips are not how white they make your teeth, but how long the whiteness will last. Crest Premium Whitestrips supposedly make your teeth whiter for 12 months, whereas the Ultra ones keep your teeth whiter for 18 months. The original Whitestrips supposedly last 6 months. You can do the math and see what's worth it to you financially (and if you really think it will last as long as claimed).
True to the package cover, I started seeing measurable results at around 3 days. Actually, I noticed whiter teeth after even the first day, but by day three, I was feeling a few shades shy of Regis Philbin's pearly (okay, stark) whites.
The Premium kit will give you 7 days' worth of strips. You wear both upper and lower for 30 minutes twice a day. I would suggest you do it exactly as prescribed rather than following the other reviewer's claim that it's okay to wear them back to back for an hour. Things are prescribed a certain way for a reason. In this case, it may be due to the time necessary for your teeth to "recover" from the treatments. What I mean is, unlike the basic strips, I'm noticing lots more sensitivity with the Premium ones. I'm following the directions and wearing for 30 minutes twice a day. Chocolate, anything sweet or acidic all set my teeth on edge. Something about having that gap in treatments during the day seems to give the teeth time to calm down and be ready for the next session.
Others have mentioned that it's hard to keep the lower strip in place. This can be true. I've found a couple of things that help immensely. Before applying the strips, dry your mouth and teeth with a clean towel. Then apply the strips, trying to limit them to your teeth rather than gums as much as possible.
Finally, though some have said it's possible to talk with them, just don't. Your life surely has 30-minute increments of time that you're simply not needing to talk. I would also suggest not doing anything incredibly vigorous (such as cleaning the house) during that half-hour. For some reason, I've found that makes it more difficult to keep the strips in place. Perhaps we salivate more when we're working up a sweat. So reading, watching the news, driving to work, vegetating-these are all good activities.
When time's up, pull the strips off and toss them. Don't brush your teeth! Things are sensitive, so give your mouth and gums a rest. Instead, rinse with slightly warm water, and take your index finger and "brush" your teeth with it to remove any extra gel. Spit (don't swallow that stuff) and smile.
I have only two days left of this round of Chrst Whitestrips, and I'm already incredibly pleased with the results. Your teeth are some of the first things that people notice about you, and they also are something easy you can do to make yourself look more youthful. You've got nothing to lose but some gray-yellow staining and a little bit of cash. And to help with the cash, be sure to check Crest's web site where they sometimes offer coupons for the Whitestrips.
30 of 30 found the following review helpful:
Messy, but works! May 01, 2007
By Chrys
Be prepared for a nasty taste and slimy, slippery strips. But they really did work well. Don't believe the commercials that you can use these anytime, anywhere. Not unless you don't mind drooling on people in public. The strips slip all over when you try to talk or even swallow, and especially DON'T SNEEZE! But as for the whitening, I was pleasantly surprised. A lot better than I was expecting.
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