Crest Whitening Strips

I rinse my mouth every morning with Arm and Hammer baking soda. Then I brush with baking soda. I only use the Crest Whitening toothpaste, occasionally. I can hardly afford the money.
However, I have friends who have used the strips. One woman I know would not live without them. She says they whiten better that the simple dental cleaning she gets every six months.

 

I've had mixed results with whitening strips in the past, but maybe I should be more disciplined in my application. The first ones I used happened to be Crest Whitening strips some years ago. I would have to say they had only moderate impact. More recently I tried another product was reasonable as well. But I also tried "oil pulling" once - Google it, but it's basically about swilling with olive oil on a daily basis. Maybe it was all in the mind but I actually felt the results were comparable.

 

I don't know if I'm willing to spend money on this, when it seems like I can get the same results through baking soda, mouthwash, and just brushing my teeth well in general. Some people can't afford the money, some people think it's an unnecessary product. I personally don't really care if my teeth are a tiny bit yellow. Not everyone has perfect teeth, and if the people I'm with are offended by it, then there is no reason why I should get along with them.

 

I've had the most consistent results by switching to a whitening toothpaste and simply brushing thoroughly at least twice daily. I mean, you end up needing to use toothpaste regardless, and brushing thoroughly will only serve to keep your teeth and mouth healthy. With a whitening paste, you get the added benefit of (slowly!) whitening your teeth as you go.

The key here is patience, you won't see immediate results like you would with strips, but at the fraction of the cost, it may be worth it to some.

 

I have used the Crest whitening strips because I found them on sale. I did like the results, but I think it's a very superficial result. You can't expect really white teeth. In fact, I think I was the only one who could tell a difference. The problem for me, however, was that they made my teeth really sensitive and they were hurting in a couple days. It was really painful and I almost stopped using them.

 

Wait, so you mean the strips themselves were causing you tooth pain when using them, but you continued to use them?? That can't possibly be good for your teeth - did it stop hurting after a while or does it persist?

It's concerning as I'd be willing to try the strips, but given that my teeth are already somewhat sensitive to cold/heat, I really don't want to aggravate it further by using the strips.

 

I've tried Crest White Strips a few years ago. I did notice a quick improvement in the color of my teeth. However, I stopped using the white strips regularly after experiencing increased sensitivity with my teeth. I'm a heavy coffee drinker, and while I do brush and floss regularly, I do like having the option for a quick and easy, at-home remedy for brightening my smile. Now, I just use it every once in a while, in conjunction with whitening tooth paste and some type of whitening mouth wash.

 

As a heavy coffee drinker myself (and former smoker) I found that it's really hard to get rid of the deep stains. I'm not quite sure how to explain it but the teeth do get whiter on the surface, but it doesn't look quite right. Like, there's a degree of yellowness that looks like it's under the enamel of the tooth. A proper whitening at the dentist will fix this, but that's not something that I can afford to do too often.

 

My husband and I are coffee drinkers, and Crest White Strips has really worked for us. If they were not so expensive I would use them more often. I make sure that after I use them, I use whitening toothpaste to help maintain the results of the strips. It works for a while, but then I have to purchase the strips again.

 

I use whitening toothpaste but I heard that you can actually gargle with diluted bleach and it would have the same effect. I do not recommend this though. And you should not continuously use teeth whitening products. It should be used on an on and off basis.

 

I've always been very skeptic about this kind of product, it's good to see that it works for some people.
How long-lasting are the effects? If it is something you need to reapply say, weekly, it can turn into a very expensive habit.

 

Diluted bleach?!? I have not heard of this and my immediate response is to avoid this. Bleach is a pretty dangerous substance and can do a lot of damage to your skin, I can only imagine what would happen to the delicate skin inside your mouth even if very diluted. I've heard of baking soda and swishing with that, but seriously; do not ingest bleach in any manner. It can't possibly turn out well.