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Home » The Vine

The Vine: June 12, 2009

Submitted by on June 12, 2009 – 3:37 PM50 Comments

Hi Sars,

I just agreed to be the matron of honor for my dear friend’s wedding, and I have ten weeks to transform my 39-year-old self into the second-hottest babe on the planet.

I’m up to date with the waxing, the peeling, and the curing of both the mani- and pedi- variety, but I am bewildered on the whole tooth-whitening front. In addition to the all-natural DIY baking soda/peroxide method, there are the strips and the gels and the trays and even the visits to the dentist’s office.

I’m hoping that you and/or the amazing Nation can make some recommendations as to what works and what doesn’t.

The…matron? Really?!

Dear Mate,

I’ve never used any of these products myself, but let’s see what the readers have to say.(If any of y’all bought the one Jack Wagner and his then-wife used to shill for, please share.Hee.)

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50 Comments »

  • Carrie Ann says:

    I used the original Crest White Strips five years ago, and they worked perfectly for me. It’s only been the past year that I started thinking about doing it again, and since I’m getting married in a couple of weeks, I started using the updated “premium” version. Highly recommended.

  • Maria says:

    Seconding the White Strips premium. One caution: if your teeth are even the slightest bit sensitive, don’t use them on consecutive days.

    Also, if you drink coffee, tea, or soda, start drinking everything through a straw. Yes, you feel like a moron at first, and some may think you look like one too, but it makes a WORLD of difference if you drink more than one cup per day.

  • Amie says:

    I was not a fan of the original white strips type because I always felt like they were slipping off my teeth and they made me drool a lot so I couldn’t really do anything while waiting with them on, but now there are kinds that stick better to your teeth (kind of like wax strips that mold and hold tight to the teeth, rather than plastic ones just sitting there sliding around on gel). There are name brand super premium ones but also some store brand ones that I had some success with for a much more reasonable price (I used CVS pharmacy brand, of the premium daily whitening variety for about $16 for a week’s worth).

    Crest has these “Advanced Seal” ones now, which are supposed to be so convenient that you can even drink water while wearing them, but they are out of my price range, even with coupons.

    What was important to me was not only effectiveness, but also that I wasn’t sitting around for a half hour not able to do anything out of fear of drooling out a bunch of saliva and whitening gel all over the place. These newer strips that stick on the teeth better seemed to take care of that problem.

  • Christy says:

    My husband and I used the original Crest Whitestrips before we got married 2 years ago and while they did work for both of us, they did make my teeth sensitive for a long time afterward. I imagine that you’re already aware if you have a sensitive teeth issue, but I think most whitening products will potentially have this downside.

  • Cat says:

    Yeah, the oldschool Crest White Strips are startlingly effective – I used them just on my upper teeth several years ago just to try them out and there’s still a noticeable difference between my upper teeth and the lower ones. If I ever get around to it, I’ll definitely use them again.

  • Kim says:

    I second the rec of Crest White Stripes. Use them twice a day for a half hour each time, and they really work within two weeks.

  • Caitlin says:

    I can’t use the strips. One day of using them and my teeth are so sensitive that I can’t eat.

    My best friend is a hygienist and got me some samples of the stuff that use at the dentist with trays–they vary as to price, how often you use them, and how long you have to leave them in, but I swear by them. My teeth have never been so white, not to mention that only having to leave them on for 2 minutes is great. Put the trays in before I get in the shower, and I’m done with teeth whitening before I get out.

  • Jo says:

    My dentist told me the white strips won’t work for me because my teeth overlap a bit, but I used the liquid stuff that you brush on. I’ve tried Colgate and Crest and they both work pretty well. It tastes kind of gross and you can’t eat or drink for half an hour after you use it, but it works. One warning, though: It can make your teeth more sensitive, so follow the directions carefully and don’t overdo it.

  • Jaybird says:

    Mate, one word of caution: If your teeth are AT ALL sensitive to temperature, I’d get a dentist’s advice first. It’s my understanding that bleaching your teeth–which, AFAIK is what any tooth-whitening process is–makes them more porous, which makes them much more likely to become whole new frontiers in agony down the road.

    YMMV, of course. Obviously they’re not universally horrendous, as they’re still selling. But I’ve had a bad experience with this stuff, and hope nobody else does.

  • Lily says:

    Here is my suggestion about what NOT to use: I used Listerine strips a year or so ago – no noticeable difference, and they left a horrible aftertaste in my mouth that lingered for several days after I used the last strip in the box. Ew. However, perhaps that is the price I had to pay for buying the absolute cheapest whitening strips available at Walgreens that were still name-brand.

    Don’t forget to cut out all coffee, black tea, red wine, colas and other dark sodas, and brush often and drink lots of water. Keeping your mouth clean and steering clear of teeth staining drinks will help with your quest for whiter teeth.

  • Natalie says:

    Seconding (fourthing?) the warning about sensitivity. My father-in-law is my dentist, and he gave me a dentist-approved sensitive-teeth whitener a few years ago… and it unearthed all sorts of agony. My teeth were whiter, but I’m not convinced it was worth it. My advice is to try the Crest White Strips (surely they’re a little gentler, given they’re over-the-counter), and don’t do more than the recommended time. And if you notice *any* sensitivity, stop straight away.

  • autiger23 says:

    I do a combo of Crest Premium White Strips (though I see no difference between these and the orginal ones) and whitening toothpaste. I think my old Mentadent whitening toothpaste did a better job than my current Aquafresh kind.

  • LLyzabeth says:

    Seconding (thirding? tenthing?) the Crest White Strips. The fact that they really work AND they’re not nearly as expensive as some of the fancier stuff is what hooked me. I put them on first thing in the morning well before I’m finished getting ready they’re done. And I’m a two-cups-of-coffee-in-the-morning-plus-tea-at-night person, so I needed something effective :)

  • Kari says:

    OK, the daughter of 2 dentists weighing in here… First, the toothpastes do not work. For something to whiten your teeth, it needs to be on longer than the two minutes of brushing. As for the whitening strips, they work better, but there are a couple of drawbacks. First, some of them feel gross while you are wearing them. Second, and more importantly, sometimes the strips are not big enough. They usually only cover the most front teeth. If you have a wide smile, there can be a noticeable line between where you did/did not have the strips. This can be…unattractive, especially in wedding photos that will be around for a while. If you want to try whitening strips, it is certainly a more cost-effective option. Finally, I have had professional whitening done (trays/gel), which is really effective and easy. You can generally get a higher concentration gel from your dentist, which will provide results faster. You can also wear the trays while you sleep, or for an hour or two during the day. While this is a more expensive option, which I know sucks in this economy, I prefer it to the other options. Plus, you can keep your personally molded trays for “touch-ups” every 6 months or so. I haven’t done the gel/ultraviolet light, but I hear that it also provides good results. I think that that is even more expensive, and not as convenient, because you have to schedule appointments for that. So, personally, I like the trays/gel, then probably the strips. You could check out the prices on the UV light one, but don’t just rely on toothpaste, it won’t really help. Good luck! Smile pretty!

  • DT says:

    Crest Whitestrips here. I’ve used the regular and premium and both work fine. I’ve always gotten good whitening (lots of compliments) without going through the whole 14- or 7-day regimen too, so I will usually do a few days and save the rest for “maintenance” months later.

  • Carrie says:

    I’ve always used the Walgreens store brand whitening strips, they’re much cheaper than the Crest Whitestrips. My teeth do get sensitive while I’m using them and for a day afterwards, but the sensitivity fades after that (back to normal for me). If it gets to be too much I just skip a day.

    They’re quite easy to use: dry your teeth, put them on, wait 30 minutes, then peel them off. I don’t do the whole 14 days, just 7 days worth, and save the rest to use in six months. I don’t want to blind people with my smile!

  • tadpoledrain says:

    re: straws. Please don’t drink anything warm/hot through straws! Plastic tends to contain nasty synthetic hormone-like chemicals that leach into warm liquids and then get absorbed into your system. Your body thinks they are hormones, and they wreak havoc — they may cause various cancers in you or deformed sexual organs in any offspring you may have in the future. This is also why you shouldn’t microwave plastic or saran wrap (even if it’s “microwave safe”), or drink or eat hot stuff from plastic or styrofoam cups, bowls, etc.

    Yes, I sound like a crazy raving lunatic dirty hippie. And maybe I am. But I’m still not drinking hot stuff through straws.

  • Cij says:

    My dentist advised me to use ACT Restoring religiously about a week or so before use Crest White Strips to help strenghten the teeth and reduce sensitivity. It worked.

    From my friends, I hear Brite Smile is great but expensive and very painful for the first 48 hours.

  • Bria says:

    I’ve had great luck with Crest Whitestrips, and have successfully battled the sensitivity issue with ACT Restoring as Cij mentions.

    If you can fit it in, I also *highly* recommend getting a regular old teeth cleaning at the dentist before you start any whitening endeavors. Might as well have someone give them the pro scrub routine first – it always makes my Whitestrips efforts so much more effective.

  • zh says:

    I didn’t know I had sensitive teeth till I tried Whitestrips — they made my whole head hurt for three solid days. The first two days I couldn’t even chew or talk, it hurt so bad (and that was just from putting them on for 1/2 hour). Just a little caveat — maybe you want to do a test first, before you stick those things on your teeth.

  • Meg says:

    My dentist swears my teeth look so good because I drink everything through a straw (though, I don’t drink coffee or hot tea, that might be hard to drink through a straw). I’m not really too crazy about teeth whitening because people go overboard. I’ve heard good things about the crest strips, but I agree with some other posters – see the dentist and ask them. I’m not messing around with my teeth :)

  • Karen says:

    Re: both sensitivity and not drinking dark liquids while bleaching. I bleached my teeth through my dentist, with the trays and the gels. It was a few years back, but I recall my dentist explaining that the bleaching process temporarily strips some of the enamel off your teeth, so the bleach can get at the stains. This is why, during that time, your teeth may be more sensitive, and why you’re more likely to stain your teeth with dark liquids and foods (I was warned away from blueberry pie, as well). Also, citrus can further irritate the problem, so I was warned off OJ while I bleached. Disclaimer: this is my interpretation of something I remember from about 9 years ago. It’s probably fake science. Or something.

    The trays and gel were really effective. Also, I still have the trays somewhere, so if I want to do it again, all I need is some more gel, and I can bleach again. The trays keep the bleach nicely right against your teeth, since they’re custom fitted.

    Isn’t there some kind of laser option? Has anyone tried that?

  • KC says:

    Just a comment on generic white strips vs. name brand. I work for a company that manufactures them both and sells one branded by Crest and one generic at drugstore chains. Like most of these products, it depends on the exact generic brand as to how good they are. Try to find one that is most similar in product description and usage to the “brand name” one that you want.

  • Rachel says:

    I’ve used Crest Whitestrips as well, and I had pretty decent results for the price. I didn’t notice anything dramatic right when I used them, but I noticed that my teeth looked much whiter in photos afterwards. What did have results that I noticed was the toothpaste my mom got for me from QVC last year: http://tinyurl.com/6fr24o It’s called Supersmile, and it has a toothpaste component, and a separate tube of “accelerant” that you put on the brush at the same time. I’ve only used those two, but it seems like they have a whole line of different products, including a more intensive kit for immediate results. I found my teeth looked whiter after just a couple of weeks using the toothpaste though, and the brushes they provide are very nice.

  • Jess says:

    I DO NOT recommend Wal-mart’s Equate brand for whitening. On more than one occasion, the gel on some of the strips has dried up, even though the box is not past its expiration. Also, they really hurt my teeth in a way the Target brand and Rembrandt strips did not. Cheap, but not really worth it after all.

  • BDanger says:

    For all of you with medium- sensitive teeth I have the answer! A combination of Rembrandt Whiting for sensitive teeth toothpaste and Crest White Strips is quick, effective and painless.

  • Kat says:

    You might check out if any local dentists are doing a new patient incentive. My new (in early 2006) dentist was offering a choice between professional whitening or an electric toothbrush, but I don’t remember the whole deal, whether it was his chain or just his office. The dental assistants talked me into getting the professional bleaching done because I had really bad tea and coffee stains and needed a crown in front. Okay, and I wanted whiter teeth but didn’t have the funds after oral surgery. The custom trays didn’t fit as well after the new crown went in, but my teeth will match better for longer.

    The professionally fitted trays and gel beat the pants off all the OTC strips for me. I have sensitive teeth and the strips made me feel like someone punched me in the teeth. Also, you shouldn’t use silica-based whitening toothpaste while using a bleaching product because they’re both hard on your enamel.

  • Fuzzbear says:

    Wow, I’m in the process of teeth-whitening at this very moment (just finished up with Invisalign, so my dentist thought my beautifully straight teeth should be shiny white).

    I’m doing the trays you wear overnight (using my last set of Invisalign trays), and it works fantastically, but man, it makes my teeth hurt. If I skip one night, though, everything is back to normal. I haven’t tried any toothpastes for sensitivity yet, so I’m hoping that will make a difference.

  • Elizabeth says:

    In terms of the straw-or-no-straw (for hot drinks) debate, at home I often drink my coffee through a cinnamon stick, which works well as a “straw.” I love the taste of cinnamon in my coffee, plus it’s good for me (helps regulate blood sugar if you have diabetic tendencies).

    It hadn’t occurred to me that this might help protect against coffee stains, too; although having just washed the sink in which I’ve been cleaning my coffee filter every morning… boy does coffee stain!

    Cinnamon sticks are one of those items that you can buy very expensively or very cheaply, depending on whether you’re at a frou-frou grocery store or a cheap (especially an ethnic) one. When I lived in Williamsburg (Brooklyn) mid-gentrification, my local store took this to its logical extreme: at one end of a large aisle was the “Spices” section, with a small container of cinnamon sticks for about $5. At the far end was the “Mexican spices” section, with an *enormous canister* for $3.

    Don’t pay too much for your cinnamon sticks if you go this route, is my point.

  • Lauren says:

    @Kari: You are *awesome*. Thank you so much for all of that information!

    My mom used the old school Crest White Strips and she loved them, but I haven’t gotten around to doing it myself yet. I don’t know anybody who shelled out for the professional job because it’s so expensive.

  • Em says:

    I use trays and dentist-issued whitening gel, which has been really effective. My teeth are crazy sensitive, too, and I had to get a prescription for desensitizing toothpaste from my dentist because my teeth hurt immediately upon putting in my trays. I used the toothpaste for 2 weeks prior to my second attempt at bleaching, and no problem.

    I think if you are going to use the whitening strips, do a little research and get the best OTC desensitizing toothpaste, because you’ll probably need it.

  • Clare says:

    Elizabeth:
    Bear in mind that not all cinnamon sold as “cinnamon” is actually bark from the same plant species. Price differences might (or might not!) reflect that. Wikipedia has a good section on “Cinnamon vs. Cassia” in the article on cinnamon.

  • Rachel says:

    I do the weirdest thing – I mash up fresh strawberries and mush them around my teeth for about 10 minutes at a time. The acids in strawberries are surprisingly good at whitening and brightening the teeth, with no sensitivity at all. I do tend to look a bit like a crazy person while this is going on, but it makes a difference! Costs less, too. After about ten minutes a day for a week, my teeth are noticeably whiter. Which I then destroy with coffee. Oh well.

  • Debby says:

    I have never whitened my teeth, but I can vouch for the effectiveness of OTC senstitive teeth toothpaste.

    A few years ago, suddenly my teeth became VERY sensitive to hot/cold foods. I couldn’t bite down anything that wasn’t in the lukewarm range.

    I called to make an appointment with my dentist, thinking that I had developed some cavities or a nerve problem. The nurse/receptionist who answered my call suggested that I use Sensodyne for 2 weeks, before I spent the money on a dental appointment, and incredibly, it took care of it.

    If I go away, and forget my toothpaste, and use someone else’s regular stuff, within a few days, it starts to come back. It is one of the few times an OTC product has actually lived up to its promises so completely for me.

    Just my 2 cents……….

  • Cajo says:

    While I concur with the positive reviews, I personally found that the Shoppers Drug Mart “Life” brand strips whitened my dull smoke-and-coffee smile just as well (if not better) than Crest Whitestrips at far more reasonable price and without heightened tooth sensitivity.

  • Elizabeth says:

    Clare: Thanks for the cinnamon info! That explains why my current grocery store sells several varieties at different prices in its “bulk” section. (This is the best thing my grocery store does — let you buy spices in the amount you want at bulk prices. No more $7 when a recipe calls for 10 cloves!)

  • Jenn says:

    If you want to avoid the issue of whitening teeth just for a photo reason, talk to your photographer. Whitening teeth in Photoshop is a relatively minor re-touch, and might be cheaper and less of a hassle for you that whitestrips or dental work. Also helps with minor acne, shiny skin and stray hair. And once with removing a cousin’s boyfriend who had a became an ex a couple of days after the wedding… after she insisted he be included in the family photos.

  • Kris says:

    Just adding to the Crest Whitestrips Are Awesome chorus. If your teeth get a bit sensitive, just skip a day or two. The results last and aren’t freaky-white, the goo doesn’t taste too bad, and they’re affordable. Love ’em.

    I strayed from Crest once and tried the Listerine ones that are supposed to dissolve in your mouth after 5 minutes – 1. They don’t. and 2. Disgusting! The taste & texture are vile. I used 3 strips and then threw the rest of the box out. Bleh.

  • Liz says:

    One thing that I didn’t see posted here yet is that depending on what causes your teeth to be yellow, you may not be able to get rid of the yellow through bleaching/lasers. I once asked my dentist if there was anything he could do about yellow on my teeth after using the Crest strips with no noticeable result, and he said that in some cases if you were given certain antibiotics as a kid when your permanent teeth were coming in, it causes your teeth to yellow (which is what caused mine to be that way – thanks again, childhood pneumonia!). Unfortunately the yellow in this case is internal and there’s pretty much nothing you can do about it short of putting veneers on which I was not about to do. So I agree with all the posters that said talk to your dentist first – if it turns out the yellow is internal, just have the photographer Photoshop you a whiter smile like Jenn said above and save yourself a lot of trouble. :)

  • Margaret in CO says:

    Be aware that you can’t really whiten a crown – just something to consider. The coating on the crown (porcelain, or whatnot) may not whiten in the same way a tooth will!

    I’d hate for you to be that hot babe with the weird tooth…

  • Rene' Chavis says:

    I hven’t seen anyone else mention this, so I thought I would add my thoughts. I used the Crest Whitestrips for about a week and a half and didn’t really notice any difference. However, my sister-in-law used them in an attempt to get whiter teeth after years of smoking and coffee drinking. She used them over a pretty long period of time. As a result she had to have thousands of dollars of dental work done because they stripped so much enamel off her teeth. So, just beware of prolonged use.

  • The Matron says:

    Hi everyone — this is the Matron, and I want to thank you for all of your advice, especially about the effect of whitening on sensitive teeth. I hadn’t even thought about that possibility! My teeth are really sensitive, and after reading your responses I’m thinking that while some beauty is worth the suffering, anything that might cause a migraine is going too far. And after all, with a floor-length purple chiffon bridesmaid’s gown, who the hell is going to notice my teeth?

  • CJ says:

    I used the Rembrandt whitening strips, but less often than the directions say (box says to use 1/2 hour a day for two weeks). After the third day, I had bad sensitivity problems, so I dropped to once a week.

    During the rest of the week, I used Arm & Hammer Whitening Booster gel (peroxide gel). No sensitivity issues there, and doesn’t taste like much, but it does do that weird peroxide foaming thing.

    After a couple of weeks, my husband commented that my teeth seemed whiter. I didn’t notice a huge, huge difference, but I wasn’t going for the “Ross on Friends” look, either.

  • Bria says:

    I would be a little cautious with tossing editing requests at the photographer. Detailed editing/retouching isn’t always included in the basic retouching most photographers include in their wedding packages. Now that digital is the norm, the quantity of images for a typical wedding can exceed 500 – might be worth getting the go-ahead from the bride before asking the photographer to pick through hundreds of pics to find teeth to whiten.

  • Jess says:

    Since I quit smoking, I’ve been using a gel/tray system and it’s worked better than anything else I’ve tried.

    The trick is to chuck the trays that come with the gel and use a couple $2 sports mouthguards from the drugstore (the kind that you dip in boiling water and mold to your teeth). I use these and cheap-ass gel (I use 5-Minute Whitening) for 10 minutes in the morning (in the shower) and 10 at night, for a week or so at a time, and it keeps my smile whiter than it’s ever been.

    I do get some tooth sensitivity with this method, mainly because it’s hard to keep the gel from getting on my gums, but ACT mouthwash and sensitive teeth toothpaste help.

    Oh, and I third (fourth?) drinking cold drinks through straws. Not just dark/staining things like coffee and tea, but sugary and acidic bevvys as well.

  • Jasmine says:

    I drink everything through straws so I bought a glass straw to reduce waste. I got mine through Glass Dharma, http://www.glassdharma.com/straws.html. I got a straw and a little cleaning brush and have been using it for over a year without breakage.

    It’s fine with hot liquids.

  • CJ says:

    @ Jasmine – swank! Those are totally awesome!

    You know, we played with bending glass tubing in high school chemistry, but I never thought of there being glass straws. Neat!

  • Laura says:

    Unrelated to teeth whitening (which I am reluctant to try, even on my tea-teeth, because my enamel is very fragile, and I am afraid to etch it with any of that stuff for fear of total dental destruction): my “matron of honor” has been renamed “best lady” because “matron” sounds more like a battleship than my best friend.

  • amy says:

    I’ve used the dentist-issued personalized gel/tray with good results. My teeth are sensitive, and I wore the tray for an hour or two in the evenings after dinner. I did get a little overexcited once and wear it overnight and my teeth were crazy-making tingly for about 3 days. But anyway, an hour a night for a few weeks lightened them noticeably. This was at least 10 years ago and they are still very white even though I drink a lot of coffee in the morning — and not through a straw. I do brush 3 times a day though!

    A friend did the ultraviolet light method and HER TEETH LOOK FABULOUS! If I wanted to lighten my teeth again I would choose this. I live in a city with a high cost of living, and she paid about $800 for this method.

    I would also say that my wedding photographer lightened a few people’s teeth (not mine!) in Photoshop and it looked great. So. Good luck whatever you choose.

  • clare says:

    Okay, i didn’t bother to read all the comments BUT.
    My uncle is a dentist and these were his instructions to me:

    Use Crest White Strips (the kinds that are strips, not trays, and specifically use Crest brand). Leave the strips on once a day as long as they will stay instead of using multiple strips several times a day as instructed. And finally, If your teeth become overly sensative then use the strips every other day rather than every day.

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