I've been toying with idea of doing teeth whitening at the dentist and the last time i went to our Company's dentist at Amara, i asked the dentist how much it would cost..Its like $1.2k or something, super ex man..

Then i came across a teeth whitening thread in the flowerpod forum (www.flowerpod.com)and they were raving about this Crest Whitestrips, a home whitening kit..But its only available in the US and i think some of them ordered online..and i decided to buy one too! I found an online seller at yahoo auctions that was selling it (:

Wah its not cheap though..cost me over 50 bucks..but hopefully its worth it! Found some online reviews on Crest whitestrips ..

Out on the Strip

Crest Whitestrips use Hydrogen Peroxide to bleach the teeth. You can buy this product in your local drugstore, or for slightly more money, get the Supreme strength from your dentist (this kit comes with a Spinbrush and a tube of whitening toothpaste). The bleaching solution in the Supreme kit is 14% strength; the regular kit available in most drugstores is 6.5% strength.

You use the Whitestrips for 30 minutes twice a day, with final results in about 21 days. The directions recommend that you use them for 21 consecutive days to produce the desired results.

Crest Whitestrips are a thin flexible plastic-like membrane coated with whitening gel. You place the strips on the front of your teeth and gently wrap them around the undersides of your teeth. This effectively creates a thin membrane "tray" which is barely noticeable to other people.

However, the strips can slip from your teeth slightly if you move around or talk a lot, so it is best to wear them when you're sitting still or doing a sedentary activity. If your teeth are not very straight, you may have trouble applying the strips. And, they are not as effective at removing between-teeth stains as other gels.

In my own experience, the Whitestrips did produce nice results after only a few treatments. Unlike the Carbamide Peroxide gel of the other kits, the Whitestrips did not leave my teeth streaky-looking -- they just looked uniformly whiter. My dentist says that his patients have enjoyed good results with the product, and I agree that it is a good alternative to gels and plastic trays.

My Own Results

My teeth had a band of yellow stain running across their middle before the braces went on (they had never been whitened in 44 years). After the braces came off, the stains were even more pronounced. I was so embarrassed; I wanted to whiten my teeth immediately because I had a holiday party to attend the next night! I bought a Rembrandt 2-Hour Kit, which has 18.5% strength. I don't think I could tolerate anything stronger -- it did burn my gums a bit at first (although thankfully the discomfort went away after a couple of days). (By the way, if you see white spots on my teeth in this photo, they are from Fluorodosis. Alas, my teeth will never be movie-star perfect!)

I had a professional sample of some gel that was 16%, and it was much more comfortable and did not burn my gums, even after wearing it for an hour (as the instructions directed). I didn't use the Rembrandt kit in the recommended 2 or 3 hours straight -- I didn't think my gums would be able to stand it! Instead, I used it for 20 minutes once per day until the gel was used up -- which took almost a week. By the end of the week, my teeth looked great, at least 4 shades whiter (and all the yellow stains were gone)! At first I experienced some streaks, but they went away after a couple of days.

I also tried the Crest Whitestrips Supreme. These are quite convenient and produced a nice, even tone with no streaks. The downside of the Whitestrips is the amount of time it takes to produce dramatic results: almost a month. I decided to save the Whitestrips for touchups, and give some to my husband!

Tuesday, June 08, 2004

Crest Whitestrips - The Gripping Conclusion...

Well, I'm sure you were all sitting on the edge of your seats awaiting the conclusion to my test with Crest Whitestrips. Well, wait no longer. The results are in!

Before

After

Nifty Combined Effect

Hmmm, I'd say that I'm quite impressed by the result. And disgusted at that before picture. That's pretty nasty looking really. Now, I realize that the "after" picture is brighter overall, but still, there's quite a noticeable difference. Well worth the $35.00 I'd say.