Blog 9: Teeth Whitening

This week, I'm going to talk about teeth whitening.  I have used everything from the really expensive dentist administered whitening kit ($300) to, Crest White Strips ($35), to the cheapest over-the-counter CVS brand 5 Minute Whitening Kit ($5).  I can tell you that I got the same results from the CVS brand gel as I got from the expensive stuff from the dentist.  If you don't have a teeth whitening trey and don't feel like buying one or getting a custom one made, the white strips are perfectly good for whitening teeth.

My daughter bought the little bottle of stuff that you paint on each tooth and it was a gross mess.  Not the easier thing to use.  I think they were attempting to make a product that you can wear out in public with little noticeability.  But I find that I either make the time to wear my teeth treys around the house or running errands or when I have worn it to work, it was just for a short time and noone noticed or cared.  Note: I do not use a one-fits-all mouth piece (like the ones that come in some products)...I just use my retainer that I got years ago after my braces.  It works brilliantly...plus I get a little retainer time in.  There are some over the counter kits that have the mouth guard in it that you heat up (boil & let cool a bit) and then put in your mouth--bite down and then it creates a custom mouth trey. I've tried that...it didn't turn out all that great for me...it was loose.

A little tip if you want to get agressive.  Put a little gel in your mouth piece and sleep in it overnight.  Warning...if you have sensitive teeth, this will exacerbate the sensitivity. Be careful never to overfill as the gel will squeeze out and harm your gums.  Plus, overfilling doesn't get your teeth whiter.  I'm very conservative with my products.  I'm stingy in that way, I guess. 

Oh...for anyone with sensitive teeth...get a mouthpiece and put a little bit of sensodyne toothpaste in it instead of the whitening gel and sleep in it between treatments.  It really does help with the sensitivity whether you're whitening or not!

My family and I use Shreveport Family Dental on Bert Kouns.  They have a program where for a one-time $99 fee, they will fit you with a custom mouth piece (like my retainer) and each time you come in for your cleaning, you get a supply of whitening gel to last until your next cleaning.  My husband took advantage of this and his results are good so far.  He has sensitive teeth, hence the first-hand knowledge we obtained about using sensodyne toothpaste inbetween.  It really does work.

I am completely satisfied with my $5 tube of CVS brand whitening gel.  I've had the same tube for about a year.  Once you get your teeth white...you only have to do it every now and then (maybe once a month) to maintain it.  The CVS kit claims that you only have to leave it on your teeth for 5 minutes, but I always leave mine on for at least a hour, if not overnight.

A bright white smile makes all the difference to me.  It doesn't take a lot of money to invest in your beauty.  Beauty is not someone else's best...it's your best!!

Happy Whitening!