anyone had it done lately?

I know the price is a lot less these days than it has been.

White stripes I hear work well but Id rather go ahead and pay a dentist or some person to do it one time and be done...

what have any of you had done, how much did you pay, were you pleased and where did you get it done?

8/25/2009 11:51:50 PM

i'm no dentist, but i have concerns about it weakening enamel (other than the UV-light kind).

8/25/2009 11:58:47 PM

next time you go for a cleaning, you should ask about how many shades lighter they can get you and what the cost is

my dentist said i was better off using white strips for now since the discoloration i have is minimal and what they'd be able to do wouldn't be worth the cost vs. strips

8/26/2009 12:23:48 AM

agree about asking them. I used a setup in the mall a while back. I was relatively inexpensive and worked well. Also the Rembrandt strips work very well for how little they cost. Hygienists have recommended them to me and that I keep them on longer than what they say.

8/26/2009 12:49:45 AM

Got my whitened in high school...and it worked well. But they started to fade back a little.

About three years ago I started using Crest White (night and day) toothpaste. For the past two years I have people comment daily about my teeth being so white (never got those comments even after I had them professionally whitened). I do brush the shit out of my teeth (at least 4 times a day). But I had been brushing them like that a couple years before I started using that toothpaste.

My mom uses the same toothpaste and has the same results.

8/26/2009 1:36:01 AM

^I too use the same toothpaste although I just use the vivid white not the night one. And I too get the same kind of compliments.

+3 for Crest Vivid White.

8/26/2009 10:48:36 AM

Quote :

"I do brush the shit out of my teeth (at least 4 times a day)."

Try not to do that. It wears the hell out of your enamel.

I mean brushing your teeth is a good thing, but so much seems to hurt more than it helps.

Of course everyone is different and you might just have really thick and resilient enamel making my point moot.

Quote :

"(other than the UV-light kind)"

same enamel damage, plus you have the chance of uv burns on your gums and lips! the light just serves to speed up the reaction of the peroxide they apply to your teeth. sensitivity b/c of enamel damage is still present, to varying degrees.

[Edited on August 26, 2009 at 11:12 AM. Reason : eh]

8/26/2009 11:09:09 AM

^I don't mean that I scrub hard for 15 minutes when I brush my teeth. I just mean I do it often. Like right when I get up because the mouth is feeling gross...then after breakfast and a couple cups of coffe....then maybe once or twice again (after lunch or dinner) before the late night scrub before bed.

I can't see how having a good brush 4 or 5 times a day will fuck up your enamel. And I use the "soft" brushes.

8/26/2009 1:46:47 PM

Quote :

"I can't see how having a good brush 4 or 5 times a day will fuck up your enamel. And I use the "soft" brushes."

doing it that often is as bad as doing it hard with a medium brush

it's all about abrasion, and you're easily doubling the amount your should be doing.

8/26/2009 3:55:46 PM

I wanted to get my teeth whitened, but I said fuck it, I'll just get a tan instead.

8/26/2009 5:43:52 PM

Honest question...you should only brush your teeth twice a day? Even though I drink a ton of coffee and tea all day long, I should only brush my teeth when I get up in the morning and go to bed at night?

8/26/2009 6:01:10 PM

You also shouldn't brush immediately after eating. Wait for half an hour or so. Reason is acids in foods loosen the enamel, and brushing at that time would remove a very thin layer of enamel. Wait and let the enamel harden.

8/26/2009 6:02:53 PM

^ agree

8/26/2009 9:14:35 PM

Quote :

"Honest question...you should only brush your teeth twice a day? Even though I drink a ton of coffee and tea all day long, I should only brush my teeth when I get up in the morning and go to bed at night?"

You should def. brush twice a day. If you eat something particularly nasty, I'd brush teeth and tongue too, but otherwise I'd chew a sugar-free gum with xylitol in it. Your saliva will take care of the rest.

I hope when you are spending all that time brushing, that you also floss twice a day.

If you are concerned about it, get your teeth sealed. I've had my teeth sealed (~$350) and it resists stains and cavities. It lasts for a few years and there are no ill effects.

8/27/2009 10:43:43 AM

Im actually sitting here typing this with Crest strips on my teeth
I talked to my dentist about this last week
He said he could do it, iut would be about 400-600 dollars and it would last a few years
He also said Crest Whitestrips were just fine to use, not harmful and the best option and of course that would not last as long. I would rather spend 20 bucks every few months then 600

8/28/2009 9:20:11 PM

You know that the active ingredient in most whiteners is a peroxide of sorts...an oxidizing bleach. I'm wondering if it's REALLY harmless. What are its long term effects on the enamel?

8/28/2009 9:28:38 PM

teeth are made of Ca5(PO4)3(OH).

8/29/2009 4:14:15 AM

Quote :

"What are its long term effects on the enamel?"

If you use it all the time, you won't have any enamel left. Tooth enamel does not contain living cells and as such, does not possess the capability to regenerate. Your adult teeth erupt with a certain thickness and that's it.

Once you wear it away, your only choices are seal, drill and fill, veneers, crowns, etc...

8/29/2009 4:44:40 PM

I am using the Sapphire Teeth Whitening from my dentist. They made molds at my last cleaning and the gel is $20 for 2 syringes. The impressions were free because they were running a special, so I just paid for the gel. They said do them 14 days at a time, and the main ingredient is 32% Carbamide Peroxide. It has had visible effects, although my teeth weren't terribly stained to begin with.

9/1/2009 2:46:55 AM

Crest Whitestrips just might burn a hole in your throat

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3193597/Sales-assistant-22-got-hole-throat-nearly-died-using-tooth-whitening-kit-try-smile-like-Channing-Tatum.html

8/12/2015 2:32:46 AM

how sensitive are your teeth after using white strips and the like? I've heard those blue light things leave you hurting for days. read stories that they had to get opiates from their doctors because their teeth hurt so bad it was debilitating.

8/12/2015 10:24:05 AM

Fuck whitening, I'd rather have healthy teeth than have noticeable vanity and unnecessary tooth pain. Just quit smoking and drinking things that stain your teeth already! The stains that are there will polish away with cleanings and normal brushing.

9/9/2015 4:17:24 PM

I use white strips about every couple of years. The wife and I usually split a full pack, so we're not over-doing it. I drink a shit ton of coffee...and while I don't think they ever look bad, I definitely get the feeling every couple of years that they could be a bit whiter.

I also brush my teeth a good amount (probably about 4 times a day)...and contrary to what was posted in this thread, both of my past two dentists said that was fine.

[Edited on September 9, 2015 at 4:44 PM. Reason : .]

9/9/2015 4:43:21 PM

I'm using Crest strips as I type this. I've got one main tooth that has started to look worse than the others. I see it, but no one else really does. Asked my dentist about it and he said the tooth is discoloring because I had a root canal on it about 10 years ago and it is normal for it to do this. Hoping the strips help because my only other option is a crown if it gets really bad.

9/9/2015 9:38:27 PM

I paid premium ($5+) for a whitening toothpaste because it said on the tube "whiter teeth in one week", but I did not see any difference even though I finished the whole tube.

Yes, Colgate Optic White, it is a waste of money.

Back to $1.80 toothpaste now. Still a Colgate, and still claims to whiten, LOL.

9/9/2015 10:00:13 PM

^

I started using Crest 3D White toothpaste in college and had people commenting on my "really white teeth" within a couple months. Definitely not "white in a week" results...but I've never seen a toothpaste whiten teeth like that. Still a 3D White user to this day.

9/10/2015 10:03:09 AM

does it still have the plastic beads in it that get stuck in people's gums?

9/10/2015 3:01:53 PM

My Crest 3D white never had any plastic beads. They do have different versions...I feel like I always buy whatever is cheapest or on sale.

9/10/2015 3:13:30 PM