Tooth Whitening Strips - Are They Worth The Hassle?

One of the cheaper options of tooth whitening that many people try are the teeth whitening strips.

So what exactly are they? Well, a tooth whitening strip is basically a thin piece of polyethylene which has a film of hydrogen peroxide on it. As you may already know, this peroxide is a whitening agent that’s used in many tooth whitening treatments.

How do you use them?

The method of using the teeth whitening strips is pretty straightforward. You simply press it onto your teeth and leave it there for awhile. Commonly, you have to leave it for 30 minutes. You won’t get much benefit from doing it just the once, however. Usually you will have to do this twice a day for 2 weeks. But this obviously varies from product to product.

But does it work? Teeth whitening strips can work to some degree, but they don’t really compare to having it done professionally. The main reason for this is the chemicals used. If you have professional tooth whitening performed at the dentist, the chemical that will be used will invariably be “Carbamide peroxide”. This is much more effective than the hydrogen peroxide that’s used in the strips.

Another nail in the coffin of tooth whitening strips is the face that they can sometimes have side effects. Some people experience sensitivity in their teeth and gums which is traced back to the use of these tooth whitening strips.

Sometimes this can be avoided by using lower strength peroxide in the strips… but then this also reduces their effectiveness. This means you have to use them for longer.

Personally, I tried tooth whitening strips before I had laser treatment (I just had to see if they worked before spending real money on tooth whitening) and although I think it helped to some degree, it was nowhere near as easy and effective as the laser tooth whitening treatment.

I hope this has helped shred some light onto the topic of tooth whitening strips.

Sarah Wright likes to talk about tooth whitening, ever since having it done herself. You can find out moer about tooth whitening, including teeth whitening in Houston, by visiting her blog