Whitening strips offer a simpler at-home whitening alternative.
Teeth whitening strips are a comparatively new innovation in the world of over-the-counter tooth bleaching products. Proctor & Gamble introduced the first whitening strips system in 2000 with their Crest Whitestrips ® products.
The general idea associated with teeth whitening strips is simply this. They provide a way for a person to achieve similar, or superior, whitening results as those produced by various other at-home systems but via a simpler, less messy whitener delivery system.
Our review covering teeth whitening strips.
We've broken our review about whitening strips (Crest Whitestrips ® in particular) into the following parts.
- What are teeth whitening strips? / How are they used?
- Directions for using whitening strips (Crest Whitestrips ®).
- What side effects can be expected when using whitening strips? / What solutions exist?
- How effective are teeth whitening strips? / Touch-up whitening.
- Disadvantages of using teeth whitening strips. / Common peroxide whitener safety issues.
The majority of research studies investigating whitening strips systems have evaluated Crest Whitestrips ® products. For this reason, even though generic teeth whitening strips products are available, the information on our pages only references the use of Crest Whitestrips ®. [Crest Whitestrips is a registered trademark of the Proctor & Gamble Company.]
What are teeth whitening strips? What are they made from?
Teeth whitening strips are clear, thin, flexible pieces of plastic (polyethylene) that have been coated on one side with a thin film of hydrogen peroxide bleaching agent.
Their design is such that the strip itself is the delivery system for the bleaching agent. And when compared with other at-home teeth whitening systems (such as those where a bleaching gel is placed into a tray), this design allows for a simpler, less messy application. And since the manufacturer applies the whitener, they insure a very controlled dosing of the tooth-bleaching agent.
How are whitening strips used?
Teeth whitening strips are easy to use. A strip is simply positioned over the user's teeth and then gently pressed into place so to stabilize it and create maximum contact between the strip's whitener and the teeth being treated. Once the appropriate treatment time has elapsed, the strip is simply pealed off and discarded.
We discuss the direction set typically associated with using teeth whitening strips (Crest Whitestrips ® Classic) in detail here.
How long and how often are teeth whitening strips worn?
Teeth whitening strips (Crest Whitestrips ®) are typically worn for 30 minutes a day, twice a day. The number of days of treatment will vary with the particular product that has been purchased.
Whitening strips that have been coated with a 6% hydrogen peroxide whitener (Whitestrips ® Classic) are typically intended to be worn over a course of 14 days (56 strips total, 28 uppers and 28 lowers). Strips coated with 10% whitener (Whitestrips ® Premium and Premium Plus) are intended for a treatment period of 7 days (28 strips total, 14 uppers and 14 lowers).
Of course, if a person has achieved the whitening results they desired before using the entire contents of their whitening strips kit, or if the side effects they experience become unmanageable, treatments may be terminated at any time.
How do whitening strip products differ from tray teeth whitening systems?
For some, teeth whitening strips offer a convenient alternative to tray-based at-home teeth whitening.
With a tray-based system, whitening gel is placed in a plastic bleaching tray that is then in turn slipped over the user's teeth and worn for some hours per day or else overnight. But bleaching trays can be bulky, aggravate jaw joint problems, trigger the wearer's gag reflex, and be messy to fill, wear and remove.
In comparison, with a whitening strip system no tray is needed. Strips are thinner than bleaching trays. And since the whitener has been applied at the factory, they are less messy to use.
Due to these differences, many people find that a strip-based product simply creates fewer interferes with life's activities. And therefore places fewer restrictions on those opportunities when they feel comfortable performing their bleaching treatments.
You should always include your dentist in your at-home teeth whitening plans.
The availability of over-the-counter teeth whitening products (including teeth whitening strips) has the potential to remove a valuable resource from a person's bleaching process. The resource we are alluding to here is your dentist and the knowledge and experience that they have to offer.
No person could possibly know more about the subject of teeth whitening and how it specifically relates to your situation than your dentist. Your dentist is your dental advisor and it is their obligation to counsel you about the use of dental products, teeth whitening and otherwise, both over-the-counter as well as dentist dispensed.
Any teeth whitening processes should begin with an examination by a dentist.
All teeth whitening processes, including those you buy over-the-counter, should begin with an evaluation by your dentist. This is because there are a number of issues and topics that should be addressed and documented. Two of the most basic issues that need to be evaluated are determining why the teeth staining you have exists (Is it normal? Is it the result of dental pathology?) and if the whitening goals you are seeking are realistic.
Additionally, since peroxide-based teeth whitening products (including teeth whitening strips) will generally NOT produce a whitening effect on existing dental work (with the possible exception being dental veneers), it's important to determine where these items exist in your mouth and if they will need to be replaced after the whitening process has been completed. There can be a considerable amount of time and expense involved with replacing those dental restorations that no longer match the color of a person's newly whitened teeth.
