One criticism leveled at the use of white strips systems is that they can only be used to whiten front teeth. This may or may not be much of a concern to you as a product user. It simply depends on the extent to which your back teeth show when you smile.
Whitening strips can usually be counted on to at least cover over a person's center six front teeth (eyetooth to eyetooth). How much further beyond this they will reach simply depends on the cumulative "length" of your teeth in relationship to the length of the strip. In comparison, tray-based whitening systems utilize bleaching trays that cover over each and every tooth. At the user's discretion, the bleaching gel can be placed in all portions of the tray (so even back teeth receive treatment) or else just in those parts of the tray that cover over the front teeth.
Some whitening strips manufacturers (Rembrandt ®) have tried to capitalize on this sizing deficit by making their whitening strips relatively longer than traditional Whitestrips ®. Additionally, Crest's Whitestrips ® Supreme strips are longer in length than other Whitestrips ® products.
There are some published clinical studies that have concluded that bleaching teeth with white strips products can be as effective as using tray-based teeth whitening systems. As good as white strips products are, it seems unlikely to us that this opinion is universally accepted by all dental practitioners. Based on the amount of dental literature available on the subject of at-home teeth whitening, it seems that the unofficial standard (and the one by which all other teeth whitening systems are typically compared for both effectiveness and safety) is still tray-based technique utilizing a 10% carbamide peroxide whitener.
There can be a learning curve associated with the use of whitening strips. In general, whitening strips are relatively flimsy. They must be removed from their packaging and then applied. After treatment has been completed the strips must be removed. For some people, using whitening strips may be a more tedious and difficult process than wearing bleaching trays.
Once applied the tackiness of a whitening strip's whitener helps to hold it in place. Even so, some people will find that whitening strips are easily dislodged, even to the point of substantially interfering with their treatment. In regards to these matters, different brands of whitening strips have different characteristics. As an example, we see feed back from site visitors that imply that Crest Whitestrips ® and Rembrandt ® Whitening strips each have their own unique properties therefore makingeach of these products the preferred brand for different people.
As a variation of standard whitening strips technique, there are brands of strips (such as Listerine Whitening ® Quick Dissolving Strips) that dissolve away on their own. Typically these products are designed to dissolve in about 5 to 10 minutes after application.
This feature might be a desirable characteristic for some whitening strips users. We will mention, however, two points of conjecture. One is that the dissolving action of the strip would seem to limit the duration of the treatment time that it provides (5 to possibly 15 minutes as compared to 30 minutes with other whitening strips products). It also would seem that the barrier nature of the plastic film of a traditional whitening strip would offer more protection to the whitener from dilution by saliva and also help to minimize the direct exposure of the whitener to the user's lips and cheeks.
White strips are unique in the world of whitening products in the sense that the dosing of whitener they deliver per treatment is extremely consistent. This is because the whitener is applied by the manufacturer when they are made. In light of the unsupervised nature of the use of over-the-counter teeth whitening products and concerns about safety, the creation of side effects, and product effectiveness, this is a nice feature.
In contrast, with tray whitening systems the amount of whitener that is used for each individual treatment can be quite variable. The total dosing of whitener is a function of both the design of the bleaching tray (or lack thereof) and the user's behavior. It has been calculated that a whitening treatment utilizing a 6% hydrogen peroxide whitening strip involves one-half to one-fifth as much peroxide as a comparable treatment using a tray-based system with a 10% carbamide peroxide bleaching gel.
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The types of safety concerns that are associated with the use of teeth whitening strips are similar in nature as to those concerns one would have with the use of any peroxide-based teeth whitening products including tray-based teeth whitening systems that utilize 10% carbamide peroxide as the whitener. Some safety issues associated with this technique are discussed at length on our
tray-based teeth whitening systems safety concerns pages.
So to help you form a basis of comparison when reading these pages, when used as a whitener, 10% carbamide peroxide produces a bleaching solution that has a concentration of about 3.5% hydrogen peroxide. The white strips products discussed on our pages come with either 6% or 10% hydrogen peroxide bleaching agents applied to their surface. |
White strips systems: Safety concerns.There is much less dental literature available regarding the safety of white strips systems than there is for teeth whitening systems utilizing a bleaching tray and 10% carbamide peroxide whitener. Investigations of whitening strips methodology suggests that its safety concerns are similar to and in line with those associated with carbamide peroxide whitening. This makes sense since the chemistry involved with both systems is essentially the same. |
You should be aware of the fact that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not categorize teeth whitening products as drugs and therefore does not regulate them. This means that some of the teeth whitening products you will find available to you possibly have not been through the rigorous testing that you might have expected. This is not the case with Crest White Strips ®. The dental literature demonstrates a number of studies conducted by Proctor & Gamble evaluating both the effectiveness and safety of their Crest White Strips ® products. In light of the wide spread availability of their product line and its comparatively low cost, there seems little prudence in purchasing generic white strips products.
None of the white strips evaluation studies that we reviewed when creating our pages reported any significant surface changes in tooth enamel or dentin, or changes in the microhardness or fracture susceptibility of tooth enamel. Additional safety issues associated with the use of the hydrogen peroxide whitener applied to teeth whitening strips (such as effects on soft oral tissues, effects on tooth nerve tissue, the whitener's creation of free radicals) would be similar in nature to those issues associated with the use of tray-based systems utilizing a 10% carbamide peroxide bleaching gel. This link provides access to our pages regarding safety concerns associated with the use of 10% carbamide peroxide whiteners. Our "Effects of peroxide whiteners on existing dental work." page discusses some findings related to the effect peroxides can have on various types of dental materials. You should address any specific concerns you may have, related to any of these topics, to your dentist during your pre-whitening dental examination.
You should always wash your hands after working with whitening strips. The peroxide whitener (hydrogen peroxide) will rub off onto your fingers. There is potential that this whitner will subsequently irritate your fingers (minor, usually painless, creates white patches on your skin) or, irritate or spoil other objects that you touch.
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