Tag Archives: Crest Whitestrips

Teeth Whitening

Whitening My Non-Veneered Teeth

I went to an expert cosmetic dentist in another state to get porcelain veneers. My dentist does porcelain veneers but was new to them at the time and suggested Lumineers which I’d heard bad things about. The expert dentist wanted to do ten veneers on my teeth, but my dentist said he’d do six. I’d saved up for six and this other dentist was more expensive so I told him I only wanted six. He said I’d need to get my teeth whitened first or the new teeth would look fake. I didn’t like that but agreed because it was the only way he’d do them. Fast forward and now my non-veneered teeth have yellowed over the past several years but my veneered teeth look great. It wouldn’t matter except I have a wide smile so those yellow teeth show, making the veneers look obviously fake. I’m too embarrassed to go back to the expert dentist to get this fixed. Is there a way I can use something like Crest Whitestrips to whiten the teeth back? Will it hurt the veneers?

Stacy

Dear Stacy,

Image of teeth whitening trays
Professional teeth whitening trays

While using Crest Whitestrips will not hurt your porcelain veneers, it’s not likely to make a difference either. First, they’ll only cover the front six teeth. In your case those have veneers already so that would be pointless. You could cut them in half and try to place them on the teeth adjacent to your veneers. What you need to bear in mind, though, is that Crest Whitestrips are not very strong. Because of this, it will take you a very long time and many kits to achieve the same amount of whiteness that you would get in a short time with a professional whitening from your dentist.

The good news is that you will not have to go back to the original dentist to have this done. While you were wise to have an expert cosmetic dentist do your porcelain veneers, that is not necessary for teeth whitening. Any general dentist who offers it should be able to do teeth whitening just fine.

While the whitening will not harm your porcelain veneers, it is possible for your dentist to custom fit the trays around your veneers so that the only teeth getting whitening gel on them are the ones you actually want whitened. My suggestion is you go to your dentist and ask for just that. You shouldn’t have any problem.

This blog is brought to you by a gentle Gilbert dentist, Dr. Matt Roper.

Teeth Whitening

Can You Bleach Your Teeth with Clorox?

I want to bleach my teeth so they don’t look so yellow. I know dentists use those trays. Is there a way to keep bleach on your teeth without them? I have a whole jug of bleach at my house and I thought I could use that to bleach my teeth. If there’s not a way to use a homemade type of tray, what about just brushing with it? Will that work?

Stacey A.

Dear Stacey,

Image of teeth whitening trays
Professional teeth whitening trays

I appreciate that you’re trying to find ways to bleach your teeth yourself. Unfortunately, this isn’t the way to do it. When dentists bleach your teeth, they don’t actually use bleach. Instead, they used a specialized peroxide gel.

Bleach is a base, like Lye, which means it is corrosive and can burn living tissue. Ironically, bleach is used in a dental procedure for that very reason. Dentists use it in root canal treatments to clean out and dissolve all the dead debris left.

While you might try something like brushing or rinsing with it, you will damage the tissue in your mouth. There are over the counter whitening kits that will work, such as Crest Whitestrips. It is significantly weaker than what you get at the dentist, but it will work.

While it is less expensive to get a box of Crest Whitestrips, than to do professional teeth whitening, in the long run it will end up costing you significantly more money. You’ll have to use quite a few boxes to do the same thing just one treatment with your dentist will do.

If cost is the only thing keeping you from doing it through your dentist, then I suggest that you shop around. Look for a dentist who advertises as an affordable dentist. Their prices will either be lower or they will be more willing to work with you on payments.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Family Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.

Teeth Whitening

Review of Luster White Premium At Home Teeth Whitening

Luster White Premium is advertised as an at-home type of Zoom Whitening. Does it really work?  Your teeth will get whiter….for a while, then the whitening will fade away. Rather than the whitening coming from a bleaching agent that whitens your teeth from the inside out as you get with professional teeth whitening, Luster White has a pigment in the “super whitener”–zinc oxide– that sticks to your teeth and makes them look whiter. This is  only temporary. The light that come with the kit does nothing and seems to only be psychological in nature.

My opinion is that it is a waste of money. If you’re determined to do an over-the-counter kit instead of professional teeth whitening, than I’d suggest Crest Whitestrips. They will whiten your teeth, though it will take significantly longer than it would if you went through a dentist.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.