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Teeth Whitening Strips
A newer product available to help people have whiter teeth is tooth whitening strips. These almost invisible strips
are applied to the teeth with a minimum of discomfort, twice daily for 30 minutes each time. Despite what you see
on commercials, you probably want to do these at home in the morning and at night. These can be used in combination
with whitening toothpastes, and in fact can be found sold in kits with whitening toothpastes, for your
convenience.
Tooth whitening strips can whiten your teeth up to 3 or 4 shades, in one to 4 weeks. You will usually see some
results a few days after starting. Results can last up to 4 months. Tooth whitening strips can be fairly simple to
use as well. A concern with tooth whitening strips is that you will end up with inconsistently whitened teeth.
This can be mitigated by careful application of the strips, as well as brushing regularly with the whitening
toothpaste. Flossing well, right before or right after brushing can help.
Before applying the strips, rinse your mouth out well with cool water, then follow the directions on the strip
package to ensure the most successful experience.
The main advantage to using these over these counter whitening products is the price – kits which contain strips
with peroxide gels on them often cost $15 - $60, where dentist office procedures can run in the thousands. A
disadvantage, besides the potential for inconsistent results, is that irritation of the gums can occur. Gum
irritation should go away, but can be treated with gels for gum irritation if they don’t or if it is more than
minimal irritation.
Teeth Whitening Gels
Clear bleaching gels are available over the counter in many pharmacies and drugstores.
These peroxide based gels are applied by you to your teeth with a small brush twice a day for 2 weeks. If you use
these, be especially careful not to get any of the gel on your teeth, as this will cause gum irritation. You will
usually see results in a few days, and after the treatment period, the results will often last as long as four
months. It is also important to be careful to apply evenly, as otherwise, you can have inconsistent whitening which
you may not notice until a week has passed. These products are priced about the same range as the whitening
strips.
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