Teeth Whitening

I have rather large teeth. In fact, after looking in my mouth one day, as he usually does, my dentist informed me that not only are my teeth large, they’re about the same size as an adult male’s. Mix that with the fact that I tend to smile a lot, and you’ve got one heck of a noticible set of chompers. Lately, I had been noticing that they weren’t as white as they used to be. Like any average university student, I guzzle my fair share of coffee and alcohol, and I’m not exactly tooth consious when it comes to what I have for dinner. I think it’s fair to let you know that I don’t smoke, so that wasn’t a factor for me when I embarked on my tooth whitening journey.

Update note

Wow, it’s been almost 2 years since I used this product to whiten my teeth. My BF was suggesting to me that I might think about doing it again, however, I disagree. A stranger passed me in the elevator the other day and commented on how white my teeth were and nice liking. So, there you go. I haven’t whitened them since, but I do use various brands of Whitening toothpaste.

The background

After having suffered through braces as an adolescent, it’s really important to me that my teeth look good. Despite never drinking coffee or tea, my teeth have yellowed somewhat over the years. So, a few months ago I decided to try some whitening products. Crest Whitestrips Premium Dental Whitening System Strips were my first choice.

The Product

Crest states that Crest Whitestrips Premium Dental Whitening System Strips are “clinically proven to remove up to 14 years of stain buildup in 7 days” using a dentist approved blend of whitening ingredients. The strips, made of very thin, rubbery plastic coated in the peroxide gel, are applied for 7 days. By the last day, you are expected to see a notable difference in the colour of your teeth.

I want to whiten my teeth before my wedding, and couldn’t afford professional whitening at the dentist as I lack dental insurance, so I’m an “over-the-counter” guinea pig. Of the 3 I’ve tried, these Premium Whitestrips are the best!

I was hesitant to buy the Premium Crest Whitestrips after reading the only Epinions review that was available at the time. However, after much thinking, I decided, what do I have to lose?! I am almost done using my seven day whitening kit and I think it’s just wonderful!!! I have a veneer as a result of a chipped tooth. Crest very clearly states the strips will not change dental work like that (veneers, caps, crowns, fillings or dentures) but I would swear my veneer appears better as well!

O.K, so I saw the ad on tv and it really wanted me to buy a package of it. (Also because my brother had some, so I got jealous.

I live in Canada, so the prices are obviously a lot higher..I went to Zellers and saw the regular Whitestrips for $36, and the premium ones for $44 (CDN).

That is very expensive to me, so I was expecting extraordinary results! I was thinking about 8 shades or so… But I was wrong…

I got home, opened up the box, (which I thought was very sleek:))

The box contained 28 strips in all. 14 upper strips, and 14 lower strips.

My wedding is in less than three months and I knew I needed a quick, painless whitening fix. My fiance was at Sams Club and grabbed Crest Whitestrips Premium.

I don’t smoke, and I drink less than two cups of coffee a day, and usually one 20oz bottle of Gatorade a day. So, those are my teeth staining factors.

The package

It was so cute! I love small, convenient, easy open packages because of rheumatoid arthritis in my fingers. Well, this was it. It came in a square, bright blue plastic box. Just push the box up and it opens. On the left side is a pile of fourteen upper strips and then it is separated. On the right side is a pile of fourteen lower strips.

PREVIOUS USAGE

After having started off with the 14 day whitening Crest strips I decided to upgrade to a shorter time frame and try this 7 day whitening strips kit.

PRODUCT “SMARTS”

When we really think about products we can figure out some side effects that we may experience before we purchase the product. For instance, the previous kit took 14 days to whiten. What, then, would a 7 day kit need to contain in order to do the job in half the time? The product would have to have double the strength, right? Common sense makes this obvious but sometimes I think we get caught up in “what can this do FOR me” instead of “what will this do TO me”.

When it comes to cosmetic maintenance, keeping my teeth as white as possible wins the importance award hands down. I have big teeth or “horse teeth” as my friends so kindly refer to them. This means I have to keep my teeth as white as possible since they are pretty much the first thing people see when they approach me. I have used almost every dental whitening system on the market, from the original 14 day Crest Whitestrips to the Colgate Simply White system. Many of these products have worked great while others have been just a waste of 20 or more dollars. Like the original Crest Whitestrips, the new Crest Premium Whitestrips offer some excellent attributes, however, obtaining white teeth does not come without certain compromises.

I have always wanted white teeth since the day I learned to brush them in kindergarten while using those little pills you dissolved that showed you which teeth need more brushing!

Not really a smoker or a coffee drinker, my teeth just aren’t white - probably due to only brushing them lately once a day - yeah bad me!

I have tried the whitening toothpastes - Crest, Rembrandt, Arm & Hammer - but none really get my teeth white - or even make a noticeable change.