Crest Supreme Whitestrips

Teeth whitening costs - especially these days - are high enough to deter some people from their goal of having that beautiful white smile. And, at almost $500 for the complete treatment, unless you’re a dentist - or married to one - you probably don’t have the extra funds lying around to even think about it. And furthermore, everyone knows that this service isn’t covered under most dental policies. So, are there things you can do to whiten your teeth, that you can actually afford? Well, yes! And here is a short list for you:

Over the counter products - You can choose from many brands of tooth whitener these days - and the prices vary. You can go really cheap, and in this case the paint-on gel sells for under $10 - so it’s pretty affordable. However, cheap isn’t always synonymous with quality.

In addition to being the weakest link in the store-bought whitening category, it also falls into the “not convenient to apply” category. Things like gel that collects and thickens on some teeth, yet slides off others, is a common problem reported by consumers. But the biggest complaint is, the product doesn’t really make that much of a difference in the way your teeth look - and it leaves a disgusting taste in your mouth, as well.

Whitening strips - Many people have found the strip to be effective enough that they use it exclusively for their whitening needs - however, depending on what brand you buy, one kit can be as high as $27 a box. Then, you have to memorize which strip goes on the upper, and which one goes on the lower set of teeth. But, after you get the routine down, you can plan on relaxing for the 10 minutes it takes for the strips to do the bleaching work.

Moreover, the “taste” of the strips, while not GOOD, is at least, bearable - when compared with the paint-on gel, anyway. And, there are even some strips you can get that are flavored - and dissolve on the teeth once the treatment is over. However, you should be aware that “dissolve” is too optimistic a word in some cases, and consumers have reported that the strips only partial dissolve, at best - and then hang around to gum up your teeth. However, it is true that with continued use, your teeth will get whiter!

Natural alternatives - There are a couple of ways to whiten your teeth the Mother Earth way - and very affordably, as well. By making a paste of baking soda, salt and hydrogen peroxide and using it as you would toothpaste, you not only get your teeth super clean, but the peroxide will eventually whiten them. But be prepared to wait it out for awhile, as far as looking for the “brightening” to happen overnight, goes anyway. Also, be warned that this is one of the concoctions that doesn’t taste good - thanks to the baking soda. And finally, if you tend to be a “hard brusher”, you will need to lighten up - as abrasives in the baking soda can wear down tooth enamel very quickly.

And there’s even a aromatic way to spit shine those pearly’s - just rub each tooth down with the inside of an orange peel. This is said to work amazingly fast, however, you can damage your teeth if you’re not careful - as citrus contains acids that wear the enamel down. So, if you are going to use this system, make sure after you “rub”, you “rinse” really well.

So, there you have some facts on how to combat high teeth whitening costs. Hopefully, one of these ways will work for you, and you won’t have to save up for 10 year to have a pricey professional treatment done at your dentist’s office. If you wish to research this subject further, feel free to surf the internet - where you’re sure to find many more alternatives than were addressed here.

Little White Lie #1

The Lie: Whitening toothpastes are highly effective at whitening your teeth.

The Truth: No one would argue that you shouldn’t brush your teeth regularly and whitening toothpaste certainly couldn’t hurt. Brushing your teeth is vital to the health of your teeth as well as being a basic tenet of good hygiene. However, the ingredients in whitening toothpastes just don’t spend enough time in direct contact with your teeth to provide the kind of results that people tend to believe that they have.

Your saliva prevents the whitening agents in these toothpastes from being in contact long enough to do any real good in terms of tooth whitening. The active ingredients in these toothpastes are also usually present in such low concentrations that even if they did spend enough time in contact with your teeth, they still wouldn’t be terribly effective. They’re a great idea, but whitening toothpastes really don’t do anything that regular toothpastes don’t.

Little White Lie #2

The Lie: The best way to whiten your teeth is to have your dentist perform a whitening procedure.

The Truth: It’s not really the case that any one method of teeth whitening is the “best” way. Your dentist can perform tooth whitening for you, but this doesn’t mean that the results are going to be any better. The in-office teeth whitening procedures that your dentist can do for you use hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide; that is to say the exact same whitening agents that are used in do it yourself teeth whiteners.

How effective a tooth whitening system is depends on the concentration of the active ingredients in the gel and how long these whiteners are in direct contact with your teeth.

What does this mean? It’s simple - you can use a high concentration whitening solution for a short period of time as your dentist would, or a lower concentration product for a longer duration; the approach used with do it yourself teeth whiteners.

Either method produces the same results, though there is one factor which differs significantly: the cost. You’ll pay four to eight times as much to have a dentist whiten your teeth as you would to whiten them using an at home teeth whitening system. Since you can get the same results at home with a much smaller price tag, it’s no surprise that an increasing number of people are starting to choose at home tooth whitening over a dental procedure.

Little White Lie #3

The Lie: All tooth whiteners produce the same results.

The Truth: The quality and the efficacy of different tooth whitening products varies greatly, as do the methods of application. Some of these products work better than others and some really can’t be said to work at all, if the truth is to be told.

The difference is in the whitening agents in these products and the concentration the whitening gels are formulated at. It’s a good idea to look at all of your options before you settle on a at home teeth whitening system; which will work best for you depends on the type and the severity of your stains.

Little White Lie #4

The Lie: Tooth whitening is harmful to the teeth and gums.

The Truth: There is no risk of damage to your teeth or gums from using tooth whiteners. The whitening gel is applied directly to your teeth, where the whitening agents oxidize the organic deposits which cause staining. While it doesn’t cause any damage to your teeth or gums, it is possible to have some sensitivity in your teeth following the procedure; however, this is only a temporary effect. You can reduce this sensitivity by reducing the amount of time that the whitening gel is in contact with the surface of your teeth.

Gum irritation happens to some users, though this is usually due to a tray which is improperly designed and allows the whitening gel to contact the gums - a compelling argument to use the at home tooth whitening systems which include custom whitening trays.

Little White Lie #5

The Lie: Whitening strips are the best, most effective method, of whitening the teeth

The Truth: Our teeth are as unique as we are. This means that it’s impossible to design a whitening strip which can actually maintain contact with the entire surface of our teeth. Even in a best case scenario, these strips can only help whiten the front surface of your teeth, with grooves in the teeth and the gaps between your teeth left unaffected by the whitening strip. What these strips cause is uneven tooth whitening, leaving a striped appearance, with stains apparent on the parts of the teeth which they don’t cover. Many consider this to actually be worse than the original problem!

Little White Lie #6

The Lie: Thermoform trays are cheaper and work just as well as custom whitening tray.

The Truth: This is just simply not true. Thermoform trays have the same problem as do whitening strips; they don’t take into account the fact that everyone’s teeth are different. After all, you wouldn’t expect someone else’s dentures to fit. Custom whitening trays are designed to perfectly conform to your teeth and as such, they don’t leave behind unwhitened areas like a thermoform tray will, since they stay in contact with your teeth. Custom trays also have the advantage of reducing the possibility of gum irritation, since little to no whitening gel can escape from the tray during the whitening process.

Little White Lie #7

The Lie: Paint-on tooth whiteners are the best at home tooth whitening products since they’re the easiest to use.

The Truth: If only it were so easy! These products sound like a good idea, but they have the same problem as whitening toothpastes - your saliva will tend to wash away the whitening agent. These products also usually contain very low concentrations of the active ingredient to prevent irritation to your gums and lips.

There are other products of this type which don’t really whiten at all, being nothing more than a cover-up which does nothing to remove stains.

Little White Lie #8

The Lie: Whitening products which use electroluminescence are more effective, since they activate the tooth whitening agents in the gel

The Truth: As it happens, these products are neither new and high tech nor are they effective. Electroluminescence may look impressive, but it’s the same technology used in many children’s toys and to provide back lighting for cell phones. The electroluminescence definitely looks cool, but does nothing to make the whitening agents work better - it is a marketing ploy and nothing but.

Little White Lie #9

The Lie: Tooth bleaching procedures work the same for everyone.

The Truth: Everyone’s teeth are different and so are the stains which they have. Some stains are more difficult to remove than others with bleaching. Yellowish stains are the easiest to bleach, with brownish stains being somewhat more difficult and grayish stains being more difficult still.

Little White Lie #10

The Lie: If you swallow tooth whitening gel it can result in internal injuries.

The Truth: Any tooth whitening procedure involves swallowing some of the whitening gel used. It doesn’t matter what type of system you choose, the chances of swallowing a small amount of whitening gel are 100%. There is no risk of injury from swallowing these miniscule quantities of tooth whitening solutions; they may not taste fantastic, but you won’t be doing yourself any harm.