Teeth whitening products comparison

There has been much talk about teeth whitening lately, and not all of it good. Not that there is anything wrong with teeth whitening itself, even I am going to get my teeth whitened in the next couple of days, but because of news about teeth whitening scams.

To try to shed some light on the subject, I have decided to do this teeth whitening products comparison article reviewing some of the available options.

There is a huge market for teeth whitening products. Baby boomers and the 30 something crowd are opting for teeth whitening to combat yellowing teeth cause by age, coffee, wine, tea and smoking.

Most teeth whitening products are peroxide based, with varying degrees of concentration, and get deep into the teeth, where normal toothpaste can´t reach. When using peroxide based products, the process usually takes a couple of weeks.

Most experts agree that the best teeth whitening option is a trip to the local dentist. Although this is usually the most expensive option, it is clearly the most recommended option by professionals.

Teeth whitening at the dentist can cost anywhere from $450 to $900, and involves the use of light to speed up the process of the peroxide. The concentration of peroxide used by dentists is much higher that what you would find in over the counter products, usually 4x to 5x more. You will experience a significant difference in whiteness after only your first visit to the dentist, with some people following up with 3 or 4 more visits to achieve the desired results.

The results of professionally done teeth whitening will last about 2 to 3 years.

If you opt to go this route, you have a couple of different options available that your dentist can explain in more detail.

Nowadays you can get a professional teeth whitening at your dentist or at specialty shop in your local mall. These shops usually have on-site dentists to examine your teeth and determine if they teeth are ready to receive treatment.

You can get away with a cheaper teeth whitening procedure, about $200 less, by purchasing do it at home kit from your dentist. This is a less convenient procedure, that you do for a couple of hours a day over a two week period. The results, according to people I have talked to, are vary similar to those obtained at the dentist.

The advantages of one of these kits, over the kind you find at the supermarket or online, is the higher concentration of peroxide and a custom made mouth peace. The whitened look will also last longer (about two years), than the results from the other over the counter whiteners.

There are many different over the counter whitening products available and most claim visible results after only a couple of weeks.

The results obtained from over the counter products varied, and are usually related to the amount of peroxide in the product and the length of time that it stays in contact with the teeth.

There are also product that you can buy at the supermarket, and that retail for a little over the price of regular toothpaste, but these produced almost no visible whitening. Most of these products only contain abrasives that clean the surface of the teeth.

Crest Whitestrips

The best rated over the counter teeth whitener are the "Crest Whitestrips" line of products with users reporting good results for the money.

These cost $30 to $50, depending on the version, for a seven day supply. The whitening results are not as good as at the dentist and last about one year. You apply these strips twice a day for about 30 minutes each time over a one week period.  You can buy find these on Amazon for vary competitive prices (check current priced from Amazon on the right).

Some users experienced slight pain while using the strips with the higher concentration peroxide levels.

Online products

As far as the more expensive products, that can cost as much as $100 for a three months supply and are usually sold online, the results varied.  In general results were slightly better but not enough to justify the costs, and there was much hype surrounding most of these products..

It is clear, from the teeth whitening products comparison I did, that you should opt for a professional teeth whitening from your dentist whenever possible.

If you should opt for an over the counter solution, make sure you follow the instruction closely, don´t apply more than the recommended dose, and discontinue treatment if you feel the onset of pain.

If you buy from an online site, make sure it does not have a recurring billing scheme, where you are charged every month, and check with the Better Business Bureau before buying.