to have my teeth whitened

[karelomen]

I can't afford braces but my teeth are also yellowing especially on the canines.
I have spoken to my dentist who says he will make moulds and send me home with whitening gel all of this is £150 I think I might splash out as I'm getting married in the summer and it would make me feel better about the photos.
Has anyone else tried this, AIBU to potentially harm my teeth for the sake of whiteness?
TIA

What I did was to get baking powder with a bit of fresh lemon juice and mix it till it become a paste and brush it for 2-3 mins. I see some results with a whiter shade of my teeth as compare to the past an definitely cleaner.

I whitened my teeth using the tray method too. It worked in that my teeth are whiter but the sensitivity was almost too much to cope with. I became very sensitive to sweet foods - I couldn't bear chocolate in my mouth as it hurt my teeth too much.

I had mine done by laser (?) in a salon by a guy who's teeth were so white they were blue. I had crippling and random shooting pains for a few days and my gums peeled. Wasn't allowed to drink coffee or red wine or eat curry. After three months my lovely yellow teeth came back

I had Zoom whitening done by a cosmetic dentist. I had a tiny bit of sensitivity afterwards, but nothing since, and my teeth look great.

YANBU - I was really self concious about my discoloured teeth and wanted them whitened before my wedding... I did mine with the peroxide gel and although they were a bit sensitive for a few days, I persevered and was really pleased with the results. Still just as white now too. If you get sensitive teeth, put some sensitive toothpaste in the trays and sleep in them overnight - sorted mine out.

I've done the trays it lightened my teeth quite a lot, I stopped before the two weeks were up, because I don't want my teeth to look bleached, I just don't want them to look stained.

I didn't get any sensitivity incidentally.

I found the trays hard to get along with though.

It is now illegal for anyone other than a dentist to carry out this treatment. It is still offered on se salons who believe they are insured by their supplier but are actusy not covered. The GDC have begun taking therapists and suppliers to court over this. If you are considering having your teeth whitened you should ONLY go to a dentist.

I would love to have my teeth whitened but have mild enamel erosion on my front teeth and always assumed it would be a bad idea. Does anyone here who works in dentistry know if it would make it worse?

Crest Whitening Strips.

Cheaper and just as good imo.

Whitening won't make erosion worse but I expect they may be pretty sensitive afterwards. Your dentist can give you tips to mitigate that though. What will fuck your teeth right up is doing what cutiemac suggested up there which is essentially sandpapering a layer off your teeth, I guess in the short term it will make them whiter, until you sandpaper away all the enamel (which is easier than you may think) and then you're knackered. And with yellow teeth.
I'm a dentist btw.

Crest whitening strips aren't legally sold within the EU. Just saying.

i used colgate white strips which give exactly the same result as seeing the dentist.
they did work but my teeth were very sensitive for a while afterwards.

I had mine done for our wedding and they looked beautiful. In fact, I like my teeth better than I like my wedding dress in the pictures.

I agree with the others, though, only get it done by a qualified, insured dentist. I see it at local salons advertised for £70 and it worries me that whoever is doing it most likely won't be trained or equipped properly.

Don't do it !! It makes your teeth hurt like buggery afterwards! my gums and teeth were on fire!

Crest whitestrips are amazing.

Definitely go to your dentist. I had a Groupon deal for laser whitening and it didn't work at all - my 5 year old came along with me and when the beautician held the mirror up at the end exclaiming at the 'great' results my 5 year old said in an extremely loud voice "I can't see any difference!" - she was right, there was no difference at all.

I think I will ask my dentist about the cost after reading the positive results achieved on here

Is it ok to have teeth whitened if you have (controlled) gum disease mrsmerton? And you know how people on health kicks drink hot water with lemon juice in the morning...well does it wreck the enamel or is it ok?
Sorry for cheeky questions

sorry; Mrsmorton*

It's not great for the enamel, quite acidic.

Yes, it's one of the reasons you should only get it done by a dentist, so any active disease (decay, gum disease) can be diagnosed and managed. If you're well controlled there's no reason why not.

Mrsmorton

The zoom in chair method seems to have been replaced by the trays....is it because it wasn't effective or were there other issues? I'm very keen to get mine done but reluctant to faff at home. Also quite sensitive.

Thanks you

I had the laser whitening at a salon and it didn't really last that well. Dentist whitening was better. Now I buy whitening gel online and use the tray i had made by the dentist.

I've been oil-pulling with extra virgin coconut oil and my teeth look better than they've ever looked. I had a whitening treatment a few years back - this is honestly better results, and totally natural, with added health benefits allegedly.

Mamain what is oil pulling?

Do a search for oil pulling. There's always a thread about it somewhere.

Trays are best, more reliable and predictable IMO.

Jesus thanks mrsmorton, i was all excited looking for the baking powder thinking finally I have something to use it for!! Mist try the trays so