Teeth whitening - home kit for around 50 quid or go to the dentist for about 300?

[soupfiend]

Whats best to do?

My teeth look very yellow

Crest whitening strips are very good. I’ve found them as good as when I had the pro whitened

it’s best to go to your dentist.
The reason why you can’t get very strong strips in the U.K., is that they can damage your teeth. The strips mentioned are effective but are only available online for the reason stated.

In what way are they not good for your teeth, Im not keen on risking tooth health

I found a kit with gel from 'smile therapy' but there are almost all positive reviews on their website so this makes me suspicious.

Its something called PAP technology whereas I thought it was bleach that is needed to whiten teeth

If I contact my own dentist they'll give me the hard sell for themselves so I need to be forearmed with information so that I can make a good choice

Teeth whitening strips or kits are useless, I’ve tried loads!! Yeh they help with stains and make teeth look shinier but they never actually whiten. My DH visited the dentist and spent around £350 and they have really whitened. I’m booked in to see dentist next month now for whitening

I use whitening paste anything, the green silver pot, cant remember the name, and it sort of helps to some degree but I wouldnt say its a massive impact

Im a big tea drinker

@Coconutter24 did the dentist do the guard and gel?

The only thing that will whiten teeth is hydrogen peroxide.

In the U.K., EU, Australia and NZ etc it is illegal to sell , over the counter, anything containing more than 0.1% hydrogen peroxide which will not do anything.

A dentist can provide up to 18% gels containing hydrogen peroxide. The laws were brought in on public health grounds as using bleaching solutions on unhealthy gums causes problems , can cause irreversible tooth damage and can be the final straw turning precancerous lesions to cancer. It is important that a dentist screens you and supervises treatment to make sure it is appropriate and safe. Whitening will not work on crowns or fillings.

In other words anyone selling crest strips or similar in the U.K. is a criminal , knowingly breaking the law. Are you willing to put something inside your body sold by a criminal with no guarantee that it is what it says it is ? https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/why-you-need-to-be-wary-of-home-tooth-whitening-kits-aTig20L4lJpb

The only effective and safe method is to see a dentist . Once you have the trays made and initial whitening is done you will only need to purchase top up gels from the dentist every couple of years and a treatment will then cost around £30.

Legal kits do not whiten teeth but can remove stain either by being abrasive or acidic. What removes stain will also remove enamel , permanently. PAP is basically acid with some abrasive added.

Why would you risk a home kit when you have the option of a dentist?

Yeh they made a custom made guard and they supplied the gel

A massive difference in price?

Does anyone else have a really bad gag reflex? I had a guard made by the dentist for grinding, but I can't sleep with it in, I don't think I could leave it in over night.

Not nearly massive enough to risk potential dental problems (and these would actually be expensive).

Im asking the question and seeking advice about what is ok to do.

I dont know what the 'risk' of a home kit is? What is it?

This is a good question, I do, at times at the dentist they cant do the xrays because the thing I have to bite down on I keep gagging on and it doesnt fit in my mouth in any case

If you read the link above it explains a lot.
If using a legal home kit it will not whiten but the acids and abrasives can cause permanent damage to the enamel .

If using illegal strips and kits they can continue many hundreds of times the legal amount of hydrogen peroxide, in many cases stronger than what a dentist can legally use in the U.K. , EU , Australia and NZ . This can cause sensitivity , in extreme cases causing the nerve inside the tooth to die off. It can cause burns to lips, cheeks and gums , again in some cases causing permanent damage . It has the potential to turn pre cancerous lesion into an active cancer.

Here is the EU report on the dangers , which prompted the ban on over the counter whitening gels and strips https://ec.europa.eu/health/opinions/en/tooth-whiteners/l-3/5-tooth-whitening-products.htm#:~:text=Whitening%20products%20that%20contain%20peroxide,oral%20irritation%20and%20tooth%20hypersensitivity.

Here is some photos of the burns caused by illegal hydrogen peroxide whitening.

Tip for reducing the gagging:

Rotate your wrists and ankles continuously until it subsides. A dentist gave me that tip - something to do with reducing stress. It works for me and my gag reflex is horrendous.

I went tor my dentist for a home whitening kit, I had a check up and she decided if would be suitable, took moulds and supplied 3 tubes of Philips zoom, think I paid about £250 it was for my 40th birthday. Honestly I wouldn’t risk putting anything too strong / banned on my teeth as once the damage is done there’s no coming back.

Thanks, how does that work?

Maybe try oil pulling at home for a few weeks 🤷
you basically swish coconut oil around in your mouth for 20 mins each morning

They whitened a man’s teeth with UV light on Queer Eye - looked pretty simple - maybe someone on here can advise?

20 mins each morning

20 mins?!

All UV light does is dehydrate the tooth so it looks whiter until the water is taken back into the tooth , normally within an hour.

The only thing that works and is safe is trays , worn either for a few hours or overnight depending on what is used , with legal gels.

It will never give you Simon Cowell white teeth but will brighten them up. Everyone has a level they will lighten to , some brighter than others.

Most people will get their end result in a few weeks. Some very resistant or difficult teeth may take longer .

Depending on smoking, coffee etc the results will normally last 18 months to 2 years before needing topping up, in which case if you have the trays you just need to buy the gels from the dentist.

Dentist. You only have 1 set of teeth

I was recommended crest whitening strips on here.
They worked really well for me.
I was considering having it done professionally at the dentist but didn't feel the need too after trying them.

Op, you already know the answer to this question. You get what you pay for