Spent all this money on tooth whitening kit and hate wearing it!

[IFeelLikeChickenTonite]

The gels make my teeth sooo sensitive, I get shooting pains through my teeth. I can’t drink anything while I’m wearing the trays as it makes the sensitivity worse. I hate the feel of the trays in my mouth. The trays make me drool as well…. I’ve tried Sensodyne Rapid, nothing works. I can’t sleep with them in at all so I tried wearing them during day, but can’t cope with it for more than a couple of hours. After I’ve taken the trays out the sensitivity continues for hours. I feel a bit sick that I’ve wasted over three hundred pounds on this. I don’t understand why I can’t cope with them, and other people can. I think I must be a HSP, highly sensitive person ! Can anyone offer any advice? Would a dentist give me my money back? I rang up for another appt but when I told the receptionist my problem she was a bit snotty and said I had to persevere and use plenty of Sensodyne and she wouldn’t give me an appt.

I found the same with the overnight stuff. I got some of the 16% daytime and used it for 15 mins (it says up to an hour). Did it just before bed and took an ibuprofen. Went to sleep. A bit sensitive in the morning but not too bad.

Obviously it takes much longer but it did work. It’s still not my favourite thing to do and they’ll never be Turkey teeth white!

Thank you Fluffy. Do you mean you wore them just for 15 minutes and took them out before you went to sleep? Maybe I should ask my dentist for this daytime stuff instead. She did mention that in my initial appt actually that it could be an option but I’m so scared of the sensitivity being even worse, it’s off the scale now!!

Yes. I think the nighttime one is maybe 6%? And you’re supposed to wear it all night. Well I did 4 hours, couldn’t really sleep and then felt the sensitivity all day!

I thought the stronger one would be worse but actually I think I could measure it more easily 10, 15 and then 20 mins (never dared do more than that!) but I think less time walking about like a demented, drooling hamster THINKING about the upcoming sensitivity and then 8 hours to sleep it off made it much better.

I definitely didn’t feel it hurt more doing 15 mins of the 16% than 3-4 hours of the 6%.

Good luck!

On a plus note, my moulds are still going strong 5 years on. You can buy the bleach (branded) on the internet.

Yes sorry should have said - I did it for 10-15 mins whilst taking makeup off etc. cleaned and brushed teeth, then went to sleep without them in. Started doing 2 days on, 2 off then built up to 4 days on 2 off. It did work. Now I just do a couple of days a month. I do think you get less sensitive

That receptionist is out of order! My dentist changed my gel to a lower dose when I found the first batch too strong. She said it would work just as well. Now I don't get any sensitivity and my teeth are lovely and white.

Could you try again for an appointment?

Completely agree with the above. Higher strength, much shorter time. I can't remember exactly but I think I have 16% and just do half an hour maximum every few months now. I don't want super white teeth, just to get rid of coffee/tea stains.

Has your dentist told you to take a day or 2 off of the whitening gel, and fill the tray with Sensodyne and really let it sink in overnight?

Oh gosh! This thread has scared me. I'm picking mine up next Friday.
Really hope I haven't wasted £450!

Try wearing the guards with sensodyne toothpaste in, may help reduce sensitivity. I've used whitening before & they do make teeth sensitive - but worth the gain of whitened teeth

Do you mean Sensodyne as well as the gel? @Whenlifegiveslemons

I don't really understand why people would spend so much money and put themselves through so much discomfort for this. How have we got to a place where the "gain of whitened teeth" is worth it, what's so great about unnatural whitened teeth? I'd cut your losses and just try and be happy with what is probably your perfectly lovely smile.

That's what my dentist told me. She said two days off from the whitening, just fill the trays with sensodyne or similar. It does help with the sensitivity.

No, just the sensodyne.
You need a break from the gel.
Sorry @Whenlifegiveslemons for answering your point!

I don't want mine super white but when I had some coffee stains a while back (they came off with cleaning at the dentist's) it really got me down and I felt so self-conscious. I can see why some people with really yellow or stained teeth that don't clean up easily would want to do this. It ages you unnecessarily too.

Buy some sensitive toothpaste. Brush with that before. Use a small amount of gel for a short amount of time. I just did that for a couple of weeks, but you'll need some break days in between.
Use the toothpaste in the trays as pp have said.

Yes, plus it does make you self conscious when you smile! I didn't get mine super white, because I didn't use it for the recommended time or duration, but it just got my teeth a bit whiter and cleaner looking.
Not dazzling!

So I’m a dental hygienist (have been for over 20 years) and I can barely tolerate whitening due to the sensitivity. When I first tried it years ago the pain was awful. The shooting pains were the worst. But I couldn’t even breathe without pain. I didn’t try again for years after that. I think I tried again about 10 years ago, same issue so I just stopped immediately.

Then, 5 years ago, I was getting married so really wanted to give it a proper go. This was my routine. I used Phillips Daywhite gels (I can’t remember the %), I kept them in for only an hour a day twice a week. I used sensodyne toothpaste daily as my normal toothpaste. The morning I was due to whiten my teeth i used Tooth Mousse. You basically smear it all over your teeth and leave it on, just spit out and excess. I would do this a good few hours before I was going to whiten. Then I would rise my mouth and lightly brush just before the whitening. Whiten for one hour. Brush teeth. And I would reapply the tooth mousse and leave it on. (It pretty much disappears so you can just eat or drink after a while. You don’t need to actively brush it off). The night after whitening I would place sensodyne in my trays and wear that overnight if needed.

Don’t get me wrong it was a total palaver for a good few months to get where I wanted to be. And I did still feel sensitive and occasionally would take a pain killer. But it made it tolerable for that time. I can’t guarantee it will work for you. But hopefully it might help! I often recommend Tooth Mousse for sensitivity to my patients. You can get it on Amazon and other places online.

Picking mine up next Wed. I hope we are both OK, but great tips on this thread.

I had the zoom ones and it made my teeth sooo sensitive that just breathing hurt them! I ended up giving up. The dentist was so blase about it like it's totally normal having two gumshields full of bleach in your mouth for ages!

My teeth are so sensitive I can't bear even the sucky tube at the dentist. She told me to buy a special toothpaste, so I did, and I can't use it because it hurts my teeth, even though it's for sensitive teeth.

I'd have no hope with whitener!

Day time one much better. Not everyone offers it but the overnight thing ruins your sleep and makes your teeth more sensitive.

No! Do not attempt it! I did read about someone using the gel and waking up in the middle of the night and screaming in agony! Sounded like torture.

The reason you pay this money is because it is supplied and supervised by a dentist.

Ask for an appointment again , the dentist can do several things , eg reduce the percentage of the gels that are being used , give you a different regime of wearing , interspersing with sensitive toothpaste or tooth mousse in the trays or try a different gel or put desensitising treatments on the affected teeth.

Please don’t buy gels as it is illegal to sell them in the U.K. unless through a dentist and therefore you have no guarantee you have a safe or non counterfeit product as you are dealing with people knowingly breaking the law.m