Teeth whitening but not expensive?

[paddleboardingmum]

Just wondering if anybody has had any success with this with something cheap? (not dentist or lasers) I'm not expecting miracles just a bit of an improvement.

Outside of the UK we do manage without these heavy restrictions and we have white teeth and even get given antibiotics when we are ill. It makes me laugh how sniffy people are about this stuff as if the UK is an all wise healthcare system protecting its folk.

£8 from Amazon UK. Its out of stock at the moment

Anyone selling pola night on line is a criminal knowingly breaking the law , there is no legal way to supply it direct to the consumer because of safety laws in the U.K. and EU.

You have no guarantee it is not counterfeit , out of date or safe to use .

Most dentists will sell legal and safe top ups for around £20 a tube .

Do,it yourself gum shield will not have the reservoirs or dams that a proper whitening tray should have . So the bleaching solution will leach away onto your gums possibly causing burns , and into your mouth rather than staying on the teeth.

Antibiotic resistance is growing and the amount of effective antibiotics are decreasing because of inappropriate use of antibiotics . It is a coming apocalypse that many see as the most challenging thing facing us in the future https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/oct/08/world-faces-antibiotic-apocalypse-says-chief-medical-officer

The free availability of antibiotics in some countries , alongside inappropriate use in some countries in animals is accelerating this crisis.

This is why countries like the U.K. , and the EU have introduced antibiotic guardianship.

Health concerns over the use of hydrogen peroxide in all cosmetic products caused the EU (and hence the U.K.) to introduce bans on over the counter use of,products with more than 0.1% hydrogen peroxide , inclusding teeth whitening products . These bans are also in use in Australia , New Zealand and various other countries . To see the burns and tooth damage unfettered use of these products causes is heart breaking . https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20z7xx6nr4o

Ascorbic acid and kaolin, so acid and an abrasive , basically lemon juice and clay . Prolonged use will wear away enamel.

Outside of the UK people do all sorts of things that are potentially dangerous.

Not sure what getting antibiotics has to do with teeth, but you clearly think there is a connection. I guess you're thinking about growing antibiotic resistance which is a global issue.

The fact is the OTC/online gels etc for teeth are dangerous.
There are some people who will be lucky and not have any bad effects YET but too many will and have damage to their gums and teeth.

The laws around these products are not there for fun, they exist for good reason.

CRESTA strips have NO info at all on the % of peroxide- now I wonder why that is????

Different countries have different rules on this. Same as the OTC sale of melatonin. This % of peroxide is allowed for sale in the USA but not in the UK.

The idea that procuring them in the UK is funding “criminals” is ridiculous. As a PP said Target ship them to the UK. Personally I have a friend in the USA who brings them for me whenever he visits. Sure I’d be cautious of buying from Amazon sellers but that doesn’t mean there aren’t reputable ways of getting a product which is very easily available across the Atlantic.

FWIW both my dentist and hygienist know I use them. My hygienist said she also uses them 🤷‍♀️

Why should we have a moral superiority here over the USA? Why are lawmakers regarding healthcare in the UK/EU better than lawmakers in the USA on this issue (and I’m not talking about current/any particular administrations, just in general)? I just said in my last post but the very same arguments could be applied to melatonin.

It’s one thing to purchase them yourself in the states or have a friend get them , but there is no legitimate way for a company to obtain these products to sell in the U.K., EU, NZ , Australia etc .

These laws were introduced as a result of consumers having harm done, in some cases involving hospital visits , losing teeth etc. Most dentists will have seen damage done by illegal products.

The websites are sited in non EU countries to try to avoid prosecution , but the sums involved can be large and as there is no legal way to obtain these products if not a dentist then , yes , these people are criminals supplying you and face jail time as well as fines https://www.tradingstandards.uk/news-policy-campaigns/news-room/2016/teeth-whitening-prosecution-success/

I wouldn't mess around with cheap options, you only have 1 set of teeth

I think if you look at the current controversy regarding chlorinated chicken you may see some of the answers https://www.soilassociation.org/causes-campaigns/top-10-risks-from-a-uk-us-trade-deal/what-is-chlorinated-chicken/

also as many of the European countries have publically funded health care the state has obligations in regards to public health both financial as well as medical grounds

@Shearebel Because each country sets its own rules on the safety of products.
It's nothing to do with 'morality' - it's science.

OP asked a question.
You can disagree all you want to with opinion but it doesn't make you right- or on the right side of the law in the UK.

These laws came in because of harm that was being done. Your personal experience is just that. It doesn't mean the products are safe.

If you are living in the US, it's not right that you suggest people in the UK should copy your negligent laws and use illegally imported drugs.

In the UK you can get melatonin on prescription Just like you can get tooth whitening kits/ gel from registered dentists.

I'll perhaps take lessons from the US when everyone there is slim and fit and they aren't one of the unhealthiest nations on the planet.

How regularly are people using the crest strips?

Couldn't care less, it works and I will get new teeth in a few years anyway. Its so funny you don't realise that the other billions of people outside of that amazing example of quality healthcare, the UK do just fine. While you ride your high horse, the rest of the world just laughs at the British empire attitude towards everyone else whilst killing people in your incredibly dangerous health system. Its hard to explain to people so unworldly how little we regard your so called expertise.

Yeh, wonderful,🙄,… your poor ill treated meat animals are fed the antibiotics in their feed too, so no wonder superbugs are taking over. That’s managing?!

Melatonin is easily available, my GP told me to get my own online as it’s cheaper than otc. There are zero limitations. (& i find it useless anyway!)

I don’t understand this argument - the OP can not afford to go to her dentist for whitening so she can’t afford to fuck up her natural teeth and need expensive repair work.

If other poster view their natural teeth as a temporary thing as they are planning on replacing with inplants /dentures, well great, oddly the sort of choice we stopped doing in the 1940s here (getting rid of pesky expensive real teeth for good fakes), but it doesn’t sound like this is something the OP wants to do.

OP most cheap options are cheap for a reason. Use the gentle but legal whitening toothpaste for now and save for trays at your dentist. Unless you are happy with the “just get turkey teeth!” approach, don’t follow the advice from people who don’t intend to still be able to use their teeth in their 60s.

I have considerable enamel erosion (not caused by whitening strips) and it is no laughing matter.

I don't think it is unreasonable of people to warn OP of the potential dangers.

At least when consulting a dentist, they can advise on what would suit your teeth, or if a particular treatment poses a problem, such as an increased chance of erosion. Ordering something online, without a dental examination, be it from the US, UK or anywhere else, will always carry a risk.

However, ultimately, it is down to individual choice.

Yep....

Someone please explain why people don’t value their teeth and the dental profession enough to pay?
Yet they’ll happily pay out for hair dressers, face creams, nails (they coast a fortune!), Botox etc…..
You can get sushi at your local petrol station…… but I’m not sure I’d recommend that either
You only get one set of teeth…. Look after them

Im not from the US ffs.

I like Eucryl tooth powder. It's great at removing stains if that's your main concern and its cheap.

I just use it ad-hoc if I've noticed my teeth aren't looking great and they always look noticeably better afterwards.

Exactly this is very highly abrasive and will damage enamel if used more than very periodically . It will get rid of tobacco , tea stains etc but won’t whiten teeth.

The people who can’t afford £200-600 for whitening treatment at the dentists are not the same people having Botox and expensive haircuts.

In the same way some people are buying £100 moisturiser and some people are buying £15 from the supermarket and some people can’t afford that.

Crest whitestrips, widely available and widely used in America so hardly dangerous and you can buy them for £20-£30, I've had better longer lasting results using them nightly for 3-4 weeks than with the expensive dental tray/bleach and that flipping painful expensive dental laser.