Teeth Whitening......
 

Hey guys hows it going.. I did not exactly know where to put this so I posted it here, if it needs to be moved so be it.

Anyways, My teeth at yellow, yes I am ashamed and there is no denying the fact that are a terrible sight... Years of pop drinking, smoking, and just not having proper hygene has caused this problem and i blame no one but myself..

However, I was wondering if anyone knew any "home remedies" good toothpastes, etc that could brighten these not so pearly whites up... I honestly dont feel like having them professinally bleached and I dont want to try that crest white strip crap.. HOnestly, I am looking for something cheap and effective...

thanksin advance for the replies people..

You might try to swish and spit hydrogen peroxide. Most of the do it yourself kits use peroxide or something similar. You'll want to have all the tarter and gunk off off beforehand with good brushing. Baking soda is a pretty mild abrasive. I've heard decent things about those electric brushes like the oral B to get a little more precise with brushing and not tearing up your gums.
Later

I've personally found that a lot of whitening toothpastes only help to keep your teeth white, they don't really make them noticeably whiter.

Your best bet, IMHO, is going to the dentist and have them whiten them, then try to keep them up with proper hygene and cut back on soda and quit smoking.

Yup what a1t3r3g0 said. Your dentist can tell you the reason why your teet are stained and the best way to maintain a bright and healthy smile. Damn, I sound like a commercial. :)

Brush with baking soda a few times this week. Also, I heard those over-the-counter clear whitening strips work good. My insurance rocks so I only pay $7 to get my teeth cleaned and you get a far better job + the benefits of built up plaque removal :D

I know someone who is a dentist and he warned me about whitening toothpastes...he said that they do bad things to the enamel and in the long run are bad for your teeth.

I agree with Splice, see a professional.

My teeth, for example, cannot be whitened. I was given the antibiotic tetracycline frequently as a kid and my teeth are stained from the inside.

I too took tetracycline when i was younger....but i heard taht when they whiten your teeth they bleach it....so why wouldnt it make an improvement......if even the slightest.

Let me clarify...

When I said my teeth cannot be whitened, I meant to the white that everyone else gets.

I agree, whitening would probably make a slight difference but I would want bright white like everyone else if I went through all the trouble to get it done.

britesmile
 

if its offered in ur area, u can look at www.Britesmile.com

its a 90 min process and it guarantees results for about $400. or u can use the Crest White Strips for about 2 weeks and see mild results.

Britesmile works pretty good but get used to having sensitive teeth, and i do mean sensitive, as in dont breathe in thru ur mouth..lol

If you do decide to go with the Crest Whitestrips (don't whine about them; they're much more effective than whitening toothpastes), here's a tip: Get them from your dentist. The ones you get from your dentist are about 40 percent stronger than the ones you buy in the store, though they are more expensive. I used them for my wedding and they work really well.

Spend the cash and hit up the dentist office, I heard those whitning strips can mess the enamel on ur teeth all up.

i used the white strips when i first got out of braces... they worked really well to get the yellow from the braces off...

Teeth whitening seems extremely unwise to me. As I understand, all of the teeth whitening products have one of two flaws:
* They do not work. or...
* They damage your teeth in order to remove enamel to whiten them.

Most whitening will cause sensitivity in your teeth. Basically it'll hurt to eat or drink anything not at room temperature. My teeth aren't really yellow but not really white. I'm fairly happy with them but I wouldn't mind a bit more whitening. Just brush your teeth a lot and avoid taking unneccessary medications.

Just get a pack of Crest White Strips, they really work well.

If you havw bright spots on your teeth, ie, small white spots on your teeth which makes the rest of your teeth seem really yellow due to contrast, the dentist could put small plastic caps on top of your teeth and it looks better instantly.

You can buy the dentist-version WhiteStrips off of eBay too. I can attest to those things really working, although they made my teeth really sensitive for a while.

They're called "Professional Strength" and some places online sell them too.

Thanks guys, I will probably just end up shelling out the dough and going to the dentist, However I saw these crest whitening gel at kamrts and I was wondering if anyone had ever tried that?

I heard that it's safer to just use the whitening strips. The whitening procedure that dentists use will damage your enamel, while the whitening strips are safe. I've used them a couple of times and they really work good. The only problem is, as mentioned above: sencitive teeth. I in perticular didn't have sencitive teeth, but very sencitive gums that made it really painfull for me to brush my teeth. I was able to just buy a couple of the strips, just to test them out. If it's possible for you to buy just a couple, try them. You see minor results after 4 strips.

NF

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my dad's a dentist and i work as his assistant from time to time so i guess im qualified to answer this question. anyways just about everything you can buy over the counter is crap. go to your dentist if your serious and he can give you the professional white srips or he can give you this clear retainer thing(fits right around your teeth under the gums so you can't tell) that you can fill with wightening gel he'll give you. the latter is what my dad himself used.

Why do you really want whiter teeth. No one cared 1 year ago and now every third tv commercial is about white teeth. Have you meet and really beutfiul women, sat down and had a great conversation and then, at the last moment didn't ask for her number because her teeth just didn't have that brilliant shine. I sencearly hope not.

Ditto on the tooth damage due to whitening. I would seriously beware of any over-the-counter stuff. Let your dentist take care of this matter, if it is that important to you, and even then there is risk.

My mom is a prime example - she's a real tooth-whitening nut, and tried everything out there. In the end she had brilliant white teeth - with the front side all dented and melted off. She had to go to the dentist to have that front side dremeled off and replaced with fake molds. She can't chew tougher foods now, because she's afraid the molds will come off, but at least she feels she is socially acceptable now.

Is this what you want to end up with? Is it really worth it?

I though my teeth were yellow. I went to the dentist and showed me a chart and they were like second best. Just get a tan it makes them look whiter.