Teeth Whiteing Strips

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Teeth Whitening Strips

One of the most inexpensive and easily obtainable tooth whitening systems is the whitening strip. These strips were introduced into the market in 2001. These whitening strips have the whitener carbamide peroxide on them. Some dentists feel that the strips are good and the dose delivered is consistent and limits the user's exposure to gel, whereas when gel trays are used the amount of gel used can vary between each use.

There is however a large drawback with whitening strips. The whitening strips only whiten the teeth they are in direct contact with. They only whiten the front teeth. Some people find that the strips are not long enough to cover all the teeth they show when they smile. Whitening strips generally cover at least the six center teeth, eyetooth to eyetooth. A tray based system will deliver whitener to all the teeth equally.

The strips are invisible. One manufacturer instructs you to wear the strips for thirty minutes twice a day and they claim you will see a difference within three days and full results within seven days. They also claim the whitening effect will last up to eighteen months.

Most dentists see no harm done with these at home strips as long as the manufacturer�s suggested wearing times are followed. Unlike tray based whitening systems, the whitening agent does not lie against the gum so there is much less potential for gum tenderness. The whitener in these strips is enamel safe.

It's always best to see your dentist for a complete dental examination prior to starting any whitening program. He will check the overall health of your teeth and gums. The dentist can review with you which of your teeth have prior restorations. These restorations will not whiten. After using any whitening product you may need to have these restorations replaced to match your whiter teeth.

How to use Whitening Strips

I) Preparation

a) �� Always brush your teeth prior to using any whitening strip

The reason for brushing your teeth prior to using the whitening strips is due to the fact that any dental plaque or debris lying on the surface of your teeth will prevent direct contact in that area with the strip and will inhibit the action of the whitener.

b) Remove the teeth whitening strips from their packaging

Most teeth whitening strips come packaged in pairs, thus being distributed as one for the upper teeth and one for the lower teeth with each in their own individual pouches.

Open the pouch and then remove the thin plastic carrier which the whitening strips have been affixed. The larger whitening strip is to be used for the upper teeth. Please remember that the side that faces the plastic carrier will be the side that needs to be placed against the surface of your teeth.

c) Do not remove any whitening strips until you are ready to use them

Since the whitening strips are very flimsy by nature, it is easy enough to inadvertently crinkle them, which will take work to straighten back out again. And, again do not touch the side of the strip that contains the whitener any more than you have to.

II) Placing the teeth whitening strips on your teeth

a) Aligning the strips over your teeth

Always make sure that when placing the strips over your teeth that you align the strips with your gum line. Even thought the strip and your gum line will undoubtedly not match correctly please just do the best that you can in matching them up.

Generally you will be trying to maximize the amount of tooth surface that the strip covers. Also remember that any portion of a tooth that lies beyond the edge of the strip will not receive any lightening effect.

b) Once placed into position, then secure the whitening strip in place

Once the strip is placed into position then gently press on it to secure it in place and maximize its contact with each tooth's surface. Now fold the remaining portion of the strip over and behind your teeth.

Now that the first strip is in place, all that's left to repeat this process with your other teeth, both upper and lower, and the second strip.

c) Always wash your hands before and after handling whitening strips

Most whitening strips use the hydrogen peroxide bleaching agent, which reacts with any surface that it comes into contact with, not just your teeth.

Since you will undoubtedly get some of the strip's whitener on your fingers during the application process, and if you don't wash your hands off, you may notice that your fingers will start to tingle. That will be the peroxide reacting with your skin. Wash your hands and you should be fine. DO NOT touch your eyes, pets, furniture or clothing with contaminated fingers, since this may cause more severe reactions. So always wash your hands off after handling whitening strips.

The most Common side effects of using Whitening Strips

� Tooth sensitivity.

� Gum irritation.

These side effects are the same as those given with the other teeth whitening methods including: tray bleaching or gels and in-office laser whitening.

Testing your side effect potential

One way to test your potential for side effects is to ease into the whitening strip regime. For instance, should your directions say for you to use the whitening strips twice a day then you can start out with using them once a day to see if you have any side effects developing. Another solution would be to use them for half the time required, for instance if they say to keep them on for 10 minutes, then try them for only 5 minutes.

Additionally, if this is your first time using whitening strips then you may wish to start off with the introductory strips kit, which usually contain a lower concentration of whitener than the normal whitening strips.

How likely is it that you will experience side effects

It can be expected that half of everyone who whiten their teeth will experience some degree of side effect. However, the vast majority of these people will only obtain very minor side effects in nature.

What causes these side effects

A person�s risk for experiencing side effects is related to both the concentration of peroxide and the amount of time the person is exposed to the peroxide within the strips. As either is increased so does the likelihood of side effects.

This correlation is true for any type of peroxide-based tooth whitening process.

Managing side effects

a) If you experience side effects, stop your whitening treatments.

Interrupting your whitening treatment for a few days while your side effects subside will not compromise what you are looking for and hopefully you will be able to complete your whitening treatments. We also recommend highly, that you see your dentist prior to continuing your whitening treatments.

b) Reevaluate how you will proceed with whitening your teeth

Once your side effects have subsided, you will need to make a decision either to resume your treatments or to stop them. Should you have decided to continue your treatments, you at least now have experience in how not to proceed. You now have to come up with a plan that will minimize any potential side effects that you may have.

Again, use your whitening strips less frequently. For instance, you can perform whitening treatments once a day rather than twice or even perform your treatments every other day. Should this approach still not work then you can try using a lower concentration of hydrogen peroxide whitening strip, or try a different type of whitening technique.