kelly617's Full Review: Crest Whitestrips Dental Whitening System Strips P...
I have rather large teeth. In fact, after looking in my mouth one day, as he usually does, my dentist informed me that not only are my teeth large, they're about the same size as an adult male's. Mix that with the fact that I tend to smile a lot, and you've got one heck of a noticible set of chompers. Lately, I had been noticing that they weren't as white as they used to be. Like any average university student, I guzzle my fair share of coffee and alcohol, and I'm not exactly tooth consious when it comes to what I have for dinner. I think it's fair to let you know that I don't smoke, so that wasn't a factor for me when I embarked on my tooth whitening journey.
First, I took my vain little self to my dentist and asked him about different tooth whitening methods. Turns out, to get my teeth whitened by a professional, I would have to pay upwards of $500-$1000, which didn't seem worth it to me by a long shot. He then suggested whitening toothpaste, but because I have very sensitive teeth, decided that might not be the greatest idea. With that in mind, I went straight to the drugstore for some heavy duty whitening toothpaste. I read the directions on the back of them all and they struck me as being quite the same as ordinary toothpaste, with more peroxide. I then saw some Crest Whitestrips hanging out on the shelf beside the toothpastes and decided to give them a go. After forking over a hefty $50 CAN, I took them home to try them out.
The Good:
They work. I suppose that's the best thing about them. You have to apply the strips for half an hour, twice a day for 7 days. So the box comes with 14 top strips and 14 bottom strips. They're fairly easy to use, with a learning curve of one or two days. After the first two days I actually started noticing a difference in my top teeth. The bottoms were taking a little longer to whiten, and I'm not sure why, but it all worked out well in the end.
It's also a fairly uninvasive procedure. You can wear them while doing basically anything, and I could talk fine with them in my mouth, though some people have reported some difficulty in this area. That's really all there is to them.
The Bad:
If you want to whiten your teeth, everything you try is going to be a little awkward and uncomfortable. The bottom strips are kind of hard to keep on your teeth, and my tongue knocked it out of place a few times. I also have a permanent retainer stuck to the back of my front teeth on the top and bottom, so this made them a little more difficult to keep on for the full half-hour.
Some people reported feeling pain, or heightened tooth sensitivity. I, however, felt no pain at all in my gums apart from a very slight tingling sensation when I first put the strips on. I think one of my teeth became really sensitive after using the strips for about 4 days, but it wasn't anything overly annoying. This is strange though, as I have really sensitive teeth to begin with, so I was expecting more discomfort.
When you first put the strips in, your mouth will start producing a lot of saliva, and the strips might start to slip a little. If you press them down well enough, this should keep them in place for at least the half-hour you need to wear them for.
I suppose the biggest issue I had was that they weren't quite long enough to cover all of the teeth that show when I smile. My teeth are very wide, and I only managed to whiten the first 6 or 8 on the top and the first 8 on the bottom. It isn't horribly noticible because, as I said, my teeth weren't THAT yellow to begin with, but for really stained teeth, the difference might be more evident.
Finally, they are expensive. It cost me $50 CAN for a 7 day whitening program, and though it is a far better value than going to the dentist, if your teeth are really yellow to begin with, they might not make $50 worth of difference. For me, they did, and I am satisfied, but it's just a warning.
Overall, not a bad product. The box claims that the whiteness will last at least 6 to 8 months, and I'm on month 2 without noticing any change at all. Everyone I know has commented on how white my teeth are without even knowing I was using the strips and even though I tend to be very picky about things like this, I have to admit, my teeth are looking quite nice these days.
Fantastic prices with ease & c...(Stock status: N/A)
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:Clinically Proven To Remove Up to 14 Years of Stain Build-Up In Just 7 Days - Satisfaction Guaranteed. Contents: 28 Strips: 14 For...More at Amazon Marketplace
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