Teeth whitening. Everyone is doing it. At the mall, with over the counter strips and on cruise ships. You can purchase whitening toothpaste, mouthwash and gum! I'm not a dentist, I'm a just another teeth whitening fanatic. There are several types of whitening systems available, I already mentioned whitening strips, these can be purchased at your local drugstore or a stronger version can be had at you dentists office. I have tried both - the dental office version was better but neither gave me the results I hoped for. Next I tried the whitening pen. Paint it on your teeth and let it dry..Voila! Not so much. The pens are best used for touch up applications after your teeth are already white. Then there is Zoom or Bightsmile (same company, same procedure, same results) these are the in office, one hour systems you see in the mall and at your dentists office. You are relegated to a chair with your mouth agape while being doused in blue light. The results are quick and fairly impressive. However I was left with extreme sensitivity and the effects seemed to wear off rather fast. The other new, in office, one hour option - which can only be provided by your dentist it is called Dash - it is similar to Zoom and Brightsmile but there is no need for a light. Turns out (I guess) that the light is not really all that important?? This system is also made by the same company that makes Zoom and Brightsmile and the procedure is the same. When I had this done, I saw the results immediately and I did have some sensitivity it didn't linger but the results did. My teeth were gleaming! The best results came from my first foray into teeth whitening. I went to the dentist had some custom trays made up and placed the teeth whitening solution in the trays for 1 hour a day - 14 days. Barely any sensitivity, great results and long lasting. For touch up I simply wore the tray's for a few days. Although the in office no light solution is quicker and does provide an easy way to get white teeth, I choose to wear my trays every now and then. For me it provides the longest lasting, most comfortable and is the easiest solution to maintain. Oh ya - I still use whitening toothpaste and chew whitening gum!
