Are Crest White Strips worth it?

March 26, 2012 6:52 PM

Are Crest White Strips worth trying out?

I'm 24 and although I'm not a smoker or coffee drinker, I have fairly yellow teeth compared to my peers.

Would Crest White strips be worth trying out for a few months, or would it be better to bite the bullet and pay $300-500 for professional teeth whitening?

I had heard a few years ago that the strips were not good for your teeth but it seems now that they are "enamel safe". Are there any reasons I should consider avoiding the white strips?

If *you* have used them, how long did it take to make a noticeable difference and how long did your teeth retain their brighter shade?

posted by mtphoto to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (17 answers total)

Three days. Six months.

But I also use a whitening toothpaste with a sonic toothbrush, so YMMV.
posted by likeso at 7:01 PM on March 26, 2012

I used them, and they did make a difference (the guy I was dating at the time said "your teeth are so white" and then I felt like I was in a Crest commercial). Really after two or three applications (which you can do daily or twice a day) my teeth looked better. They did make my teeth ache a little, so I didn't finish out the package, but there was a change. It lasted a few months before everything went back to how it was.
posted by genmonster at 7:02 PM on March 26, 2012 [1 favorite]

As a matter of fact my dentist recommended the Crest White Strips to see if I could see an improvement with the color of my teeth - he said if I could see a difference the bleach treatment they had at his office would be even better.
posted by just asking at 7:07 PM on March 26, 2012

You could consider this option (video), which uses Plus 5 Minute White (about $7 at the drugstore, same active ingredient as the strips) and repurposed mouth guards from the sports section local big box store. I bought formable mouth trays from eBay ($5), and the whole setup works great-- and I drink a lot of coffee. Plus SO much less expensive than the strips.
posted by mireille at 7:19 PM on March 26, 2012 [18 favorites]

my teeth have always been pretty light but when i used them, they looked pretty darned white. i use them about once a year.
posted by violetk at 7:26 PM on March 26, 2012

Uh, I have a friend who tried using them but was not successful because they have especially high saliva production and couldn't get the strips to stay on. The Rembrandt trays worked better because they are some kind of wax-like material that molds to the teeth.
posted by Anonymous at 8:01 PM on March 26, 2012

I've used Crest white strips once a year for several years and they always work really well.

They come in 7 Day intensive treatment packages, although one can also buy more in a box. By one week of using them, you'll definitely be able to tell the difference, then repeat as needed.

I've never gotten my teeth whitened at the dentist's because if use these I'm happy enough with the results that no other treatments are necessary... but then I don't drink coffe and that may be a factor in the effectiveness of white strips vd dentist, not really sure.
posted by devymetal at 8:34 PM on March 26, 2012

I've used generic white strips, and they worked fine, I saw results after 3-4 days. I currently use a Listerine whitening mouthwash, which is cheaper and also has fluoride, although the whitening wasn't as rapid as with the strips.
posted by momus_window at 9:11 PM on March 26, 2012

I've used them a few times over the years, & they work great. I really recommend brushing with Sensodyne starting a few days before and over the duration, though. if I don't, my teeth get majorly sensitive after the second strip and oww.
posted by changeling at 11:48 PM on March 26, 2012

It looks like they work for people, but if you have recessed gums or sensitive teeth due to other reasons, these strips can be extremely painful. I tried the crest and I couldn't keep them on, they hurt too much. Brushing with sensodyne beforehand seems like a good idea, as the person above suggests.
posted by shipsthatburn at 12:41 AM on March 27, 2012

I have used several different types of strips and molds, and I can say that none has worked better than the Crest Professional White Strips. They only sell them in dentist's offices and on Amazon.com. When I tried a 2 hour whitening mold, my teeth ached for days. With the pro strips, I had no pain for 20 out of the 21 days. Although on the last day I felt a brief sensation that felt like someone put a bullet through my tooth. Other than that, absolutely get the strips, but make sure they are professional.
posted by AMWKE1984 at 1:52 AM on March 27, 2012 [3 favorites]

Also successful with white strips. no pain at all and even a year later i've heard that i have the whitest teeth ever seen (though certainly an exaggeration, they really helped)
posted by meantime at 5:10 AM on March 27, 2012

Seconding the Professional White Strips plus Sensodyne. It's more subtle. I had a professional teeth whitening treatment in 2003, (one hour under the blue light with the gel in a dental office in Miami) and my teeth were SO white, people asked me if they were replacements, which was not my objective at all. They also appeared to radiate under black lights, which just isn't a good look for me.

It took about two years for that treatment to mellow out. Stick with the strips.
posted by halfbuckaroo at 5:32 AM on March 27, 2012 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Last I checked, Consumer Reports recommended over the counter tooth whitening options (like Crest White Strips) instead of professional treatments (like Zoom laser whitening). The reason for this was that in their testing, both options were equally effective, with the over the counter options being much much cheaper.

I'd also get a recommendation for a good whitening toothpaste from your dentist. Not all of them are good for your teeth, but my hygienist was happy when I said I used Crest Complete with Whitening, and I've been happy with the results from it.

You might also check some home remedies. Baking soda and peroxide is supposed to be good, as the peroxide penetrates teeth and brings the discoloration to the surface where it can be brushed away.
posted by I am the Walrus at 8:03 AM on March 27, 2012 [1 favorite]

I have a package of Crest Whitestrips that I have owned for about 2 years. Every month or so I use them (1 strip per day for 1-2 days), and they definitely make a difference. I space the use out so I don't have to deal with sensitive teeth, but they are still effective enough for my needs this way.
posted by Bebo at 8:56 AM on March 27, 2012 [1 favorite]

(ms. Veg)
Yes. I used the 2 week ones when they first came out. My teeth looked great. The stuff tasted bad, though. My dentists have also recommended them.
I did them again a year later, but then I got lazy.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 9:16 AM on March 27, 2012

I bought a back of Crest Sensitive Tooth White Strips before my wedding and after the 3rd strip, my teeth started to get very achey and sensitive and took a while to go back to normal, so I didn't continue.
posted by dottiechang at 6:09 PM on April 14, 2012