Teeth Whitening Products?

I am American, but even as such, white-white teeth freak me out and look artificial and oftentimes creepy, especially on an older person. I just went to Ireland with my father and sister, and my teeth aesthetically are somewhere between unnaturally straight American teeth and really-unfortunate British teeth; they are small, I have a snaggletooth and I obviously drink coffee and tea. My sister has naturally bright white teeth. In the context of Irish people, her teeth looked practically radioactive. Every time I go to any other country, the first thing I notice is how normal and bone-colored their teeth are, and then I get home and see all these blinding white artificial chompers and wonder how it came to this. Fake teeth, fake boobs, fake butts, all American.

Nearly 20 years ago I had my teeth whitened by a dentist. They did molds in my mouth so I could have custom fitting mouth trays. Since I had them professionally done, I’ve only done touch-ups with products like white strips and it seems to work well. I think the key for me has been the molds holding the strips tightly to my teeth...plus I can leave them on longer. It’s pricey to get the trays made, but I think they really help.

I've tried the dental strips, whitening toothpaste and mouthwash and toothpaste with baking soda. Nothing seems to work or doesn't last. My lower teeth are more yellowish compared to my upper teeth. I think you have to stop drinking coffee, tea or wine for any whitening to last.

I used white strips years ago. With the third or fourth one, I got a little tingling in a front tooth and then in an insant it felt like I had stuck my face into a bathtub with a toaster in it. I’d never try to whiten my teeth again after that.

Your dentist can create molds of your teeth and create trays. Then, you simply put a bit of bleach (NOT "bleach bleach" but stuff the dentist provides) into the trays and put them over your teeth. For, like a half hour once or twice a week. The bleach I use comes in gel form and is already inside the "needles" I just squirt into the trays. It's all very easy and painless. And I have movie star teeth.

I asked my dentist what the most effective way to whiten your teeth is. I had tried the trays referred to above. It produced minor improvements, but I wanted that radioactive blue-white glow. Tony Soprano seemed to be sitting in a chair with a blue lamp focused on his teeth. I wanted that I told him.

He said, "there are the hydrogen peroxide based methods of bleaching. Other than that? Caps. it is why people GET caps."

Has anyone tried Unlcle Harry's products?

Years ago I asked my dentist how to have whiter teeth. Without any hesitation he said ‘get a tan’. I liked that guy.

What's the difference between caps and crowns? I know about veneers but can't figure out the difference between those two. OP the reason nothing works is that you probably have lost all your enamel. If that's the case nothing will whiten your teeth. You'd need to go the veneer route with that, I'm afraid.

Patient: I want perfectly straight, big, bright white teeth! Perfect teeth! How do I get them?

Dentist: You can wait 30 years until you need dentures like a sane person, or you can pay me to destroy all your living teeth now.

Works brilliantly.

[quote] My lower teeth are more yellowish compared to my upper teeth.

Hi Rudy!

In a small bowl or medicine bottle, mix a bit of baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and toothpaste. Brush the front of your front teeth with that mixture and they will turn white. It looks even better the next day.

Don’t brush all around as that can make your teeth feel sensitive. Also, don’t do it more than once a month or so as it may harm your enamel too much.

Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda are the basic ingredients of most whitening methods anyway.

Couldn’t I just drink the hydrogen peroxide?

I've had good results from the whitening strips. I probably do two or three thirty minute applications every six to nine months and my teeth are noticeably brighter without being ridiculously blue/white.

I am surprised your dentist didn't recommend an in office treatment like zoom or something. Seems they're all pushing it here. Not a look I'm interested in, but for some it's an option (and quick).

https://www.usa.philips.com/c-m-pe/teeth-whitening/zoom-in-office

I used dental silica powder a couple of times a week. My teeth are now even in color and slightly brighter.

Is silica powder powdered sand?

Most of these methods damage the enamel. I would be very careful before using abrasives like silica that can damage the enamel.

R10 - love you. My opinion exactly.

My dentist said to drink tea and coffee with a straw or switch to white tea

just rinse...keep it in there a bit...with peroxide once a week.

Honestly OP, products basically suck in comparison to the dentist. Do the Soprano thing mentioned above. Blue light on teeth while sitting in the chair. I told my dentist to "nuke them hard, I promise I won't complain of sensitivity". He did. More expensive but really the only way. I've tried them all. I drink a lot of coffee.

Dear Lord in Heaven!

I've tried everything but Zoom. I'm also lazy, so if something sort of works, it's like I go, ok, this works! And never finish the process to the end. If I'm every super motivated, I'll just follow through the way I'm supposed to. But otherwise, my teeth are "white enough" and I don't like the stinging and pain of the ordinary at home methods.

Here's what worked. Go Smile. It's not a strip. It's not a mold. You just take the brush, brush both top and bottom for 14 days and then your teeth are white. I don't even know if they make those anymore. There's Go Smile snap packs but don't know if it's the same.

Right now, I'm using one of the expensive Crest White Strip lines. 59.00, half hour, twice a day. Hurts like a motherfucker. When I open one, often it fucks up one of the strips, which crumples. Also, you have to really position it or your lip will dislodge it or something like that. It's working. I'm halfway through, and my teeth are pretty white. I expect when I'm done, they'll be very white. But mother of God, I'm not doing this again. It's back to the mold for me, and the Go Smile Whitening Pen I bought.

My sister has whiter than white teeth, but there's no gleam. They look like chalk. She says she uses the mold, but she also lies a lot, so I don't know. Sometimes she says people tell her her teeth are "too" white but that's not it. It's that they're flat white. But white they are, and she says she uses the mold, so if that's what you want...

Cali White is excellent.

Cutie in OP's pic.

But that boy is straight

My teeth are yellowish naturally. A dentist told me that yellower teeth are stronger and harder. My sister has whiter teeth but they are always chipping and breaking. *shrugs*

I also believe that bleaching them is damaging, the way it is for hair. It would be great if someone developed some sort of fortifying *paint* that would fill in the microfissures that lead to cavities and make them appear whiter at the same time.

R27 Hair grows out, though. Teeth are for a lifetime. Even as an American, I cannot understand people obsessing over getting marshmallow-white teeth. If they aren’t at least a little on the creamy side of white, big bright white chompers freak me the fuck out. They also make people look much older to me unless those people are obviously very young. It just looks fucking weird.

OP, you might try Pronamel while you're whitening. Sometimes teeth are yellowed due to loss of enamel, and if you've removed the stains, it may be you need a little enamel boost.

JMO. I'm not a dentist/hygenist.

The only thing that works is professional whitening two or three times a year. Otherwise you're wasting your time. And none of it is good. Rinsing with peroxide is actually harmful to health: I'm astounded anyone could be so idiotic. Peroxides need to be in contact with the enamel for 15 minutes *minimum* to make the remotest difference.