Teeth Whitener

I used arm and hammer whiting toothpaste with baking soda and peroxide. It made them whiter. Listerine also has a whiting mouthwash that works good. I used those two together and they were looking pretty white!

Kelly...allow me to give you a different angle on this question. My 3 daughters ( all grown) have used whiteners over the years and two of them have had some really unpleasant side effects from this. In order to whiten your teeth they have to somehow effect the enamel on your teeth...and my feeling is that it weakens the enamel. Two of my daughters are now having to use toothpaste for sensitive teeth because their enamel is so thin that the teeth are supersensitive to heat and cold. I think this is directly linked to their use of whitening. strips.
They have both been told by their dentist NOT to use the whitening strips anymore...they have even been told not to use toothpaste with the whitening ingredient in it anymore!! I would suggest that you simply go to the dentist twice a year for a thorough cleaning and let it go at that.
At the very least talk it over with your dentist and see what their opinion is.

its expensive but you can go to your dentist and get tthem professionaly done to get them their absolute whitest

Yeah, it's called "The Dentist!"

However, the TV Show, "The Doctors" (a Dr. Phil Spin-off on NBC) addressed "Teeth Whitening" (and if it really works) this week on their show.

You might be able to find some information on their web site: http://wwww.thedoctorstv.com. The show airs everyday on NBC at 2PM Central Time.

They cover a wide range of topics.

You can swish with a cap full of Hydrogen peroxide every day for 10 minutes and see if it works for you. Of course, spit it out, do not swallow :)

Kelly,
From my understanding the otc teeth whitners don't really work very well, mind you I have never used them. I have a friend who went to the dentist and had her teeth whitened there, now I think it is quiet expensive and can make your teeth sensitive at first but it does make your teeth very pretty and white. I am sorry I can't be a better assistance on the otc whiteners.
M.

Try a paste of Baking soda and peroxide it tastes yucky but brush it on ,try not to swallow and leave it on for a minute or 2 then rinse.

Be prepared that your teeth may never be dazzling white, even if you get the treatment through your dentist. My husband did this and they did lighten up a couple of shades but everyone's teeth are different. My son will have a problem in the future as when the enamel was being layed on his teeth while he was a baby, he ran fevers and now actually has some striped teeth that will not be bleachable.

Ask the dentist - he will know what will work or not for you.

First of all, perioxide rinse can be carcinogenic (cancer-causing) if used long term. It's fine for a few short rinses, but should NOT be used long term.

Studies (so far) do not show that whitening agents weaken the enamel. The way whitening works is through a chemical process called oxidation. The carbamide or hydrogen perioxide reacts with staining in the tooth, and oxidizes, or breaks down the stain, making the teeth whiter. The process does open the tiny little tubles that are in our teeth which is why your teeth can be sensitive. Sensitive tp, or higher strength fluoride tp. helps to reduce the sensitivity by blocking those tubules. It's highly unlikely that someone's teeth would remain sensitive after whitening unless they had other previous issues, such as gum recession, where the roots are exposed. The roots of our teeth are very sensitive.

It is expensive to have custom made trays but that is definitely the way to go. Hey, at least it lasts longer than hi-lighting your hair! Ask your dentist, he or she will usually have a couple of different options from laser whitening to custom trays.

Talk to your dentist--it's around $350 or so to have them make a mold of your teeth. They supply you with the whitening stuff, which you keep in your fridge, and whiten whenever you need. When you run out, buy more from the dental office. The most expensive part is the initial mold making. After that, the price from your dentist is comparable to OTC whiteners, but better quality. Also, I would advise using toothpaste for sensitive teeth, as all whiteners make your teeth prone to sensitivity.
If you can get over the initial investment, (hard to do!) then you'll be set.

Hi Kelly, I use peroxide. The antiseptic kind. Put a little in your mouth and hold it swirl it around as it bubbles, then I brush with a whitening toothpaste. Takes coffee stains off really well. It helps heal any sore gum area's too. I had really pretty white teeth most of my life. As I have gotten ahhh More Mature ;) they tend to grab a stain from everything I eat or mostly drink. I have used the brush on whitener, the tooth trays, whitening rinses. Hydrogen Peroxide seems to wok best for me.

Hope you can find something that works for you. I also use a battery oper. toothbrush. Love it.

K. Nana of 5

A bit pricy but the trays from the dentist work great. They are between $400-500 for the trays and first tube of bleach. (This was about 8 years ago, may be cheaper now.) Then you just have to buy a new tube of bleach about once a year or every other year.

My husband is a dentist, and he says that you will never get really white teeth from the over-the-counter stuff. You need to have a dentist create bleaching trays for you and to use the prescription strength whitener. My husband's name is Dr. ____@____.com him I sent you and that I said to only charge you $200 since you are a Mamasource mama.