How to Choose over-the-Counter Whitening Strips

Although whitening strips are not nearly as effective as having your teeth whitened by a cosmetic dentist, they can be an option for people who do not have the time or the money to go in for this procedure. There are lots of different types of whitening strips on the market, each with their own details and specifications. Make sure that you know which characteristics you want your whitening strips to have before you commit to a purchase.

1. How Fast Does It Work?

One huge characteristic that everyone wants to know is how quickly they can expect the whitening strips to work. Some whitening strips will take up to eight weeks to do the job, meaning that you will have to continue to purchase them for that entire time period. Other whitening strips claim to whiten your teeth in less than a week. What you need to know is that, if you're looking for a whitening job that will last a long time, you will want to choose the strips that whiten your teeth more slowly and more thoroughly. If you need to have your teeth whitened for a wedding that's in a few days, you will want to get the strips that will whiten your teeth quickly, but make sure that you understand that this whiteness will not last very long.

2. How Do You Want to Apply It?

You will also want to take into consideration how you want to apply it. If you want to just squirt some onto your teeth every few hours, you can get one of the pens that you can carry around with you. If you don't want to deal with the messiness of a pen, you can get strips that you can apply to the fronts of your teeth or racks that go around your teeth that are filled with whitening solution. It all depends on what you're most comfortable with.

3. How Long Do You Want to Keep It On?

If you want to put it on and go, you will want to purchase strips that are totally transparent. If you're not as concerned about whitening on the go, you can get the opaque racks that will keep your teeth white. Using pens are also great ways to spot treat your teeth while on the move.

4. How Sensitive Are You?

If your teeth are extremely sensitive, then you will want to make sure that you are using a gentle whitener and not surrounding your teeth or gums with whitening solution. This means that you will want to go with strips or the pen, rather than a full rack whitening.

For more information, talk to a dentist like Dr. Robert Petrtyl.