Are you getting what you pay for?
The truth about tooth whitening
It’s a common known fact that almost everyone would like whiter teeth. Whether you’re 18 or 55 a white smile brightens your face and eludes confidence. So, do you need to spend $30 or $1000 to achieve a whiter, brighter more confidant smile? Well we’ve done the research for you so that you can achieve your desired result within the budget you’re comfortable with and avoid paying a tooth whitening’ learning tax’.
Laser Whitening, Take Home Whitening Kits, Simple White, White Glo, Perfect Smile, Pure White,BDazzled, Natural White, Pearl Drops, the names and products go on…there have been a lot of tooth whitening products advertised over the last three years whether it be by your dentist or by supermarket shelf products. We’ve researched 8 products to give you the low down on what works and what doesn’t.
Dental Surgery Laser Whitening Cost $900-$1000 $$$$****
This procedure takes approximately 1 hour in the dental surgery. Your dentist will place some protective barrier across your gums and then a very strong solution of dental grade hydrogen peroxide with special activators and initiators on your teeth. A laser light will then be placed near your teeth to activate the solution, which works by rapidly oxidizing and whitening the stains in your enamel.
This procedure works. Depending on which system your dentist uses will determine the result you get. More money doesn’t necessarily mean a better result. We’ve found that the Bright Smile In office system is one of the most effective with Pola Office the next best choice. The results last from 6 months to two years.
Dental Surgery Take Home Kits Cost $380-$600 $$$*****
Your dentist will take an impression of your teeth and make a very thin clear guard that is customized to fit exactly to stop any dilution of the gel from your saliva. You then receive a kit that contains syringes of peroxide solution and you take it home and squeeze the solution into the guard. It needs to be worn either overnight or half hour twice per day for up to two weeks. The system works really well and the results were fantastic!! According to the dentist the procedure is very safe and will last up to two years!!
White Glo- Cost $35.00 $*
This system is purchased from the chemist or supermarket. It contains two boil and bite mouth guards, whitening toothpaste and whitening gel.
You make the guard yourself by boiling some water, dipping the mouth guard in the water and then putting it in your mouth and sucking. You then place the whitening gel into the guard and wear the guard for 20 minutes. The whitening toothpaste is then used afterwards.
We found the whitening gel to be very weak, approximately 24 times LESS than the dental surgery take home kits and a lot of saliva seemed to get inside the mouth guard. The products also contain titanium dioxide that can temporarily whiten the teeth (similar concept to fake tan) but the results are not long lasting.
Colgate Simply White – Cost $34.95 $**
This is new and has been advertised a lot on the television and in magazines. You can purchase Simply White from the supermarket or chemist. It has a special paint on applicator that you dip into the bottle and then use to paint the gel EVENLY across as many teeth as you can whilst keeping your mouth open and your teeth dry. You then let the gel dry onto your teeth for a further 30 seconds before you close your mouth. You need to do this twice per day for two weeks.
We found we could notice a difference in colour but after a week or two the results faded enough so that we felt we should do it again. The peroxide solution is not as strong as the dental surgery take home whiteners, although the packaging doesn’t claim what strength is used.
B'Dazzled – Cost $99 $$*****
We came across this product at the beauty salon. It has two boil and bite mouth guards and 3 syringes of whitening gel that look similar to the dental surgery take home whitening kits. We tried the mouth guards and they seemed to shrink and mould onto the teeth similar to the guards the dentist made. The gel is a strong as the dental surgery whitening kits and the results achieved were just as good!! You wear this product for half and hour, twice daily for up to two weeks. You can also purchase touch-up kits if you keep your mouth guards for $65.00. These kits contain just the whitening gel for when you want to re-brighten your smile.
Perfect Smile – Cost $39.95 $*
You can purchase this product from the chemist. This is a spray that you use once a day. This is a good idea if you’re looking for a ‘quick fix’ as the spray contains titanium dioxide (the white fake tan) and will give your teeth a whiter appearance for a few hours.
Pearl Drops – Cost $9 $**
Another supermarket product Pearl Drops has been around for years. This product contains abrasive beads that work by polishing away stains on the tooth’s surface. You use it like toothpaste. We did see a slight difference in colour and the teeth did feel smoother after using it for three weeks.
Natural White – Cost $49.95 $**
We found this product at the chemist. It contains a mouth rinse, a boil and bite mouth guards and whitening gel in tubes.
You rinse your mouth first with the mouthwash and then you squeeze the gel into the mouth guard and you wear it for 10 minutes a day for two weeks. We did see a result with this product. Although, we were warned by our dentist that some of the products on the market that contain rinses can be very acidic to the enamel of the teeth and whilst it appears whiter if can also dehydrate and remove the enamel. We checked the pack and it does mention some sought of acid.
It really depends on the individual which product you purchase however, just be warned, sometimes when you purchase the cheaper product it can finish up just being a ‘learning tax’. In the end it may work out a little more for a product that works however, it’s better than paying for a product that doesn’t.