Although dentist whitening is currently the most popular way of whitening your teeth in the UK, in the USA it’s a different story! Home teeth whitening is by far the most common way most Americans whiten their teeth, with high quality products available in almost all drugstores, and even in supermarkets! The UK is quickly catching up though, and here’s why…

How does home whitening whitening differ from dentist whitening?

When whitening your teeth with over-the-counter (OTC) products you will actually be using the exact same whitening ingredient, and at the same strength, as your dentist would give you – hydrogen- or carbamide-peroxide. The difference comes from the way that the gel is applied to your teeth.

Dentist whitening

Your dentist will typically take impressions of your teeth and provide you with custom-made whitening trays from a dental laboratory. You will then be given the whitening gel, usually 10% or 16% carbamide peroxide and advised to whiten once a day for 2 weeks. Many dentists in the USA are now also providing Crest Whitestrips Supreme to their patients, the Supreme is not found in drugstores or supermarkets but only from dental surgeries (or from specialist websites).

Over-the-counter home whitening kits

Home teeth whitening kits can be divided into 3 categories; tray-based, strips, and pens.

Tray-Based

As you can imagine, tray-based kits are almost identical to that which you get from your dentist – except without the multiple appointments and high cost! With tray based kits you get the exact same gel your dentist would prescribe but instead of having expensive custom-made trays you make your own with boil-and-bite thermoforming trays. These boil-and-bite trays mould precisely to your mouth when you place them in hot water to soften them, and then place them over your teeth – and recent research has shown that boil-and-bite trays are in fact just as effective as custom-made trays in terms of whitening results!

We recommend tray-based kits the most highly as the self-customised trays provide the most precise fit and give the exact same results that you get from dentist-prescribed take home whitening. Tray-based kits give the most even whitening results, and typically are the most cost-effective type of home kits. However, if you’re looking for less mess and less hassle, you may find strip based kits a better fit…

Whitening strips

Whitening strips are the most popular type of OTC whitening in the USA – with Crest Whitestrips being used by over 21 million Americans! Whitening strips contain the exact same peroxide-based whitening gel as you get from your dentist but instead of applying it to the teeth via trays, it’s contained on a thin clear plastic strip which fits straight onto the fronts of your teeth. With the new generation of Whitestrips the fit is even better than before, and you can talk normally and even drink water whilst you’re whitening – so no one need know you are whitening your teeth! When you’ve finished, you just peel off the strip and chuck away.

We recommend Crest Whitestrips to people who want to whiten their teeth with minimal hassle and mess – and still want the exact same great results you get from tray-based kits. We’ve found our customers love the convenience of Whitestrips and are hence one of our best selling ranges. If your teeth are quite crooked however, strips are probably not the best solution for you as you may not be able to achieve even coverage over your teeth – we would recommend a tray-based kit instead.

Whitening Pens

Whitening pens offer the most convenient way of whitening your teeth, just paint on, allow to dry, and go about your everyday business! No one will ever know you are whitening your teeth, and there are no messy trays or strips to deal with. With pens you can also paint on the gel exactly where you want it – for example if one tooth is darker than the rest – and you don’t need to worry about getting any gel onto your gums.

Pens do have their limitations however, after the gel is painted onto your teeth and dried (like nail varnish) the film is not particularly resistant to saliva and may get washed away within 30 minutes, meaning less time the gel is in contact with your teeth and hence slower results. We therefore recommend pens as a great way for maintaining your new whiter smile; they are small and look just like a normal pen allowing you to keep them in your handbag or washbag and because of the quick, easy, and discreet application you can ‘top-up’ your teeth at your convenience – maybe before a night out, a special occasion, or just because your teeth aren’t quite as bright as they were when you initially whitened them.

In a nutshell!

If you want professional dentist whitening results, at home and without the high cost – over-the-counter home kits are a great option. At Dentstore, we stock a huge range of home kits – all dentist approved – allowing you to choose the right kit for your smile and lifestyle, and of course, all our products are protected by a full money-back guarantee in case you don’t get the results you were expecting.

The reason teeth whitening is so popular is because it works, is easy to do, non-invasive, and has very little risk of side effects. In this article, the mechanism by which teeth whitening using peroxide-based gel works (the only approved whitening ingredient, as used by dentists worldwide) will be explained, but first it helps to know what causes teeth to become stained!

How do teeth become dull, gray, or yellow?

When you eat and drink staining foods, such as; curry, red wine, tea, and coffee, or you smoke – the highly coloured organic molecules can enter into your teeth via microscopic pores in the enamel and underlying dentine. As more and more of these dark molecules build up within your teeth, they absorb light and give the tooth a darker or yellower appearance.

As you can imagine, these stains are within the teeth and can’t just be simply removed with brushing. This is where teeth whitening can help!

So how does the whitening gel get rid of these stains?

When you apply the whitening gel to your teeth (via trays, strips, or a pen) the small peroxide molecules pass easily through the micropores and come into contact with the staining molecules that have built up in your enamel and dentine and breaks down into active oxygen (OXYD-8) and water.

The active oxygen is a powerful oxidising agent, this basically means that the large, dark staining molecules get broken down into smaller particles and turned white in colour – exactly like when you apply bleach when cleaning. The overall results is that your teeth look brighter and whiter!

If the gel works on stains, how come it doesn’t damage my teeth?

The great thing about peroxide based gels is that it can only work on organic stains and so doesn’t affect the hard tissues of your teeth (the enamel and dentine) or any restorative dental work you may have – that’s why peroxide based teeth whitening is the only type approved by international dental associations and offered by dentists worldwide.

The basic teeth whitening formula

For whitening gel to effectively lighten and whiten your teeth this basic formula is needed:

Whitening results = strength of gel x time

Basically this means that the higher the strength of gel and the longer that the gel is in contact with your teeth, the more stains will be broken down and the whiter your smile will become (to a limit of course)!. However, it’s not always necessary to have the highest strength gel – in fact it can give worse results! To find out more, click here to read on…

Whitening toothpaste is not only easy to find (on our site), but it is easy to use – requiring no special skills or products – to help brighten your teeth on a daily basis. The results of using whitening toothpaste speak for themselves, but we thought we’d give you three reasons to try out whitening toothpaste today:

1. Whitening toothpaste removes stains.

Whitening toothpaste, such as AllWhite Whitening Toothpaste, has been proven to remove surface stains, or “extrinsic stains,” from the enamel of teeth. These surface stains can be caused by a variety of discolorants, including tobacco, coffee, and red wine. Repeated use of these common discolorants can cause teeth to appear yellow and dingy.

Whitening toothpaste can restore the luster of tooth enamel while breaking down and removing many surface stains. Using whitening toothpaste may help your teeth look up to two shades brighter with regular use.

2. Whitening your teeth requires no extra time or cost from you.

You’re going to brush your teeth for two minutes twice a day anyway – so why not add the extra benefit of getting a brighter smile from your efforts? Brushing your teeth with whitening toothpaste is safe and effective and requires the same time commitment as regular brushing. Whitening toothpastes are also priced competitively with other toothpastes.

Check out the Restore Remineralizing & Desensitising Toothpaste we offer if you normally use toothpaste designed for sensitive teeth.

3. Whitening toothpaste maintains a whiter smile, especially after using a deep whitening product.

In order to achieve maximum whitening results, it is important to use whitening products that are designed to clean deep down into the pores of your teeth to remove intrinsic stains. These products may include gels, white strips, and whitening pens. However, you will only need to do a deep-down clean about every 18 months if you are able to maintain your whiter smile by using whitening toothpaste on a daily basis.

Whitening toothpaste can help to remove stains before the stains find their way past the tooth enamel to the inside of the tooth. By using whitening toothpaste daily, your teeth can stay whiter longer.

Whitening Tip: Want to add an extra boost to your whitening toothpaste? Check out the Oral-B® ProBright brush head. This oscillating-rotating brush head is designed for most Oral-B® electric tooth brush models and features a soft rubber polishing cup that holds toothpaste in place while the bristles polish each tooth.

Bad breath can really knock your confidence, stopping you getting close to people and making you feel uncomfortable in social situations – but it needn’t be that way!

90% of bad breath cases come from mouth odours, not from the stomach and usually can be sorted out very easily by making a few changes to your oral care routine… here are our top 5 simple tips!

1. Clean your tongue!

The majority of bad breath comes from bacteria stuck to the mucous on the surface of your tongue – you can test this by using a spoon to scrape the surface of your tongue, then smell the gunk that comes off! Pretty nasty isn’t it?! Luckily this is extremely easy to remove, you can use a toothbrush or the more effective option of a tongue scraper (cost around £3 from most major supermarkets). Just scrape it from back to front along the top of your tongue and wash away the smelly mucous… you’re breath will be instantly much fresher and will stay fresher for longer in the day.

2. Brush your teeth twice a day

Goes without saying, but make sure you do a good job of brushing your teeth! Establish a pattern to make sure you cover all the surfaces of your teeth – I start with the lowers, brushing the front surface – then the back – then the biting surface, making sure I feel the brush on my gums so I know I’ve gone right down to the gum-line. I then repeat with the uppers.

3. Chew sugar-free gum

Don’t be tempted to pop polos or normal mints – most of them contain huge amounts of sugar and will only cover bad breath for 5 minutes before actually adding to the problem by feeding the stinky bacteria in your mouth! Chew sugar-free gum instead, especially after meals – just don’t overdo it, they can have a laxative effect if you chew too many!

4. Keep hydrated

Saliva is essential for controlling bacteria numbers so when your mouth is dry you can often find your breath isn’t smelling too fresh! To keep saliva flowing make sure you stay well hydrated and you may want to consider chewing sugar-free gum in between meals too.

5. If that doesn’t help… see your dentist!

If you find that the above tips don’t improve your breath situation, don’t despair.  A lot of people are embarrassed to discus bad breath with their dentist but there really is no need to worry – dentists see it all the time and are specially trained to help sort it out so book an appointment to see yours – there may be other reasons for your bad breath which a dentist will be able to help with.

To form the trays, start by boiling a kettle. Pour water into a cup deep enough to submerge the tray, and whilst holding the tray tab, dip into the water for about 5 seconds.

Pull the soft tray out and put immediately over your teeth. Try to suck the air out of the tray and then using your fingers push the tray onto your teeth at the front and back to get a really close fit.

Leave in place for 10-15 seconds and then take out and dip in cold water. If you feel the fit could be better, just re-boil the kettle and try again! Be careful to make sure the tray sides don’t fold in on themselves though.

When you’re happy with the tray fit, use a sharp pair of small scissors and cut off the tab as close to the tray as possible.

Get the custom fit

Here’s our top tip: to get a really good custom tray try cutting along the gum line – this will mean that when the tray is in your mouth it only covers your teeth, and not the gums. Any excess gel that then leaks out of the tray can just be wiped away and you won’t have any problem with sore gums!

1. Brush your teeth twice a day

OK, we know you knew that already (right?) but it really is important. When you’re brushing your teeth you need to be consistent and have a pattern, this helps you make sure you have reached all the surfaces of your teeth – because remember, any surface that you consistently don’t brush will accumulate sticky plaque and could end up in a cavity! My pattern is to start on the lowers, do the fronts of the teeth first, then the biting surfaces, and then the backs. I make sure I can feel my toothbrush on my gums so I know I have gone right down to the gum line. I then repeat with the upper teeth.

2. Spit, don’t rinse!

Do you wash your mouth with water after brushing? Well stop it! Research has shown that one the simplest ways of cutting decay dramatically is to just spit out the toothpaste after brushing – and not to rinse with water! This leaves a protective film of toothpaste on your teeth for some time after brushing, allowing the fluoride in your toothpaste enough time to act.

3. Make sure your toothpaste contains fluoride

Fluoride was introduced into toothpastes in the early 1970’s – and has been the single biggest reason for the dramatic reduction in decay! Fluoride gets absorbed by your teeth and incorporated into the enamel which adds strength and makes the teeth more resistant to acid attacks from bacteria, fizzy drinks, and fruit juices. The ideal concentration of fluoride is 1450ppm – check your toothpaste because some only contain 700ppm which is not nearly as effective!

4. Get flossing!

Yes we know, you hate it and your dentist tells you to do it every time you go! Unfortunately however you do need to do it – the majority of decay forms in between teeth (interproximally in dentist-speak) where you can’t reach with your toothbrush. To make flossing easier, try using flossing aids such as Crest Glide or if the spaces between your teeth are big enough, TePe brushes (mini pipe cleaners). I find flossing in the evening, whilst watching TV works for me as I don’t have enough time to do it in the morning – it might work for you too?

5. Chew sugar-free gum after meals and snacks

After you have a sugary snack or a meal, the cavity-causing bacteria in your mouth convert the sugars into acid which are responsible for the holes you get in your teeth. After eating sugary food the pH in your mouth will drop to around 5.0 within 5 minutes and will not come back up to neutral for around 30-40 minutes – and when the pH (acidity) level in your mouth drops below 5.5, your tooth enamel will start to dissolve. To bring the pH level back up quickly, and not give the acid a chance to cause cavities, all you need to do is chew some sugar-free gum! By chewing you stimulate protective saliva production, which helps to neutralise acids – as well as make your breath nice and fresh!

6. Drink fizzy drinks and fruit juices through a straw

Fizzy drinks and fruit juices a) contain sugar and b) are very acidic, both of which can lead to nasty tooth decay! A cheap and simple way of protecting yourself against the harmful effects of these drinks is to drink them through a straw – and bypass the teeth!

7. If you’re going to eat sugary snacks, scoff don’t spread!

Although you should try and keep sugary snacks to meal times (and no more than 3 times a day if possible) we know you might deviate from time to time! To give your teeth time to recover from acid attack, try and eat sugary snacks in one go – not spread out over a long period of time as you’ll just be keeping the cavity-causing bacteria topped up with sugar to convert into acid!

8. Beware the mint with hole

I see patients every day who complain of persistent bad breath – and their way of covering it up is to eat packets and packets of polos and mints. What they don’t realise is that usually the principle ingredient in polos and mints is sugar! By popping a mint every 30 minutes or so throughout the day, they are giving the bacteria in their mouths a constant source of sugar to convert into acid – and they never give their mouths enough time to recover. It also adds to the bad breath problem by increasing the amount of stinky plaque. If bad breath is your issue, try cleaning your tongue as this is where the majority of bad breath comes from – and make sure your mints or gum is sugar-free.

9. Go green (tea)

Unlike me, some people hate green tea, but if you can stomach it your teeth and gums will thank you for it! Studies have shown that simply drinking a cup of green tea a day can help protect against tooth decay, gum disease and even mouth cancer due to the high fluoride and anti-oxidant content. Green tea is also anti-microbial – helping to kill off those pesky cavity-causing bugs. As an additional benefit, a study from China showed that women lost on average 4 pounds in weight over 6 weeks when they drank 4 cups of the green stuff each day!

10. See your dentist… regularly!

OK I know this article is all about how to save money at the dentist so this tip might seem a bit stupid, but by investing a in getting regular check-ups is well worth it. Your dentist will be able to give you a thorough examination and may be able to offer preventative measures to help stop decay such as fluoride varnish (to remineralise early decay) and fissure sealants (plugging up the deep valleys in the biting surface of your teeth where your toothbrush bristles have no chance of reaching).

What are your top tips?

Do you have any tips for keeping your smile in top condition? Let us know by clicking ‘Comments’ at the top and leaving us a message!

A very common side-effect to whitening is temporary mild tooth sensitivity – typically experienced by up to 50% of people who whiten their teeth. Sensitivity almost always disappears after 1-2 days however.

You can limit the risk of getting sensitive teeth by either using a lower strength gel (10% or 16%) and/or purchasing a desensitising gel – which contains the same active ingredient found in Sensodyne but in much higher concentration.

If a significant amount of high strength whitening gel gets onto your gums, they can become temporarily bleached with a white appearance. Although the bleaching typically reverses after 20-30 minutes, it can be painful.

You can limit the risk of gum irritation by; using a lower strength gel, cutting your trays along the gum line to allow any excess gel to be wiped off the gums, not using too much gel, and removing trays if you start feeling pain in your gums. Alternatively you can use Crest Whitestrips, or a whitening pen to avoid gel going onto your gums!

The basic formula for whitening helps to answer this popular question:

Whitening results = Strength of gel x Time gel is in contact with your teeth

What this means is that if you use a higher strength of gel, you will get maximum whitening results in less time, and likewise if you use a lower strength of gel it will take you longer to get the same results.

However, the story is not that simple!

The problems with high strength gels

Although most people think that the higher the strength gel, the better the results – this isn’t always the case. Higher strength gels (22% and 35%) have a much greater chance of causing temporary sensitivity and can be painful if they get on your gums. In our experience we find that when customers use too high a gel strength, they may get sensitivity or gum irritation and then stop using it – or use it every other day for example; this leads to less time that the gel is in contact with the teeth and so whitening results aren’t any faster than using a lower strength gel!

High strength gels are also typically only worn for short periods of time, so after 2 weeks of whitening you will most likely get the same amount of whitening if you use 35% for 15 minutes once a day as you would with a 10% gel but worn overnight for 14 nights.

Do you often get sensitive teeth?

If you suffer from sensitive teeth then we would only advise 10% or maximum 16% for whitening your teeth. It may take a greater amount of time spent wearing whitening trays, yet whitening will be comfortable and you won’t have to stop treatment because of sensitivity.

Our recommendations:

We recommend 16% carbamide peroxide most frequently to our customers because it doesn’t need to be worn overnight, has minimal risk of sensitivity and gum irritation, and actually works very quickly to give maximum whitening results in a relatively short period of time. If you want mimimum time spent wearing trays, 22% or 35% – or Crest Whitestrips – could be best for you.

Choosing from our range of whitening products can sometimes be tricky – which is best? which one is right for my teeth? what’s the difference between them? We often advise people over the phone as to which product will suit them best so we decided to create an article that will help you make the best choice…

Which type of product suits you best?

Firstly you need to choose the type of kit that is most suitable for you:

Tray-Based Kits

Tray-Based kits offer the most effective results, reaching all areas of your teeth for completely even whitening. Tray based kits are almost exactly the same as you get from your dentist – but are much better value for money! The majority of our customers opt for tray based kits, and we have an incredibly high satisfaction rate. For customers with a lot of staining, or who want the maximum whitening results possible we would highly recommend tray-based kits. However, some people find trays a bit messy and don’t like the fact that they make speaking difficult. Some find trays to be a bit bulky in the mouth too, in which case you may find strips to be a better fit…

Whitening Strips

Whitening strips offer great results, are super-easy to apply, allow you to speak normally, and don’t require you to form trays to your mouth. They are best suited to people who want convenience, ease of use, and the same great results you get from tray based kits. On the down-side, strips can become dislodged easily, can stimulate a lot of saliva, and are not ideally suited to people who have crooked or misaligned teeth as they may not be able to achieve satisfactory coverage. If you are still looking for even greater ease of use and convenience, you may find pens are better for you…

Whitening pens

Whitening pens offer the most convenient way of whitening your teeth, just paint on, allow to dry, and go about your everyday business! No one will ever know you are whitening your teeth, and there are no messy trays or strips to deal with. With pens you can also paint on the gel exactly where you want it – for example if one tooth is darker than the rest – and you don’t need to worry about getting any gel onto your gums.

Pens do have their limitations however, after the gel is painted onto your teeth and dried (like nail varnish) the film is not particularly resistant to saliva and may get washed away within 30 minutes, meaning less time the gel is in contact with your teeth and hence slower results. We therefore recommend pens as a great way for maintaining your new whiter smile; they are small and look just like a normal pen allowing you to keep them in your handbag or washbag and because of the quick, easy, and discreet application you can ‘top-up’ your teeth at your convenience – maybe before a night out, a special occasion, or just because your teeth aren’t quite as bright as they were when you initially whitened them. Pens are also great if you have fairly white teeth already and are just looking for a boost of 3-4 shades – they are particularly popular with younger customers who don’t have much staining but want a ‘Hollywood Smile’ without the hassle.

Now you’ve chosen which type of product you want to whiten with…

You now need to decide which strength and size of the kit! This really depends on how stained your teeth are, and which type of staining you have.

Not heavily stained but slightly yellow

You will probably not need a high strength of whitening gel, nor need to whiten for more than a week or so! A gel strength of 10% (if you have sensitive teeth) or 16% should be adequate – or if you want really fast results, 22% (although you may get sensitivity for a day or two). For Crest Whitestrips you could try any of the products that have a 7 or 10 day treatment time – or if you buy a bigger pack (for example Crest Supreme) you can keep strips to use in top-up treatments after 6-12 months to keep your teeth bright and white. A whitening pen may also be suitable, if you are looking for a 3-4 shade increase a pen would be the easiest and lowest-cost way of whitening your teeth.

Yellow teeth

Either a tray based or strip based kit is best for you. Achieving maximum results will probably take 10-14 days. The higher the strength of gel the quicker your teeth will whiten, but the risk of sensitivity and gum irritation will be greater. In general we highly recommend a 16% gel strength, you can get the same maximum result but at a slightly slower pace – leading to a more stable shade and greater comfort during whitening. Any of the Crest Whitestrips products are suitable, just make sure that there are enough strips included to last approximately 2 weeks. A whitening pen is a great way to keep your teeth white afterwards, but probably not enough to give you the initial whitening unless you are only after a 3-4 shade increase.

Dark grey or yellow teeth

Unfortunately these are the most difficult teeth to whiten. In your case we highly recommend a tray based kit along with some gel refills as you will probably need to whiten for 2-3 weeks to get maximum results. Crest whitestrips will also work, however they can be more expensive especially if you need a 3 week supply (see Crest Whitestrips Supreme). For gel strength, 16% upwards is indicated – however if you have sensitive teeth 10% will still allow you to achieve maximum results but it will take considerably longer wear-time than 22% or 35% for example.

More information

We highly recommend you read our article on which strength of gel is best – you’ll find all the strengths compared and a guide to which one to pick for maximum whitening results, you may be surprised!

We hope that helps you decide, however if you still have questions or comments please just post in the comment box below – we will get back to you straight away!

After whitening your teeth initially (for 1-2 weeks) you can keep your teeth beautifully white for years by following some of our simple tips and tricks!

Use a whitening toothpaste

Whitening toothpastes cannot remove stains that are within your teeth (that’s why you need a whitening kit) but they are great at stopping stains from building up and keeping your teeth glossy and healthy. Pick a toothpaste with a high fluoride and xylitol content, such as All White, to help protect against decay and keep breath fresh. Remember to brush twice a day!

Stop smoking

Maybe easier said than done but if you are a smoker, you are putting yourself at risk of mouth cancer as well as other diseases. Your teeth will also re-stain quicker, and you are at greater risk of gum disease. If you are interested in quitting, there are several stop smoking services available from the NHS (in the UK) which have been shown to dramatically improve your chances of quitting compared to going it alone.

Start flossing

Flossing your teeth is essential to remove cavity-causing bacteria and plaque from in between your teeth (which make up 40% of total tooth surface!). Flossing will also help prevent stains and calculus (hardened plaque) building up, lightening the dark areas between teeth.

Do ‘top-up’ whitening treatments

After initially whitening your teeth you can use ‘top-up’ treatments of 1-3 applications every 6-12 months to keep your teeth at their maximum whiteness. We particularly recommend a whitening pen – they are easy, convenient, quick, discreet, and great value for money!