I’m thinking about getting the Luster Premium Teeth Whitening kit. It has some good reviews but I’m still not sure. Have you looked at it before? With it having the light, it should work like the Zoom Whitening, but it costs so much less it has me suspicious.
Dena
Dear Dena,
I’m glad you wrote. There is a reason it costs less. This is nothing like the Zoom Whitening system you get at a dentist’s office. After looking at the system and its ingredients, I think it would be a profound waste of money. The light isn’t strong enough to do anything and is likely there for psychological effect.
As for the whitening ingredient, I would more call it a pigment—zinc oxide. The pigment sticks to the teeth, which will make them look whiter for a time, but that color will gradually fade off. If you’re looking strictly for an over-the-counter whitening system, Crest Whitestrips does work, though it has some disadvantages to be aware of. If you can live with those, that is the system I would go with.
Disadvantages of Crest Whitestrips
Its Strength
Anything able to be purchased over the counter will not be as strong as anything you get from a medical professional. This is for the safety of the patient. The whitestrips will still whiten your teeth, but you will need to use quite a few boxes to equal the whitening you would get with a dentist.
Its Reach
The Whitestrips only cover the first 4-6 teeth, depending on the shape of your bite. Most smiles are 8-10 teeth wide. This means you’d have to double the number of strips you use to whiten everything. Between that and needing to use more boxes to get the same amount of whitening, I’m not sure how much you’ll save.
Professional Teeth Whitneing
While professional teeth whitening has the disadvantage of being more expensive initially, you will get better results faster. Plus, if you keep the whitening trays, you can touch up your teeth with very little expense.
The advantages are three-fold.
Strength & Effectiveness
Because it is administered by a medical professional, the potency of the whitening gel is significantly higher which will allow you to get whiter faster. As you can see from the image of the whitening trays above, these are custom designed to fit your bite snuggly. That will keep the gel in place enabling it to see deep into the tooth.
Protection
You are under the care and supervision of a dentist during your treatment, this means you’ll have someone keeping an eye on the health of you gums and fillings, etc. during the course of your treatment and can head off any possible complications.
Teeth Whitening in One Appointment
If you want to whiten your teeth as quickly as possible, you can see if your dentist uses Zoom Whitening. I can tell from your question, you are already familiar with it, but for the benefit of those who aren’t you can learn more by clicking on this link: Zoom Whitening.
This blog is brought to you by Grosse Pointe Woods Dentist Dr. Theodore Hadgis.