Are Tooth Bleaching Strips as Good as Other Bleaching Kits?

By Belinda Sinclair

Some people say that tooth bleaching strips are the ideal way to whiten your teeth. They consider tooth whitening strips as at least equal to professional tooth bleaching. And they say that there is no more convenient way to bleach your teeth than with strips.

But are tooth bleaching strips the best way to get a brilliant smile? Or are other tooth bleaching systems like tooth bleaching trays and gel kits, more effective at bleaching teeth?

How Does The Tooth Bleaching Strip Work?

Tooth whitening strips are a unique tooth bleaching system. They are clear strips of plastic coated with carbamide peroxide (usually around 6-10% concentration), and are designed to be worn over the teeth twice a day, for an average of 30 minutes each session. The upper tooth bleaching strip has a particular design as does the one for the bottom teeth. They are easy to apply and are barely noticeable to others (and thus can be worn practically any time of the day).

Are Tooth Bleaching Strips Effective?

As mentioned, a tooth bleaching strip is designed to fit directly on the fronts of your teeth without causing any oral discomfort or jaw pain (unlike other products with which these symptoms are often associated -- more on this later).

The tooth bleaching strip uses carbamide peroxide as the tooth bleaching agent. This agent is commonly used by many other tooth bleaching systems and has shown that it can whiten teeth very effectively.

However, there is a serious drawback called "striping" that is not usually mentioned by advocates of the tooth bleaching strip. Striping is when the areas between your teeth -- the nooks and crannies -- are not reached because whitening strips only connect with the fronts of your teeth.

Imagine painting a brown fence white but not dipping your brush in between the crevices. The end result will be a white fence with strips of brown. This is how teeth often look like after using whitening strips.

So while they may work, "striping" is definitely not something in the product's favor.

What Are The Costs Of The Tooth Bleaching Strip?

Tooth bleaching strips are not that expensive. Depending on the brand you want to buy, probably the lowest you'll pay for a box of tooth whitening strips is $25.

What Are The Alternatives To The Tooth Bleaching Strip?

Several home tooth bleaching alternatives come to mind. Firstly, there are the teeth bleaching toothpastes. But as the bleaching substance doesn't stay in contact with the teeth for very long -- just while you're brushing your teeth -- they tend not to be very effective.

Another would be the use of a tooth whitening tray. Some people claim trays to be the most superior system as they allow teeth to be completely submerged in tooth bleaching solution. However, other people complain that trays are bulky and uncomfortable. This is true of generic trays that are designed as one-size-fits-all. The best trays are those custom-made to fit your teeth. They are far more comfortable and provide comprehensive whitening.

Finally there is Professional Tooth Bleaching by your dentist. This is, of course, the most highly skilled process and attains the full effect relatively quickly. However, the cost is high compared to, say, home tooth bleaching kits. The dentist will cost from $500 to $2,000 per session and you may well need several sessions.

My tooth whitening tip? You can try tooth bleaching strips if you like. And you won't lose much if you do. But I believe that home-based tooth bleaching kits with tooth whitening gel and trays is probably the best way to go.

About the Author:

Belinda Sinclair empowers men and women to increase their Wow Factor through personal development and image makeovers. Download a free report 'Little White Lies: False Tooth Whitening Claims Exposed' at http://toothwhiteningclaims.novawhite.com/?source=ga7 to help you make informed decisions.

Article courtesy of www.goarticles.com.