{"id":3815,"date":"2020-11-23T16:36:42","date_gmt":"2020-11-23T21:36:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.opencare.com\/blog\/?p=3815"},"modified":"2021-02-23T11:50:10","modified_gmt":"2021-02-23T16:50:10","slug":"teeth-whitening-strips-all-about-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.opencare.com\/blog\/teeth-whitening-strips-all-about-them\/","title":{"rendered":"Teeth-whitening strips: All about them"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 5<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

Everyone wants a dazzling smile. It makes you look better and feel better about yourself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But it\u2019s often not enough to follow the American Dental Association’s recommendations. Brushing twice daily, flossing, reducing sugary food intake, and seeing your dentist regularly will help give you clean teeth and good oral health<\/span>. But if you want really white teeth, be prepared to put in some extra effort. Enter teeth-whitening strips!<\/span><\/p>\n

What are whitening strips?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Teeth-whitening strips are very thin, nearly-invisible plastic strips, coated on one side with a peroxide-based whitening gel. The gel is typically either hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide.Hydrogen peroxide decomposes faster to release its peroxide, so it\u2019s often used for more rapid effects than carbamide peroxide offers. Regardless, both will achieve the same results.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Strips are meant to be applied onto the teeth with the gel-coated side pressed against the surface of your teeth. This holds them in place while the whitening gel penetrates the surface of the teeth for its whitening effect. You can expect results after daily application, with final, gleaming results in about four weeks<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Do teeth-whitening strips really work?\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

In a word, yes.<\/span><\/p>\n

For starters, teeth have a hard outer layer called enamel and an inner layer called dentin. Despite being the inner layer, the dentin determines the color of the tooth, since the enamel is mostly translucent.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The peroxide gel on these strips penetrates the porous enamel to reach the dentin and break down the stains.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Due for a checkup?<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t

Find a top rated dentist near you that takes your insurance.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tBook now<\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

All this being said, they are effective for whitening, but only to an extent. The grade of peroxide required to whiten teeth significantly isn\u2019t typically safe enough to put on strips.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Are whitening strips bad for you?\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

Despite their popularity, whitening strips do have some side effects. The issue lies with the same ingredient that does the whitening \u2013 peroxide, which can potentially damage teeth over time.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Research presented at the annual American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology shows the hydrogen peroxide used in over-the-counter whitening products can indeed cause damage to teeth, especially to dentin \u2013\u00a0specifically dentin fibers. This is why teeth often become sensitive (usually temporarily) after you use whitening strips.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Fortunately, this doesn’t mean teeth-whitening strips shouldn\u2019t be used at all. It’s just a matter of finding the right concentration of peroxide for you, cutting back on how often you use them, and simply following the proper instructions.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are the best whitening strips?<\/b><\/h3>\n

You\u2019ve got loads of options, but here are the most popular ones.<\/span><\/p>\n