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If you’ve decided to go over the counter way on matters relating to teeth whitening, you know how many options that lies before you. There are tens, if not hundreds, of over the counter teeth whitening methods that claim to help brighten your smile. The most popular ones being the use of teeth whitening strips and toothpaste.
The two claims to give you the professional (dentist-like) teeth whitening session at the comfort of your couch. And at remarkably lower prices. Everyone would fall for that!
But how effective are the two methods? One of the best ways to get the answer to this question is trying them on your own. But there’s no need spending your cash on something you don’t know how it works.
So, let’s make a quick comparison between the two and see which one is more efficient, safer, and reliable…
Teeth Whitening Strips:
Whitening strips/gels are just that: strips. You simply attach the strip to your teeth for a given amount of time and wait for the results.
Whitening strips are swifter at giving you that brighter smile you’re dying for. Packed with useful whitening agents such as hydrogen peroxide, strips can whiten your teeth in a single day depending on the strength you pick.
For your teeth to get whitened, it should be exposed to the whitening agent for longer. Luckily, whitening strips are attached to your teeth for a longer time (unlike the toothpaste) increasing their effectiveness.
A word of caution: Avoid using whitening strips frequently if you notice increased teeth sensitivity. The sensitivity is mainly felt when taking things like hot or cold beverages. Immediately you start to see this, please yourself a favor and stop using the strips. You can replace them with special whitening toothpaste for sensitive teeth e.g. Sensodyne.
Note that if you suffer teeth discoloration as a result of taking medications like tetracycline, you might get a hard time trying to use whitening strips to achieve a whiter smile.
Also, don’t forget that you can use whitening strips, anywhere, anytime, even when carrying out other productive tasks.
Teeth Whitening Toothpastes:
Whitening toothpaste are also pretty popular as they help you achieve a brighter smile. Typically, the product contains smaller quantities of fluoride and hydrogen peroxide, making them ideal for removing teeth surface stains that result from foods and beverages.
The most amazing thing about teeth whitening toothpastes is that you can use it every day. Yes, you heard that right. In fact, you can use it in place of your regular toothpaste.
Another impressive thing about the whitening toothpaste is that you can use it alongside other teeth whitening products, including the teeth whitening strips.
Since you brush your teeth with the whitening toothpaste and then rinse it off, you might not get whiter results quickly. This is based on the fact that whitening products require some extra time to interact with your teeth. In such manner, hydrogen peroxide, the whitening agent present in them, will have sufficient time to do its job.
If you’ve sensitive teeth and want to make them whiter, this is your part. There are whitening toothpastes specially made for people with sensitive teeth, and they’ll help you achieve your oral health goals.
What Do I Prefer?
As you can see, both whitening strips and whitening toothpaste are great options for restoring your natural white teeth color. Each has its benefits downsides.
Whitening strips are perfect for people who need faster results. If you’re scheduled for an interview or an important meeting the next day, a great whitening gel will give you magical results a day before. You can also use them anywhere and at any time.
The only downside is that they cause increased teeth sensitivity.
On the contrary, whitening toothpaste can be combined with other methods for the best results. There are also special whitening toothpastes for people with teeth sensitivity.
But if you want much quicker whitening results, whitening toothpaste are not for you. This is not to mean that they don’t work. Only that they may take a little longer compared to whitening strips.
Overall, the choice of whitening method to use depends on your specific whitening needs and the status of your teeth.
Final Verdict
Teeth whitening strips and toothpastes are two great ways of whitening your teeth from your home. Both approaches are great, readily available, safe for use, and extremely affordable. Which method do you prefer to use? Or better, which one meets your particular teeth whitening needs? The choice is entirely yours.
