A Buyers Guide to Best At-Home Teeth Whitening Strips
A white smile is one of those highly-desirable features that doesn't come natural to most of us. Everyday we are engaged in face-to-face conversations and would rather have someone staring into our eyes as we speak than at our yellow, stained teeth. It can be embarrassing and confidence draining.
Luckily, whiter teeth can be attained quite easily with plenty of whitening methods on the market, our favorite being white strips. Read on to find out more about the benefits and how they work, or check out these reviews of our best whitening strips.
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Top Whitestrips Comparisons
Crest 3D Professional Whitestrips | 
Crest 3D White Gentle Routine | 
Lovely Smile Teeth Whitening Kit | 
PearlGuard Whitestrips | 
Harmony Life Whitestrips |
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20 Day Treatment | 14 Day Treatment | 14 Day Treatment | 14 Day Treatment | 14 Day Treatment |
Apply 30 mins/day | Apply 30 mins/day | Apply 60 mins/day | Apply 60 mins/day | Apply 30 mins/day |
Peroxide 9.5% | Peroxide 5.25% | Peroxide 6% | Sodium Chlorite 1% | Peroxide 6% |
--- | Suitable for Sensitive Teeth | Suitable for Sensitive Teeth | Suitable for Sensitive Teeth | Suitable for Sensitive Teeth |
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What Are Teeth Whitening Strips?
White strips consist of a strip coated with a tooth-whitening gel that delivers a whiter smile after a certain amount of uses. They are the most widely used home remedy for fixing stained or discolored teeth. They usually come in a package with multiple applications. They are to be used for a treatment period of anywhere from 1 day to 1 month, depending on the product you buy.
How Do Whitening Strips Work?
Whitestrips work on stained teeth like an eraser does on pencil marks. They can remove years of undesirable stains. In each application you will use a strip for your upper teeth and a strip for your lower teeth. Simply peel off the backing, apply and wait for the instructed amount of time before removal. This will be repeated for the treatment period stated in the instructions.
The strips keep the gel against the teeth, ensuring even results and whitening below the surface of the enamel.It is ideal to avoid beverages that stain like coffee and wine during the treatment period to avoid further staining.
Pros and Cons of White Strips
Pros:
- More affordable, convenient alternative to getting teeth whitened by a dentist. Many cannot afford going to a dentist to get their teeth whitened. The cost of in-office tooth whitening varies, but can range from $500 to $1,000. There are many at-home whitening system options, but the strips in our opinion seem to be the most effective for the price.
- Quick, easy and effective. Oral care companies have made DIY tooth whitening incredibly simple.
- Many different options to choose from when it comes to treatment period. In as little as 60 minutes you can achieve a whiter smile. There are slower 28-day treatment period options as well. These results may take longer but are better for people with tooth sensitivity.
Cons:
- Will not whiten tooth-colored bondings, fillings or dentures. Only meant for natural teeth.
- There is only so much that whitestrips can do. They aren't likely to work their magic on grey or purple teeth.
Choosing Whitening Strips - Buying Tips
There are careful considerations to make before deciding on whitestrips:
Tooth Sensitivity
This is one of the main considerations someone would need to make if planning to use white strips on their teeth. Though the whitening isn't normally harming the tooth's enamel, it is still possible to feel the effects of teeth sensitivity when applying the strips. This doesn't mean that you have to avoid them altogether.
There are many gentler options to choose from that still have the same whitening effect. For example, some products allow for the strip to be applied for a much shorter period of time and use a less concentrated formula.
Current Oral Condition and Whitening Goals
With slight discoloration, there is no need to purchase the most intense whitening solution you can find. You may want to consider touch-up strips or strips with a lower concentration of whitener.
For those with heavily stained teeth, they would likely benefit most from a combination of regular treatments and gentle daily touch-ups in between to help prevent stains. As stated before, if your teeth are in such a poor condition that they are purple or grey, then you will not achieve the results you had hoped for. Teeth that are very yellow may only lighten a few shades. It's important to have realistic expectations.
How fast do you want to see results? For those in a hurry to achieve a whiter smile, it's possible to get strips with same-day results. Or you can slowly whiten over a 2-week or 1-month period. The options are endless.
This system works on natural teeth only. If you have tooth-colored fillings, they may appear more noticeable against whiter teeth. Whitening will be less successful for those who smoke or with dental ulcers, gum disease, cavities, crowns, etc.
It's a good idea to speak to your dentist about the condition of your teeth and which products may be suitable for you.
White Strip Reviews
Crest 3D White Professional Effects Whitestrips is our top rated white strips kit. The treatment period is 20 days for 30 minutes each day. You can expect to see full results in the 20 day period, but after only a few days you should see that you're on your way to a brighter smile.
These strips are very grippy, so you should not have a problem getting them to stay in place during the 30 minute period.
Ingredients: PVP, PEG-8, Water, Hydrogen Peroxide 9.5%, Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Saccharin
PROS
- Removes up to 14 years of stains
- Advanced Seal Technology - molds to your teeth
- No-slip grip so they stay in place even if you need to have a drink of water during treatment
CONS
- Do not expect same-day results. Teeth gradually whiten over the treatment period.
Crest 3D White Whitestrips Gentle Routine are designed with tooth sensitivity in mind. You only need to apply the strips for 30 minutes, which is very convenient and yet still effective over a 14-day period. These are in our opinion the best white strips for sensitive teeth.
Ingredients: PVP, Water, PEG-8, Acrylates Copolymer, Hydrogen Peroxide 5.25%, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Saccharin
PROS
- Very gentle yet effective option for people with sensitive teeth
- Uses the same whitening ingredient used by dentists
- Unlike whitening toothpastes, white strips remove stains beneath enamel surface
CONS
- Takes a longer period of time to achieve full teeth whitening results
If you are looking for the top whitening strips with quick results, Lovely Smile Premium Line Teeth Whitening Kit is the perfect choice. In as little as 1 - 60 minute application you should notice that you are on your way to whiter teeth. Full results are achieved after only 2 weeks, and the results can last up to an entire year.
Ingredients: Hydrogen Peroxide, DL-menthol, Hydroxypropyl cellulose, K30, K90, Glycerol, Alcohol, Water
PROS
- One of the strongest white strips using Non-slip technology. These strips are not going anywhere until you remove them yourself. This allows them to have a longer application time.
- Express whitening
CONS
- The thickness of the gel may turn some people off when removing it afterwards.
PearlGuard Professional Whitening Strips is one of the best teeth whitening kits that is peroxide-free on the market. They utilize the Swiss Nano O2 formula which is activated when it comes into contact with saliva.
Thus creating nano oxygen bubbles which basically makes an aerated solution that whitens beneath the surface of the enamel. It's an innovative and enamel-safe way of removing unwanted stains.
Ingredients: PVP (K30), Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Glycerin, PVP (K90), Alcohol, Sodium Chlorite 1%, EDTA, Stevioside, DL-Menthol
PROS
- Peroxide-free, instead using Sodium chlorite
- Mint flavored
- Easy to use, no-slip grip technology
CONS
- The length of application time is 60 minutes, which can be unappealing seeing as there are other whitening strips with much shorter application times.
Harmony Life teeth whitening strips are not only effective, they are easy on the wallet. They are guaranteed to whiten teeth after the 14 day treatment period, or you get your money back.
This kit includes a bonus shade guide, which makes it easy to track your whitening progress as you go. The gel leaves a refreshing mint taste in your mouth.
Main Ingredients: Hydrogen Peroxide 6%, Glycerol, Deionized Water, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Menthol
PROS
- You can get your money back if you do not see results after the full treatment period
- Advanced double elastic gel strips stick to teeth
CONS
- The gel that remains on the teeth may need to be brushed off afterwards which adds some time to the whitening routine.
Conclusion
The Crest White Luxe Whitening kit takes the number one place out of our best whitestrips. You'll likely agree if you skip that expensive trip to the dentist and give it a try at home. Especially knowing how simple and effective it can be to do it yourself.
The condition of your teeth is an important factor in your decision. As well as tooth sensitivity and whitening goals. The different kits have a wide range of application times and treatment periods. Pick the one that fits your lifestyle.
There you have it, our 5 best teeth whitening strips reviewed. Suddenly a whiter smile doesn't seem so far in the distance.
Aurora is the lead editor here at pearlywhytes.com. She is one of those people who actually likes going to the dentist. She loves to write about anything health related, but oral health is her most passionate topic. Her free time is spent partaking in family activities and experimenting in the kitchen.
