Choosing the Best Teeth Whitening Strips for Smokers

It's no secret there are many serious, negative impacts smoking has on our health. According to cdc.gov, smoking impacts nearly every organ in our body and leads to increased health risks in areas such as heart disease, stroke and lung cancer. Some of the impacts it has on our oral health specifically are yellowing of teeth, gum disease, tooth loss, and even mouth cancer.

Yellow teeth can be embarrassing and smokers are looking for a way to brighten their smile with or without a plan to quit smoking, as quitting smoking is a very difficult achievement. In the meantime, there are many whitening treatments available to patients including whitestrips. In this article we will talk about this method of whitening for those who have yellow teeth due to smoking.

Compare White Strips for Smokers

Crest 3D White Stain Shield

Lovely Smile Premium Line

Lumist Advanced

6%

Hydrogen Peroxide

6%

Hydrogen Peroxide

20%

Carbamide Peroxide

Daily Maintenance

14 Day Treatment

5 Day Treatment

56 strips (28 treatments)

28 Strips

10 Strips

5 minute/day Application

60 minute Application

1 to 2 hour Application

The Effects of Smoking on the Color of our Teeth

As mentioned, engaging in smoking cigarettes happens to change the color of our teeth over time to an unsightly yellow or brownish hue. But why does it do this? Cigarettes contain nicotine and tar, both culprits when it comes to tooth discoloration.

  • Nicotine - Begins colorless but turns yellow in combination with oxygen molecules.
  • Tar - Naturally dark.

Our teeth contain pores. When someone smokes a cigarette, nicotine and tar manage to make their way into these pores and continue to build over time causing the discoloration of our teeth. These stains are considered to be surface stains; they do not normally penetrate the enamel.

How White Strips Can Help

Because the stains are superficial, whitestrips can be an effective option for smokers. Peroxide is a common whitening ingredient used in white strips, and is used by dentists as well. It can be very effective in whitening your teeth but keep in mind that this can also cause teeth sensitivity.

When choosing a whitening kit due to your habits, consider how long of a treatment period you are wanting, as well as the level of whitening you are hoping for. You shouldn't smoke while the white strips are being applied because it can cause the strip to dislodge, so it may be in your best interest to choose a kit with a short application time depending on how often you smoke.

It is also important to note that teeth may become yellow quicker after the treatment if you continue to smoke. That is why we are including a review of touch-up strips that protect the teeth from yellowing on an on-going basis.

Reviews of the 3 Best Teeth Whitening Strips for Smokers

Crest 3D White Stain Shield Touch-Up Strips are meant for daily maintenance between treatments. They only need to be worn for 5 minutes per day in order to protect teeth from future stains due to coffee, tea, wine or cigarettes, which is very convenient.

​Ideal for anyone who would like to keep their smile looking whiter after an initial whitening treatment and cannot give up these habits. I am a daily coffee drinker but I'm not willing to stop simply because my teeth are getting stained, which is why these are a great option for someone like me and for those who smoke cigarettes.

Ingredients: PVP, PEG 8, Water, Hydrogen Peroxide, Acrylates, Crosspolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Saccharin

PROS:

  • Enamel-Safe
  • Protects teeth from future stains, which is a great option for smokers who are struggling to quit the habit.
  • Very quick, convenient application time of 5 minutes.

CONS:

  • It can be costly to keep up with daily teeth-whitening maintenance.
  • An initial whitening treatment is still required.
  • Cannot be used on loose teeth, restorations, or braces.

If you are looking for some great over-the-counter strips with quick results, Lovely Smile Premium Line Tooth 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.

They strongly adhere to teeth, allowing for the patient to talk and drink water during the 60 minute application if desired.

Ideal for those looking for quick results, but who cannot handle a high peroxide content due to teeth sensitivity.

Ingredients: Hydrogen Peroxide, DL-menthol, Hydroxypropyl cellulose, K30, K90, Glycerol, Alcohol, Water

PROS:

  • One of the strongest 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.

Lumist strips have a high peroxide content when compared to many at-home white strip kits. Even though the concentration of peroxide is higher, carbamide peroxide is slower-releasing than hydrogen peroxide so it is a gentler process. The thickness of the material and the quality of the adhesive stays put so well that the strips probably won’t budge. They can be worn for 1 to 2 hours.

Ideal for smokers who are interested in a strong whitening product with a very quick treatment period of 5 days.

Ingredients: Water, Polyethyloxazoline, Carbamide Peroxide, Alcohol, PEG-35M, Polyacrylic Acid, Sucralose, Peppermint Oil, Potassium Nitrate, Potassium Hydroxide

Water, Polyethyloxazoline, Carbamide Peroxide, Alcohol, PEG-35M, Polyacrylic Acid, Sucralose, Peppermint Oil, Potassium Nitrate, Potassium Hydroxide

PROS:

  • Strips aren’t flimsy, won’t move around.
  • Maximum whitening strength
  • Great price point.
  • Whitens teeth in a shorter treatment period than many take-home whitening kits!

CONS:

  • Very thick solution.
  • Difficult to remove after a short duration. The longer they are left on, the easier they are to remove.

Conclusion

Crest Stain Shield Touch-ups are ideal for smokers who have had a whitening treatment and want to maintain that brighter smile by protecting teeth from future cigarette smoke stains. The Lovely Smile Premium Line White Strip kit is a quick, effective whitening treatment with a fairly low peroxide concentration. Lastly, Lumist Strips have a strong peroxide concentration of 20% which can deliver very effective results for smokers in only 5 days. The combination of a full whitening treatment plus touch-up strips is a great way for smokers to rid their teeth of yellow stains and keep them looking whiter.

Remember to consult your dentist before starting a whitening treatment. They will have the best advice to offer for your personal requirements.

If the yellowing of your teeth is due to reasons other than smoking, you may want to try these instead.

References:

https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/

https://www.dentalhealth.org/tell-me-about/topic/sundry/smoking-and-oral-health

http://www.smilesbymyles.com/blog/2014/08/25/tooth-stains-caused-by-smoking-148016/

Looking for more? Read about Natural Whitening Toothpastes

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.

1comment
Steve - February 21, 2018

Tried it, works like a charm!

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