Teeth whitening strips are a very effective way to whiten your teeth. They are the next best things to getting professional teeth whitening from a dentist. The products themselves state that you can whiten your teeth one or two shades using them, right in the comfort of your own home. However, this may depend on the type of staining a person has on their teeth or what their perception of different shades of white are on their teeth. Teeth staining caused by antibiotic use as a child will generally not lighten, but coffee and smoke stains will lighten.
Uneven Application and Concentrations
Although, strips are generally a good product, they are not custom-fitted to your mouth like trays. The polyethylene strips are somewhat rigid and can make it difficult to get the product into the crevices of the teeth.
Another thing to consider is the concentration of the whitening agent. Some strips have only 6% hydrogen peroxide and others have 10%. You can get faster results with the 10%, but they don’t necessarily whiten your teeth more than the 6% product because it’s still hydrogen peroxide. If you use the 6% product for a longer period of time, like the recommend, you can get similar results. So, the 10% may appear to work better, but actually it works faster.
Not Total Coverage
If you are looking for a product that whitens all your teeth, then the strips won’t do it. They are only for the top front and lower bottom teeth that you see when you smile. The trays are used to whiten all teeth, but you have to get fitted for one by a dentist and they are more expensive than the strips.
