Should You Use Whitening Strips to Brighten Your Smile?

Should You Use Whitening Strips to Brighten Your Smile?

Many people wish to have a brighter and whiter smile. Teeth stains build up over time due to diet, medical conditions, and age. Many people opt to use over-the-counter teeth whitening strips to achieve whiter teeth to get a brighter smile. Teeth whitening strips are marketed as an effective, inexpensive way to brighten teeth at home.

These strips can help you get a whiter smile, but you need to know about the drawbacks of using them. The following are some things you need to know.

How Do Teeth Whitening Strips Work?

Teeth whitening strips have a thin and flexible plastic material. Each strip has a whitening gel, which contains either carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide. When you place the whitening strips on your teeth, the whitening gel hold in place against the teeth so the gel can penetrate the teeth. You can use the whitening strips daily over a few weeks.

What Are the Drawbacks of Using Whitening Strips?

Most people assume using teeth whitening strips is an inexpensive way to brighten teeth. Although mostly safe, some issues can arise.

The first issue is the possibility of uneven whitening. Uneven whitening occurs when the strips are not fully in contact with all areas of a tooth. Depending on the dimensions of your teeth, you might not get the gel on the teeth evenly or for the same amount of time as the other teeth. This can lead to some parts of the teeth not getting as white as others. This can leave you with an undesirable result.

Remedy this issue by paying attention to the areas of your teeth the strips do not adhere to as well. Repeat whitening may help ensure all areas of the teeth reach the same shade, but you risk having some noticeable yellowing still visible on your teeth.

You also have the risk of damaging the gums. Teeth whitening strips do not use the same chemical strength as professional whitening dental practices use. However, the strips contain chemicals that can be harsh and potentially hurt and harm your gum tissue. When you apply the strips, you must be careful to avoid placing the strips on your gums.

This can be difficult, especially if your gum tissue is more prevalent or you have shorter teeth. You can trip the strips with scissors to help them fit better, but doing so can be difficult. You may get different results with each use.

You also risk overusing whitening strips. When you whiten your teeth too frequently using whitening strips, the teeth can develop sensitivity. Each time you apply bleaching chemicals to your teeth, you weaken the enamel. As the enamel breaks down, you can experience pain and risk decay. If you choose to use whitening strips, do so in moderation.

You should also never use whitening strips on damaged or decayed teeth. You can do further damage to these teeth.

Should You Avoid Whitening Strips?

Whitening strips can be an easy way to occasionally touch up your teeth, but you should use them under the direction of your dentist. If you wish to avoid the potential issues the strips can cause, you should instead consider professional teeth whitening. Professional whitening provides an even, longer-lasting result with fewer risks to the health of your teeth.

Teeth whitening is an investment but a worthwhile cost to get a quality, healthy result with fantastic results. If you have any questions or concerns about professional teeth whitening, please contact us today at The Whitening Gals. We look forward to helping you brighten your smile with our professional whitening kits and related accessories.

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