Crest Whitestrips Premium: Product Review

Okay, after literally years of scoffing at the tooth whitening craze that has swept the nation, lately I've looked at my own teeth and thought, hmm, not so white anymore. Charla Krupp's How Not to Look Old recommends Crest Whitestrips Premium as a dentist-approved and effective solution to my off-white problem. The kit contains a 7-day course of treatment with strips to wear twice a day for 30 minutes at a time. Alas, I can't seem to find two occasions in the day to do this, so I've been doing it once a day. I think I'll get the same results, only slower.

So what's the process like? Well, the Whitestrips are these ingenious little plastic strips like textured Saran Wrap. There's one strip for top teeth and one for bottom. You peel them off of their backing and they already have the bleaching gel on them. You place strips on the top and bottom front rows of teeth (each covers ~6 front teeth) and hang out for 30 minutes.

What does it feel like? It's a little like having gel on your teeth covered with plastic wrap. Not the most pleasant, but the strips really do stay put so you're not having to fish plastic out of the back of your mouth, which I feared. There is minimal taste. The gel is made slightly sweet with saccharin, but I really don't taste much of anything at all. You can feel the bleach working, especially when you first put them on; it feels very mildly irritating on your teeth and gums. I didn't experience anything I'd call discomfort, though. Just maybe mild unpleasantness. Very manageable.

At the end of 30 minutes you take them off and throw them away. This is actually the hardest part for me because then your teeth are left coated with gel and the feeling is slightly icky. Give your mouth a good rinse and it goes away.

I've done two treatments now, and I do notice a difference already! Subtle, but I'm optimistic that results will continue to build. I've experienced only the faintest bit of tooth sensitivity, but only once or twice. Otherwise I don't notice any difference.

Hope this helps in your tooth whitening adventures! If you have any other insight please post and share.