Crest White Strips Product Review

The dreaded day came where I knew it was time to buy some Crest White Strips. It all started out peacefully, while I sat playing with my five year old daughter. We were having such fun; I couldn’t help but flash my biggest smile of pleasure. Instead of returning my smile that day, she looked intently at my mouth. “Mom,” she proceeded to ask, “Why are your teeth yellow? Shouldn’t they be white?”

Discolored?

My heart dropped. Yellow? I am in my thirties; I am not a smoker, so why were my teeth discolored? I quickly ran to the mirror to look. Upon close inspection it was as clear as day, a brownish yellow tinge all along the exterior surfaces of my teeth. I was appalled!

Now, I quickly came to learn that it is easy to miss. How often do you find yourself sitting in front of a mirror staring at your teeth? While some are lucky enough to have an honest child, others need to do their own self inspection.

Of course, I could have left it at that. My teeth were only slightly discolored and had never bothered me before. But, now that I knew the truth, it haunted me. I began to feel self conscience about my smile and would often avoid a wide grin. That was when I knew it was time to get serious about teeth bleaching.

Crest White Strips

Which type to try? Well, I decided that I wanted to start with the least expensive option first. So I bought a box of the Crest White Strips at the grocery store for only $30. The box came complete with strips for two weeks of wear. At first I only stashed it in my cupboard, slightly intimated by the process. Eventually one evening after inspecting my reflection, I decided I could wait no longer.

Easy To Use

Although it sounded complicated, the Crest White Strips were actually very easy to use. You can use both the top and bottom at the same time, which I highly recommend, as you have to leave both on for 30 minutes. That way you save at least 30 minutes of your time. When wearing the strips, you can go about your day, but you cannot eat or drink. Plus, they looked a little silly. So, I just committed to using them right after breakfast and right before bed each day. I took the 30 minutes to read or do chores, until the time was up and I could remove the strips.

The strips themselves felt a little awkward in my mouth, but not uncomfortable. You could talk, although it felt a little funny. The taste was not terribly good or bad, but definitely there. The strips are one size, which worked fine in my small mouth, but it may not cover enough teeth for a large smile. I wore them for the recommended two weeks and then it was time to evaluate the color.

Color Evaluation

Given that my teeth were only slightly yellow, I had hoped that this simple product would suffice. Overall, I believe it worked well given the price. While my teeth were still slightly discolored, I did notice an improvement. My smile certainly looked whiter and brighter, but not unnatural. So, if you want an inexpensive smile pick up, this is certainly the product.

Disadvantages

The main problem with the Crest White Strips is their coverage area. Based on the rigid shape of the strip, parts of my tooth were not covered and it did not whiten the areas in the cracks between the teeth. Thus, my teeth had an overall brighter appearance, but they did still look quite yellow between the teeth and down by the gum line. The strips also only cover the very front teeth, so if your smile is particularly wide, they will not be long enough.

Lasting Affects

It has actually been over a year since I first used the strips and I definitely feel it is time to do it again. Yellowing is gradual and dependent on your lifestyle, but certainly Crest Whites Strips whitening effects lasted for a year on my teeth.

Conclusion

In summary, this teeth whitening product does a decent job for the price. If you want a relatively natural looking brightener for just your front teeth, I would recommend Crest White Strips. For serious discolorations or for a more dramatic smile, a trip to your dentist would be more productive.