Teeth Whitening

[stormy]

The dentist also told me to rinse with water after drinking a coffee.

[A Robot Bit Me]

That's a really good idea.

[Calliander]

I don't care if my teeth are white, just healthy. Do you have health insurance? Some of them are starting to up their coverage so you can go 3-4 times a year but you should at least be hitting your dentist twice a year.

[Gohron]

Drink your coffee through a straw. I think tooth staining from tobacco and beverages can be kept in check with just brushing more often, maybe add some baking soda to your tooth paste for extra scrubbing?

When I was playing semi-pro baseball I had an older guy on my team that packed a wad of tobacco the entire game and as soon as it was over, he'd spit it out and brush his teeth on the bench.

A lot of tooth whitening treatments are not good for your teeth from what I've heard. I'd consult a dentist before trying anything.

[Shine]

[Nomi]

Sensodyne or any toothpaste with potassium compounds can help for reducing the pain associated with those store strips. It won't stop all of the discomfort but it can really cut down on it. I did the strips for 2 days, wanted to rip my teeth out, then waited 2 weeks of using Sensodyne. It made the strips much more tolerable than the first try.

I'd never use them again though.

[FuryFox]

I had molds made (~$200) and buy some 16% peroxide periodically for $20 or so. It works substantially better than whitestrips. Even clean and healthy, my teeth naturally looked a little yellow (well, as they should), especially since my skin's so white, but now I frequently get compliments on my teeth.

Having the molds and bleach to use at your discretion is nice, since you can just use it for touch-ups, and avoid the artificial super-white look. I think it was a good investment.

edit: no real sensitivity problems, but going up to 22% or something can burn the shit out of your gums if you're not careful

[Korian]

All those stripes do is pull off a layer off enemal. Use straws, drink flourided water, and use laser whiteing.