Expert: Mark Bornfeld DDS - 3/25/2007

Question
Do the $30 over the counter strips produce as good or nearly as good whitening compared with the $200-300
techniques used at a dental office?  If so, would you
recommend any particular brand or frequency ?  ( daily,
7day, etc )

Thanks in advance!

Andy

Answer
Dear Andy,

Probably the most reliable OTC dental bleaching product is the Crest Whitestrips. Don't waste your time with the other Procter and Gamble product Crest Night Effects, or Colgate's Simply White, or any of the off-brand generic knock-offs. The active ingredient in tooth whitening gels is very unstable, and has a short shelf life. It's better to use a product from a large company like P&G that has the resources to keep fresh product on retailer shelves.

Although the Crest WhiteStrips product cannot provide the same speed of whitening as the professional systems, it will eventually provide the same degree of whitening-- it just takes a bit longer. It usually takes between one and two weeks of once-daily treatments to get sufficient whitening, with shorter re-treatments every six months or so.

Hope this helps...

Mark Bornfeld DDS
www.dentaltwins.com
Brooklyn, NY