Crest Whitestrips Premium (28 strips: 14 Upper, 14 Lower)
by Crest
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Category: Beauty See more product details |
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Product reviews of Crest Whitestrips Premium (28 strips: 14 Upper, 14 Lower)
Review: Yes, these really work...but keep a few things in mind
Beauty product: 4 Stars
After very minimal and barely noticeable success with whitening toothpastes and gels, I finally decided to give Crest Premium Whitestrips a try. Previously, I had found the cost to be prohibitive, but the fact that $5 or $7 coupons are offered in our Sunday paper with some regularity made the price a bit easier to swallow.
Just like the commercials say, I definitely did begin to see some improvement after about three days. I would describe the effect as more of a lightening than a whitening per se: the darker yellow spots on my teeth began to fade and to become less apparent. Now, after using the product as prescribed for a week, the color of my teeth is clearly improved; I wouldn't say that my teeth are bright white, but they are definitely more of an ivory or a paler yellow color. According to the package insert, you can immediately begin a second course of treatment for even better whitening effects, but I haven't yet decided if I want to lay out another $30 in order to do this. Also, I should mention that the effect is not so dramatic thta anyone has noticed (UNLIKE in the commercials!).
Now for the caveats. First of all, I found these strips to be a bit difficult to use. It can be hard to remove the strips from the protective backing without them becoming mangled, and it is very easy to get the gel on your fingertips (which causes a temporary whitening effect). Also, the strips are not ideally shaped for your mouth, and I found that they covered my front eight teeth only. Finally, while the top strip adhered fairly well, I found that the bottom strip was more tricky and tended to slide around, especially if I moved my mouth at all. The only solution I found to this was to wear the strips while commuting to work, which luckily gave me a 30-minute period when I did not need to talk. Otherwise, it can be difficult to find a good time to wear the strips, as the insert information advises against wearing them immediately after you brush your teeth, while sleeping, and while you are eating/drinking.
Unlike other reviewers, I did not have a problem with the taste of the strips: I could not detect anything while wearing them, and after taking them off, I thought that the gooey paste left behind was virtually tasteless. I did experience some sensitivity in a lower tooth which I had capped over 20 years ago. Although this sensation went away in time, it was uncomforable enough to make me cut the lower strip to fit around this particular tooth.
In summary, I did see clear--although not miraculous--results from this product and I would be willing to try the strips again, especially if the price were to come down a bit. Ultimately, I would rate Crest Whitestrips three and a half stars, as there is definitely room for improvement.
Review: I Was Amazed - This Really Works!
Beauty product: 5 Stars
I was a bit dubious about ordering these, but I was ordering something else, and the seller had a special offer based on the total value of my order. Anyway, I tried these, and within 3 days I noticed a difference in the whiteness of my teeth. OK, so they were just a little bit fiddly to put on, and I couldn't talk for 30 minutes, twice a day - but that was okay, because I jst read a book or watched TV! The only negative point I have, is that if you have sensitive teeth, be prepared for that tingling ache which did last for a couple of hours the first few days. However, for the price I paid, I'd say that these strips are well worth the money. The only tip I cn give, is use some lip balm on your lips after applying the strips to your teeth! This just stopped me from wanted to moisten/lick my lips and dislodge the strips! Happy smiles everyone! :) Review: Works great
Beauty product: 5 Stars
This product worked great for me. I just found it a little hard to find a half hour in the morning to use the strips. I did have a little bit of sensitive teeth pain after using it. but, nothing to be concerned about. Definately worth the investment over the "standard" strips. Review: Product does what it claims, room for minor improvement
Beauty product: 4 Stars
I had been thinking about getting these since they came out, and since my wife made a comment that my teeth were yellow, it was time to take action. My dentist wanted more than $300 to whiten my teeth... I asked him about less costly methods and he recommended the Crest Whitestrips. I went for the Premium as it was half the work with supposedly the same effect as the 14 day version and actually cheaper at the time being it was on sale where I bought it. I just finished the pack and am happy with the results. I'd recommend this product to people like myself who just can't bring them to blow $300 at the dentist but want whiter teeth. However if $300 is not a big deal to you, then have your dentist do it as you will avoid a week of tedious work, minor irritation, and hassle. I will try them again provided the effect lasts a while.
For more hands on details read on...
Whitening effect - was noticeable after the first few strips and towards the middle, didn't notice much more whitening at the end. Overall my teeth are pretty white now and I'm not so bashful about letting out a big smile. I gave this product 4 out of 5 because it did the job set out to do and made my teeth whiter. If the strips were better shaped as mentioned below, and tasted little better it would have gotten a 5. My bottoms still have slightly more color than my tops, but it may have been that way before too, dunno.
Irritation / sensitivity - Overall the strips weren't too bad, I had a minor burning sensation when I first put them and overall during the process was more sensitive to colds / hots. My dentist advised to muster up on the fluoride rinse before doing this to strengthen my gums. It's tempting to brush and maybe floss your teeth before using the strips, but keep in mind that your gums will be much more irritated from the gel if you do so. The instructions recommended not to use them directly after brushing your teeth, which unfortunately is the best time to use them, do your own trial and error here, but note that they will burn minor cuts and abrasions made by floss and heavy brushings.
Strip designs - Both strips should be a little wider, which is a shame because there's enough excess for them to be wider, the bottom strip is kind of a bad design in that it doesn't grip to well because it's too narrow, more so than the top strip. Its very important that the strips cover the canine teeth well because these are your darkest teeth. I went to the Whitestrips.com website and read in the QA section that it advised to throw away the excess border and not to use it on your teeth. I was curious so I emailed the asking them why, I never got a reply, but like other reviewers here I thought about salvaging the excess and using it. I found that if you get the goop from the excess on your fingers, they whiten just like from the strip, which would imply they contain the peroxide agent, so take it for what you will...
Stick-age - The top strip sticks pretty good providing you get it on good the first time and don't move it much. The bottom strip is more difficult to keep in place for a few reasons, it's not as wide, so it doesn't grip as well, most of you saliva secretion happens from the bottom of your mouth, which makes it more slippery, plus your tongue inevitably gets in the way and helps loosen things. Yes you can talk with these things in your mouth, but talking may move them too, so I recommend using these when you have some solitude time or at times when your mouth is at rest.
Taste is not very good. Not bad enough to make you gag or spit them out, but certainly not a good taste, kind of medicine and bleach taste. Once done, if you're anything like me you'll want to wipe
Review: Disappointing results
Beauty product: 2 Stars
The Whitestrips didn't work nearly as well as I had hoped. I wasn't expecting glistening white teeth like the models in their commercials, but a noticeable improvement would have been nice.They weren't difficult to apply, but I did not like the way the strips tasted. I ended up trying to hold my tongue out of the way when they were in my mouth (not easy to do for 1/2 hour straight!). I also agree with a number of other reviewers in that there was a lot of waste, especially considering the strips don't cover all my teeth that show.
Bottom line was that I bought them to whiten my teeth and if they did that, I could have put up with the bad taste and lack of full coverage. But they didn't. I would not use these again.