I have been whitening my teeth with Crest Whitestrips, and while I am seeing some results, it isn’t nearly as white as I want my teeth. I’m just finished my second complete package. How many packages will it take to get it to the level of whitening I want?

Harriet L. – Boston, MA

Harriet,

I can’t give you an absolute answer to your question, because it depends on how stained your teeth were when you started and what level of whitening you’re actually trying to attain. I can tell you that while Crest Whitestrips will whiten your teeth, it will take significantly longer than with professional teeth whitening.

The reason for that is that it is sold over the counter. Because of that, it is not nearly as strong. That is through regulations more than Crest. They are limited as to how strong they can make the strips.

If you’re looking to get your teeth as white as they can get, in a fast amount of time, you might look into KöR® Deep Bleaching™. Although Zoom whitening is more popular for in-office treatment, Dr. Cha switched to KöR. KöR is more gentle on teeth than Zoom because it doesn’t use an acceleration light that dries teeth out and makes them sensitive. It will get your teeth super white in just one appointment.

This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Jerome Cha.