If I use teeth whitening strips only once or twice will they work?

I’m not a dentist but as far as I could tell when I looked into it the damage caused goes along with how much whitening you’ve done. You could of course overdo it and go past as much whitening as can be effective and do further damage. Also what I’ve read suggests home treatments often have inconsistent results some teeth more whitened than others

If you can afford it, have your dentist make molds of your teeth for whitening trays.

It costs around $200 or so for the molds and then you can buy tubes of 30% bleaching solution. It works wonderfully, and you only need to use it maybe every 2 months.

You fill the trays with the bleaching compound and wear them for one hour.

Zing….bright, bright smile!

Effectiveness:

“In regard to comparative effectiveness, Gerlach [2003] (use our ‘clinical studies’ link above) found that teeth whitening strips make a more effective choice than other at-home approaches such as whitening toothpaste or paint-on whiteners.

And although research performed by Bizhang [2009] did not find whitening strips to be as effective as a 10% carbamide peroxide tray-based system, many other studies have (Ferrari [2007], Gerlach [2000][2003], Karpinia [2002]). This suggests that most people who use whitening strips should expect to see at least some results. And for a very large percentage of these people, it may very well be a very satisfactory one.”

Source

Dangers:

“While it is true that teeth whitening by bleaching does work, it does not come without side effects. There are many reported incidents of increased tooth sensitivity after bleaching. Prolonged exposure to bleaching agents can damage tooth enamel. If the treatment is not administered properly, there can be complications like gum irritation. The oxidizing agents are very strong and can damage the soft tissues of your mouth. The bleaching effect can also cause irritation and increased sensitivity to cold and hot fluids and sometimes even to air. In the case of home bleaching, there is a chance that patients might ingest some of the bleaching gel. In such a case, the person might experience burning or nausea.”

Source

How long do the effects last?

“On average you can expect to have whiter teeth for 6 to 9 months after teeth whitening, but this will vary from person to person. ”

Source

I’ve been bleaching my teeth for 5 years at least and have no side effects or issues.

I think using a stronger solution less often is preferable.

One or two treatments won’t make much of a dif. using the OTC products.

One treatment with the 30% solution from your dentist will make a huge dif.

Best to use right after a cleaning for maximum results.

I bleached my teeth once a week for 7 weeks instead of everyday for a week. It seemed to work and I didn’t notice any damage to my teeth. I would also brush your teeth with whitening toothpaste before you use a whitening strip and after as well. This seemed to make a big difference (I’ve gone through the whitening process twice).

I’ve noticed a good result by using the strips – 2 applications during a 10 day period gave an acceptable whitening. Too many people use it too much and have unnaturally white teeth that look nice, but are simply too white. On television, you can spot a “white freak” from a distance as their teeth glow for some reason. Again, very unnatural and distracting.
The side effect I’ve noticed is INCREDIBLE SENSITIVITY TO COLD IN PARTICULAR. The shock and pain involved is very uncomfortable, but subsides after exposure. After only doing 2 treatments and having that much discomfort, I can only imagine what the pain is like if you over-do it. But it’s tolerable considering the acceptable results.