Whitening teeth the American way: Crest 3D Whitestrips Professional Effects review

Finding a home teeth whitening kit that works

About three years ago, I was hunting for an affordable way to whiten my teeth without having to pay the cost of a trip to the dentist. I’d tried so many high street products, none of which had worked, then my brother recommended Crest Whitestrips. Not available in stores in the UK I had never come across them but their ability to whiten teeth had been past down from friend to friend, like some sort of teeth whitening holy grail, until my brother (suddenly with noticeably whiter teeth!) passed the wisdom on to me.

At first I was a bit sceptical about how a home teeth whitening kit could achieve such brilliant results – I thought, this can’t be good for your teeth right? With a lot of research (there was no way I was going to put something on my teeth without checking all the facts first) I found out that the only reason they weren’t available in the UK was because the ingredients were slightly too potent to abide by UK guidelines for a home teeth whitening kit. However, sold freely in the USA and incredibly popular, I gathered that if they were ‘bad’ for your teeth then surely they would have been taken off the shelves by now.

My experience and how it works

So I purchased a packed from Amazon and after a couple of weeks applying them every evening I had the white teeth I desired at a cost of around £30. After a year or so I noticed the whiteness was fading but was still happy with the results so didn’t bother purchasing another kit. Now a few years later and with our wedding approaching in February 2016, I decided it was time to get back those pearly whites. I again purchased a pack off Amazon and opted for the 3D Whitestrips Professional Effects kit, where you apply the strips once a day for 30 minutes, for 20 days.

Inside the kit are 20 sachets containing two clear strips that you apply to your top and bottom teeth. It really is so simple, no faffing around like with other teeth whitening kits. It takes a couple of goes to get the knack of applying the strips and they are a little odd tasting at first, but once used to having them on your teeth you soon forget they are there.

The whitening occurs  through bleaching, a chemical process in which colour is eliminated by oxidation of stain molecules. This all sounds a bit scary, but this is a home kit and does not contain the strength of chemicals that dentists use in a one visit teeth whitening appointment. The teeth are bleached slowly over the 20 days to ensure the health of your teeth is not effected.

Some people do notice some sensitivity and if you do, just take a break for a few days or don’t finish the whole course. Everyones teeth are different and I think it’s sensible to do what feels best for you. Crest also produce a whitening system for sensitive teeth so if you suffer from this then the gentle routine pack is probably a good one for you. Each time I apply the strips I do notice that some markings on my teeth have become pronounced but after about an hour this disappears.

I’m currently on day 5, so am a quarter of the way through the kit and am already pleased with the results. I’ll reveal the full effects once complete so you can see for yourself! Like any teeth whitening product, it’s best to air on the side of caution but for me personally, I’ve received no adverse effects from using this product. But before you rush out and buy 12 packs of Crest Whitestrips, I would only recommend using these every 1-2 years, just to be safe!

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Disclaimer: This post is in no way sponsored. This is a product I have had a good experience with and want to share with you all!