Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Product, March 18, 2008
I have used the Opalescence whitening line for a few months. I used both 15% which I had to wear overnight and the 20% which is worn for an hour a day. I started using the 35% concentration because I really did not like wearing my dental trays overnight -- they hindered my sleep quite a bit. In addition, I liked the idea of only wearing the trays for 30 minutes each day (as opposed to the hour for the 20% concentration).
I have used the 35% for about a week and am seeing great results already. I really like the product but would mention a few precautions to those looking to try it:
(1) It will be pretty uncomfortable for someone with sensitive teeth. I notice some discomfort in my back teeth after removing the trays but it is usually gone by an hour or so. Sometimes the discomfort lasts longer but it is manageable.
(2) Using too much gel can cause your gums to burn. The instructions that came with my purchase failed to indicate how much gel was to be used during each bleaching session. I followed the instructions from my previous uses with the 15% and 20% concentrations, using a half of a syringe per treatment. This was too much. Despite having custom trays (which is a MUST with this system), the excess gel burned my gums in some places turning them white. The whiteness from the burn is gone in an hour and really is not uncomfortable but considering there was enough gel to reach the gums, it is pretty wasteful to use that much. Consequently, I now attempt to get 2.5-3 treatments per syringe. This has eliminated the potential for burning and reduced the discomfort associated with the high concentration. The bleaching process may take a little longer but it is worth it to alleviate these issues.
(3) I have had some uneven bleaching thus far. I have a few spots on my front teeth that are whiter than the rest of the tooth. From afar, this is not noticable but close up, it is obvious. I still have many treatments to go and am assuming it will all even out over time (it is already better now than it was 1-2 days after I started last week).
(4) Lastly, as I noted above, I would only recommend this treatment with custom molded trays. As I noted above, I have had some unevenness in my whitening thus far and cannot help but believe that this issue would be compounded if I did not have custom trays (and would be much harder to correct).
All in all, I am very pleased after a week of using this product. I gave it 4 stars only because I think the instructions should be more clear (i.e., how much gel is appropriate). I would recommend it to anyone looking for a great whitening product, excluding those with sensitive teeth.
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57 of 63 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Strong Product But Without a Good Tray System, August 4, 2007
As a dentist, I know that the key to success in tooth whitening is to have a properly made custom-fitted tray, and the right concentration of bleaching gel.
This product markets a 35% Carbamide-Peroxide bleaching gel. The 35% concentration is considered extremely strong in comparison to the concentrations available. Most at-home systems use a 10-15% concentration of Carbamide Peroxide.
The MAJOR drawback to this system is that it assumes that you have a custom-moulded bleaching tray, which is essential to using this product correctly and safely. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A CUSTOM-MOULDED MOUTH TRAY, DO NOT USE THIS PRODUCT. A custom-moulded tray must fit the teeth precisely and must not allow the bleaching gel to leak from the tray. A properly moulded tray will have a reservior for the gel, and a contoured scalloped border that prevents the gel from coming into contact with the gum tissues. (Sustained contact of the bleaching gel with gum tissues will result in a white chemical burn).
Since this product does not have a custom tray, I cannot wholeheartedly recommend it therefore giving it an overall score of 2-stars. However, if you have a custom-moulded tray (not an at-home heat moulded (boiled) system), this is an effective product if used in moderation and according to instructions (in that case I give it 3 stars). I actually think that a 20% bleaching solution is too strong to be used unsupervised. A 20% solution will likely cause tooth sensitivity and has the additional likelihood of causing chemical burns of the gums. It must be used with caution and restraint.
Keep in mind that Crest and others offer a tray-less system (no gel), as the gel is impregnated in the adhesive strip that is applied to the teeth. These systems work well and are fairly cheap to use. The advantage with the custom-made tray system is that you can use a variety of different bleaching gel strengths, some of which are much stronger than the adherant strip systems.
Jim "Konedog" Koenig (dentist)
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
It works, but be patient, October 19, 2007
With products as this, it is best to precursor the review with some instruction and expectation setting:
Instructions:
--This product is meant to be used as a refill to custom trays fitted by your dentist. Otherwise, you will have issues with uneven application and gum burning.
--Application muust follow instructions that are provided. Do not overapply or the gel will burn your gums and turn them white for a little while.
Expectations:
--At the end of the day, research suggests that the 35% whitens as much as the 15%. The difference is twofold: The 35% needs to onlt stay on for 30 minutes, but the 15% needs to stay on an hour. Second, the 35% will get your teeth whiter faster. E.g., if it takes 12 weeks for the 15% to get to the desired whitening, it may take 8 weeks for the 35%.
--The 35% will make your teeth more sensitive than 15%. For me, it was worth the extra sensitivity to get faster results.
--It takes time! Results do not occur overnight for most people. Expect 12-16 weeks, applying once a day at night for 30 minutes. If it occurs faster, use the remaining gel to periodically keep them white.
--The gum line part of the tooth may still be yellowish. My guess is it is hard to get right to the gum line without burning. So the application will still be a little uneven.
My review:
I had noticable results after 4 weeks, from 2-4 shades. One tooth was 4 shades, most were 3, and the rest were 1 to 2. I am under Dentist care for the entire process.
For the 4 week period, the Dentist was highly pleased with the progress. I was pleased as well. After 6 weeks, though, the progress seemed slower, and the lower teeth are still too yellow.
As well, one issue remains: one upper front tooth would not whiten well. It had undergone tramua when I was young. So, the 2 upper front teeth will need veneers. Right now it is a race to whiten as much as possible to get the whitest shade of veneers possible.
My method:
-- I used 12) 15% gel for 6 weeks that the denstist provided
-- I used (8)35% gel for 4 weeks that I bought from Amazon
-- I applied twice a day for at least half the time
-- I used between 1/3 to 1/2 of the syringe per application
In all, you have to be patient and not expect quick results. Some teeth will whiten faster and others may not whiten much at all. From what I researched and the Denist's input, results widely vary. However, you should certainly see viable results and the effort is not hard. 30 minutes after bushing and flossing is pretty easy.
I disagree with the low ratings for this product. Just because someone does not use the product properly, does not reflect on the product quality. Results based on non-custom trays are invalid in my opinion and should not reflect on the rating.
I would have given a 5 star, but I felt somehow they need to get the gel to the gumline without burning, providing full tooth coverage.
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