Oral B Rembrandt Whitening Strips

Last year, I used Crest Whitestrips, and this year I decided to try a different whitening solution. I regret that decision.

ABOUT MY TEETH:
I drink a lot of tea and a bit of coffee, but my teeth were more dulled than yellow prior to using this product.

GOOD STUFF ABOUT REMBRANDT WHITENING STRIPS:
- Theyre fast and easy to apply... no goopy mess!
- They stay on well... no slippage.
- I didnt experience *any* gum/teeth sensitivity.

BAD STUFF:
- Its like having pieces of waxy styrofoam in your mouth. Uncomfortable! Definitely cant talk on the phone.
- Results were strikingly mediocre. My teeth are possibly a tiny bit whiter, but not noticeably so.

Compared with the Crest Whitestrips, I suppose the lesson is: No pain, no gain. With the Crest product, I was annoyed by the goopy, fussy application process, and I didnt feel that they stayed on very well sometimes. Additionally, I felt significant (though not show-stopping) gum discomfort after a day or two. With that said, though, the Whitestrips were unobtrusive (I could easily talk on the phone) and VERY effective... making my teeth very noticeably whiter in just a few days.

SUMMARY:
Rembrandt Whitening Strips are uncomfortable and ineffective. Go with Crests Whitestrips instead.

I didnt have to tell you that though. They dont work at all, maybe one shade of whitening if you are lucky. I use whitestrips frequently to maintain white teeth. I decided to try this, no results. I am using whitestrips premium as I type this to make up for the no whitening. Oh well, they have a satisfaction guarentee, just keep the invoice!

Okay, no offense, but I want some of what C.S. Milligan (in the other review for this product) is smoking. I bought this product on clearance and thank god I didnt pay full retail! The strips are thick and basically look and feel like just wax. They are yellow and barely stick to your teeth. Its impossible to talk and really even close your lips with these suckers on your teeth.

When you go to take these things off, they leave a residue that gags you and that has to be scraped off with a paper towel and then brushed off. Plus, I never felt my teeth actually itch, so to speak, before I tried these whitening strips. I had used Crest before and Crest I will return to. Oh, and the toothpaste that came with this kit smells like rott and tastes worse.

If you have USD 20 or USD 30 to spend on something completely useless and crappy, purchase this. If not, buyer beware and check out Crest.

I purchased this product after having tried Crest Whitestrips without much success. Needless to say, I was not expecting miracles! The product is SO EASY to apply. Just open and press onto your teeth. It has a cover on the outside to prevent you from having to taste any of the application. It actually stays in place and you can talk and go on about your day. They only have to stay on for 30 minutes - perfect for the commute to work! And these ACTUALLY WORK!!! Its not the same as a dentist professional whitening - but then again that costs USD 500! For around USD 25 I was thrilled and it only takes a week! I will definately purchase again in a few months!

I have tried Crest White Strips in the past and was pleased with the results, but I decided to give these Oral B a try: they are cheaper AND they only have to be used once per day (compared with 2x/day for the Crest strips). At first, I was pleased to see that these strips were stiffer and thicker than the thin Crest strips, which were sometimes difficult to use without getting the gel all over your hands. The Oral B strips definitely were easier to apply, but once they were on, I found the thick strips to be much more uncomfortable. When wearing the strips, my entire mouth stuck out as if I was wearing a mouthguard, making it impossible to talk and definitely impossible to wear the strips inconspicuously (as opposed to the nearly invisible Crest strips). Also, the thicker strips didnt necessarily stay in place any better and required frequent adjustments.

The instructions advise that when taking the strips off, you should rinse your mouth with water for 15 seconds and then peel off the strips. When I did this, I was able to remove the strips without any problems, and any remaining residue easily rinsed away. However, the requirement of having water for removal makes it more difficult to use these strips on the go--for example, while driving. Finally, I was disappointed with the results of these strips, as I could discern only a very small color improvement in my teeth. Overall, I would not recommend this product; pay the few extra dollars and youll see much better results with Crests White Strips.

Oral-B Whitestrips have to be used correctly and I recommend that you follow the directions exactly as specified inside the box.

1. First brush your teeth to remove the layer of plaque. Your teeth have pores and the pores need to be open for the chemical to penetrate.

2. Use the strips twice per day for maximum efectiveness as stated on the box. The inner part of the strip has a chemical called carbamide peroxide (an 8pct. form of hydrogen peroxide; in-office dental whitening uses a 15-30pct. version of the same chemical) that causes the stains inside your teeth to be oxidized and turn white. Applying the strips has a small learning curve as you will probably bend or fold a couple of them before you get the technique down.

2. Leave the strips on for 30 minutes at a time. After thirty minutes your saliva has probably diluted the peroxide to the extent that it is no longer effective. You can reapply a new strip immediately if you chose, for the treatment requires one hour of treatment time per day to work. It does not matter if you do this in one continuous 60-minute period or two 30-minute periods. Do this for two weeks and your teeth will get whiter.

Disadvantages

1. The chemical can and probably will burn your gums. If you notice a burning sensation when you use the product, it is the chemical oxidizing (or burning) your gums. Depending on how severe the burning is, it may cause you to want to stop the treatment. It is OK to stop the treatment for a day or two to let the gums heal. Once they are normal again, resume treatment with the White Strips. Try to not ge the strip on your gums.

2. Your teeth may become senstiive during the two-week treatment time. Try to tolerate the sensitivity if it is mild, but if more severe, take a day or two off to let the teeth settle down and then pick up where you left off. You may notice much more sensitivity to cold water, ice cream, etc. The peroxide causes an inflamation of the inner pulp, or nerve center of the tooth and makes the teeth very sensitive to biting or cold drinks or foods. If your teeth become too sensitive, back off on the strips until the sensitivity is gone before resuming bleaching.

3. The strips only cover your front teeth, so only your front teeth will bleach. You may notice the distinct difference between the back (unbleached) teeth and the front (bleached) teeth. Since most people notice the front 6 teeth anyway, this is not a big deal. However, if you have a wide toothy smile, you may want to have a dentist make you a tray that will hold the chemical on the back teeth to whiten them too.

3. The bleaching effect works best on yellow stains. If your stains are due to tetracycline (brownish grey stains in a band on your teeth, your best bet is to have a dentist whiten your teeth as the dentist will use a tray to hold a more concentrated form of the chemical on your teeth for a longer period of time. A dentist may also recommend an ultraviolet light bleaching which is costly, but works the best on these stains.

An alternative brand is Crest White Strips, which has a similar active ingredient and was the first on the market (the strip is a bit thinner which appeals to some users). Both products work for the vast majority of people. They dont work as well or as fast as a dentist-made custom try bleaching, but over time, you will get a result that will be close to that of a dentist, and you will save money too. In any event, it is a good place to start with bleaching, and if you are not satisfied with the results, you can then see your dentist for a more concentrated form of bleaching.

Product Description
7 for Upper Teeth/7 for Lower Teeth. Noticeable whitening in 5 days. Just use once a day! Soft, Flexible Strips: Fit to the curves of your teeth. Cover more teeth than the leading strip. Apply 1 Upper and 1 Lower strip. Wear strips for 30 minutes. For even more whitening use for 7 days. Enamel-safe formula.

Ingredients
PVP, PEG 8, Water, Acrylates Copolymer, Hydrogen Peroxide, Disodium Pyrophosphate, Sodium Stannate, Disodium EDTA.

Directions
Store in a cool, dry place.

Safety Information
Keep out of reach of children. Do not swallow. Avoid contact with eyes. Tooth sensitivity may occur. See insert for full instructions and warnings.