On this page you will learn:
Summary – use teeth whitening kits if you:
Price: €12–€50 depending on contents
How to use: Fix gel-filled tray to your teeth and wear for around 30 mins.
Number of treatments: Varies—4/5-day, 7-day, 2-week kits available
How often: Once daily for 4–14 consecutive days
Teeth whitening kits are trays filled with whitening gel that you push up onto your teeth and leave for a period of time. They are a bit like mouth guards.
There are home teeth whitening kits and teeth whitening kits that dental clinics use.
Home teeth whitening kits have less whitening agent in them.
There are three types of teeth whitening kits:
All kits will include instructions.
Most kits will include a shade guide so you can track your progress.
The whitening agent (normally hydrogen peroxide) starts working as soon as it makes contact with your teeth. It bleaches your teeth and any stains.
Trays tend to stay in contact with your teeth better than strips so are arguably more effective.
LED lights are said to enhance the effect of the hydrogen peroxide, leading to whiter teeth.
Manufacturers use different ingredients. The main whitening agent is normally hydrogen peroxide or, in non-peroxide products, a sodium compound such as sodium chlorite or sodium bicarbonate. Some will also have an activator that helps encourage the whitening process.
Here a few ingredients lists of a number of teeth whitening kits:
iwhite instant teeth whitening kit:
Aqua, Hydrated Silica, Glycerin, Phthalimido-peroxy-caproic Acid, Sorbitol, Chondrus Crispus Powder/ Hydrated Silica, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Aroma, Acrylates/Acrylamide Copolymer and Mineral Oil and Polysorbate 85, Citric Acid, Methyl Paraben, Calcium lactate gluconate, BHT, Xylitol, Potassium Acesulfame
hismile teeth whitening kit:
sodium bicarbonate, sodium chlorite, pomegranate, aloe vera, chamomile.
The number of treatments provided varies from kit to kit. You can get five-day, seven-day or two-week treatments.
Remember that you need one tray for the top of your mouth and one for the bottom, so if a kit has 10 trays that means five treatments.
Always follow the instructions. But the basic process goes like this:
Normally between €12 and €50, depending on what’s included in the kit.
Kits are considered the most effective home treatment for whitening teeth. This is mainly because they are better at ensuring good contact between the teeth and the whitening gel.
According to Edmond Hewlett, D.D.S., a professor of dentistry at the University of California Los Angeles and spokesperson for the American Dental Association:
"You will see a noticeable difference, but final results can vary depending on individual teeth and the depth of staining or discoloration".
The levels of hydrogen peroxide in home whitening kits are much lower than those used at a dental clinic, so, again, you’re unlikely to get the same results as if a dentist whitened your teeth.
Price: €49.95
Time to work: one week
Number of treatments: four treatments
Benefits: Whiter teeth in one week / Peroxide-free and suitable for sensitive teeth
iWhite Dark Stains Teeth Whitening Kit
Price: €29.99 (approx. €5 per treatment)
Number of treatments: Five treatments—works in 20 minutes
Benefits: Faster than some other kits / Special technology that absorbs dark pigments in your teeth