If you’ve recently noticed that your pearly whites would better be described as pearly yellows or worse yet, nearly browns, then this article is for you. Bringing your teeth back to their pre-nicotine, pre-Starbucks whiteness isn’t as simple as going to your local drug store and picking up some whitening strips. Although at-home bleaching kits and whitening toothpastes are readily available, their effectiveness is questionable. In-office professional whitening systems, such as Zoom! or BriteSmile, are the way to go for the best immediate and long-term results.

Keep in mind there are many variables that will help determine the right teeth-whitening method for you. What color are your teeth? What is the cause of the discoloration? How much money and time are you willing to spend on whitening? Is this something you want to accomplish while watching an episode of Heroes? Or are you willing to spend a few hours in the dental chair? And last but not least, how do you know which ones really work and which ones will leave you yellow-toothed and broke.

Your best bet is to find a dentist who is knowledgeable about the latest and greatest teeth-whitening techniques. Spend some time together, give a great big smile and let the evaluation begin. Once evaluated, your dentist will make some recommendiations as well as review the pros and cons of each option. They will also be able to steer you away from the companies who promise you whiter teeth and then don’t deliver. Don’t get me wrong, your teeth will look whiter, in comparison to your beat red face at the realization you’ve just been duped. One company very popular among the complaint boards is Dazzle White. So do your research! And then get to your dentist so your pearly whites can live up to their name.

This website uses IntenseDebate comments, but they are not currently loaded because either your browser doesn't support JavaScript, or they didn't load fast enough.

4 Responses to “Teeth Whitening: What Works and What Doesn’t”

  1. Richmond Hill dentist Says:

    Teeth whitening is the number one requested cosmetic dentistry procedure requested by patients. It is a non-invasive and cost effective way to improve one’s smile.

  2. Free teeth whitening samples Guy Says:

    I think it’s very important for people to do their research before getting any kind of free teeth whitening sample from the internet. We have release a report on exactly how to do this, so people can avoid falling into the trap of being charged for something that they thought was free.

  3. How Does Dental Care in the U.S. Compare to Other Countries? | The Doctor & Dentist Ratings & Reviews Blog Says:

    [...] Dentist 2349 view(s)Importance of Equipment & Technology when Finding a Dentist 1979 view(s)Teeth Whitening: What Works and What Doesn't 1629 view(s)What is a Root Canal or Endodontic Surgery? 1623 view(s)Guide to Finding a Good [...]

  4. Dentist in milpitas Says:

    I think that the best bleaching system that doesn't hurt and bleaches even tetracycline stained teeth, and lasts forever is the Deep Bleaching.

Leave a Reply

Security Code:

  • Follow Spielmadchen on Twitter

    Follow Spielmadchen on Twitter

    Contributor Bios


  • James Newman
  • James Newman, MD
    James Newman, MD completed his fellowship in Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at Stanford University where he continues to serve on the Clinical Faculty. He has performed over one thousand surgical procedures and is trained in the use of every major laser system used in plastic surgery today. Dr. Newman is well known for his surgical expertise and shares his clinical experience by teaching surgical residents at Stanford University as well as authoring over 30 scientific publications related to plastic surgery and laser surgery.

  • Marzieh Oghabian
  • Marzieh Oghabian, DDS
    Dr. Marzieh Oghabian, graduated from Case Western University School of Dentistry in Cleveland OH with a doctor of dental surgery . Dr. Oghabian was awarded the "Excellence in Prosthodontics" award from Case Western where she also completed an externship in Oral Surgery. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Neurophysiology and Biology from University of California, at Davis. She is a member of the American Dental Association.

  • Clarissa Celestino
  • Clarissa Celestino
    Patient/Customer
    Service mediator

    Tri-lingual representative Quality Control Assurance for Sutter Health. She graduated with a B.A. in Liberal Studies and Political Science with concentration in International Studies and Latin America at CSUEB. Clarissa also attended Federal University in Brazil with major in Psychology where she investigated and did research on the impact of social issues in mental health. Clarissa is an avid volunteer and an advocate for social causes including UNICEF in Brazil where she volunteered at IPREDE an organization that promotes health to children living under poverty with cases of malnutrition. On her free time Clarissa enjoy long walks and running.

  • Katie Sullivan
  • Katie Sullivan, RDH
    Katie Sullivan is a full-time Registered Dental Hygienist in Sonoma County.  She recently graduated from Santa Rosa Junior College in 2009, majoring in Dental Hygiene. Katie brings a fresh, young standpoint to DoctorBase as she conveys a current perspective not only to the younger patients, but to the skilled professionals & consumers as well.  Katie is a member of the ADHA, CDHA & Redwood Dental Hygiene Society.

  • Cheryl Calmis
  • Cheryl Calmis, RDH, BS
    Cheryl Calmis, RDH, BS is a registered dental hygienist in the San Francisco Bay area. She graduated from U. C. San Francisco with a Bachelor of Science degree in Dental Hygiene. Ms. Calmis' clinical experiences include laser assisted periodontal therapy, sedation dentistry, and non-surgical periodontal treatment. Prior to becoming a dental hygienist, Cheryl worked as a Microbiology Lab technician in the biotech industry after earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from San Jose State University.

  • Alissa Pacheco
  • Alissa Pacheco, RDH
    Alissa has worked in the dental field for 10 years. She got her dental assisting and dental hygiene degrees at Diablo Valley College. She loves learning about dentistry and enjoys helping people get healthy one smile at a time. In her spare time, Alissa loves to bake and play with her young daughter.

  • Jenna Rogers
  • Jenna Rogers, RN
    Jenna has worked in the health care field for 13 years as a Registered Nurse, specializing in Oncology and clinical research. Jenna writes articles and equipment and procedure explanations for DoctorBase with the consumer-patient perspective in mind. She is an avid writer and photographer in the San Francisco Bay Area and in her spare time writes a relationship improvement column for Examiner.com.

  • Olivia Masui
  • Olivia Masui
    Speech Pathologist

    Olivia earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from CSU, Chico in Linguistics with a special emphasis in ESL (English as a Second Language) before earning her Speech Pathology certificate in Orange County. Olivia writes articles for DoctorBase for the patients’ benefit and with their best interest in mind. In her spare time, she tutors International Students in ESL.