Advice for Choosing Teeth Whitening Products

One of the best beauty tips that can instantly take at least 10 years off your age is creating a whiter smile. I heard a top makeup artist on TV say when asked “what is the first thing you do to make a woman look younger?” He replied “whiten her teeth.” I thought it made great sense because our teeth tend to become dull and look yellow the older we get. Who wants yellow teeth?

The market is flooded with brands of tooth whitening products and it is difficult to know which one is best, especially when ordering from the internet. Here are a few of my experiences.

I purchased a whitening system from my dentist for about $300 and was very happy with the results. It was not an instant fix, but my gums did not hurt after I used it. One problem is this process must be repeated from time to time to maintain a white smile. The other problem is my current budget will not allow me to afford to do it again right now.

There are two brands I would definitely stay away from. I tried these two brands of dental whitening I had ordered over the internet. The information I received was to use the two products together to achieve maximum results. My teeth did get whiter, however, the products really made my gums and teeth hurt for a long time.

These products were initially inexpensive because they were a “free trial”. However, because I did not cancel them within the specified time, I might as well have visited the dentist due to the cost. Also, when I did try cancel them, one of the companies made it very difficult to cancel. I had to make at least 3 calls to them and it was very time consuming. The two brands I would not recommend are Dazzling White and Everbright Smile.

If you do decide to order teeth whitening products over the internet, check out my “Consumer Tips for Free Trials” blog published in April to avoid repeating my unfortunate mistakes.

If your teeth are just lightly stained, try using a whitening toothpaste. This should be enough to keep your teeth looking their whitest.

If your teeth are heavily stained due to coffee, tea, aging or smoking, it is probably best to use a dentist approved tray and gel system to return your teeth to their naturally white color.

You can get the same system used in a dental office for less from a company called ProWhite. They are an actual dentist lab and will create custom trays and use the same gel solution you get from the dentist’s office. Dentists also purchase their gel from this lab. You can save money by dealing directly with the lab.

I have not tried the tooth whitening pens, however, after my negative experience with the brands I mentioned earlier, I would stay away from any “instant” product as I do not want to permanently damage my teeth or gums.

Whitening your teeth more slowly is what most dentists recommend. The reason is it does not damage your teeth and gums. Unless of course you can afford the rapid whitening method provided in a dentist’s office. I know we all want quick results, just be careful when choosing a tooth whitening system so you don’t damage your teeth or gums.

I hope this information helps you to make an informed decision about choosing the right product to whiten your teeth. Remember, your smile is one of the first things notice about you and having sparkling white teeth makes a great impression. Having a gorgeous white smile can easily make you look 10 years younger.

You can find an affordable dental lab here.

--Carla

Consumer Tips for Free Trials

First, I would like to point out that Free Trials can be a great way to try out new health and beauty products for a low cost. In my case with ordering some Free Trial teeth whitening products, it was more like Free Trial and Error! I wanted to share my experience ordering Free Trial teeth whitening products and offer some useful tips in general to help you have positive online shopping experiences.

Tip #1
Before you place any orders online or anywhere for that matter, sign up for a free email address on Yahoo or Google. Any time you make a purchase from a new vendor, give the free email address, it will cut down on spam and unwanted email from your "real" email account.

Tip #2
Use a credit card for purchases instead of a debit card whenever possible. This helps you in a couple of ways. You may earn points or money for using the credit card. Credit cards usually offer more protection if you need to dispute a charge.

Tip #3
Always read the Terms and Conditions or Policy before you place your order. When I placed my order, I thought I would be paying about $7.95 or so, but since I did not read the Terms and Conditions, I ended up paying about $168. The Terms and Conditions clearly stated if I did not cancel within 7 days, I would be charged the full amount. Also, it stated they would continue to send me their product once a month, if I did not cancel within the specified time period.

Tip #4
While reading the Terms and Conditions, write down all of the details. Keep a piece of paper handy and record the company name, company phone number, the date you ordered, the amount of the order, and the date required to cancel the order so you are not over charged on your credit or debit card.

Tip #5
Write the date you need to cancel the Free Trial and the phone number on your calendar. It is a good idea to cancel at least 3 days before the due date in case you have difficulty canceling the order.

Tip #6
Call the phone number listed on the Terms and Conditions before you place your order to make sure it is a valid number and someone is available to take your call. When I received my credit card statement, I tried to call the phone number listed. I kept getting the message that their mailbox was full. I was never able to reach anyone at that number, even after trying for several days.

From now on I will adhere to my own tips when ordering Free Trials. Also, I will never offer either of those teeth whitening products on my website. One of the Free Trials took me 2 days to cancel!

I hope you find these tips useful and helpful for becoming an informed consumer when shopping online. I also hope you are now fully prepared to have many positive online shopping experiences!

Take care!
--Carla