Whitening Trays vs Whitening Strips: Consider the Benefits of Each Option

Posted on: 19 April 2017

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Whitening your teeth is a fantastic way to give your smile a bit of a boost, and there are plenty of ways to have it done. Two of the most popular are whitening trays and whitening strips. With the former, trays are made by your dentist to fit around your teeth, and you put gel inside when you wear them; with the latter, you simply stick the strips across the teeth and then peel them away after a set time.

You'll find plenty of people trying to tell you which option would be best, but what you really need to decide is which one would be best for you. To help you decide, here are the benefits of each option.

Why Should You Use Whitening Strips?

Probably the most common reason people buy whitening strips instead of investing in trays is that they are a lot cheaper. Trays that need to be moulded by your dentist can costs hundreds of dollars, while whitening strips can be picked up very inexpensively at your local pharmacy.

They're also more convenient since you don't have to visit your dentist and wait for the moulds to be made, so strips are ideal if you need to sharpen up your smile in a hurry. Additionally, they are a lot nicer to wear than whitening trays, which take up quite a lot of room in the mouth. Strips are a little weaker than the gel used with whitening trays, but that can be seen as an advantage if you tend to suffer from sensitive teeth -  the stronger the bleaching solution, the more likely sensitivity is to occur.

Why Should You Use Whitening Trays?

They might be less convenient and more expensive than whitening strips, but whitening trays are also a lot more effective. This is mostly due to the bleaching gel that you use with them. Because strips aren't prescribed by a medical professional, they can't use very strong gel. The gel used with whitening trays will be stronger since your dentist can adjust the levels of bleach.

Whitening trays also provide a custom fit, meaning that every part of the tooth will be covered. It's worth remembering that it can be very hard to cover all the tooth surface with whitening strips, so it's possible that you'll end up missing certain sections.

You might be thinking that these benefits aren't worth the added expense, but keep in mind that whitening trays can be reused for years without having to be replaced, so they are a good long-term investment.