What teeth whitening method do you think is better, laser or the gel trays?

I would say gel trays, you control the length of time you bleach or Whiten your teeth, and you can do it at home when ever you want and you can touch up your teeth how ever often you need to as long as you have the custom trays, although the laser light whitens you quicker, they end up giving you the gel anyways, the material in the trays/gel you use is mostly peroxide, and when you use the laser the same stuff is applied to your teeth befor they put the light on them so eather way, peroxide is sitting on your teeth. My advice go with the trays they are less expensive than the laser and you can use them over and over again with eventually getting the same result

The laser treatments are a great way to get a good start on tooth whitening. The in office procedure takes about one hour and it's a combination of a gel being applied to your teeth and the light activating the gel for 3 sessions of 15mins each. Again its a great start, but you'll need to use the home trays as well to up keep your lighter shade. You should also try to stay away from staining drinks or foods such as coffee, tea, etc. It's well worth the money because results could last for up to 2 years, and there is nothing like a beautiful, bright smile, I know this first hand. Good luck.

Laser is done by a dentist who applies a 35% Hydrogen Peroxide solution on your teeth. Once this solution is on, a light is held a couple of inches away from your teeth to speed up the chemical reaction of the Hydrogen Peroxide. The only benefit of doing laser whitening is that your teeth become white instantaneously. This procedure cost $400 plus. The problem with this procedure is that after a year of your normal eating habits (drinking coke, tea, coffee, etc.) your teeth become slightly discolored again and develops a new stain. With the laser whitening, you will have to go and pay $400 plus to repeat the procedure. With the custom mouthpieces, you already have the custom mouthpieces that you can wear a year later for a night to take off the new stain at no cost.

The custom gel mouthpieces get your teeth whiter and for much less. The process is not as instantaneous as laser surgery, but you will achieve the same or better results after 5 - 10 applications.

if u use the whitning product at walmart ...like the ones u can do in 2hrs they work very well!! the others laser and gel trays are just soo expensive!

Cost

Laser whitening can cost from $500 for a spot treatment to $2000 for a complete set of teeth.

Risk

Studies show that 98% of patients are happy with their results after the treatment; however there are some possible side-effects that can range from tooth sensitivity, and some tenderness in the gum and soft tissues of the mouth. If the laser bleaching procedure is done repeatedly, there is a chance that over-bleaching could occur. Teeth may turn translucent or gray. There is also a chance that laser whitening may not be the correct procedure for you. For people who do not benefit from laser tooth whitening, other cosmetic dentistry procedures such as porcelain veneers, bonding or crowns may be better options to improve your smile. A good consultation with your cosmetic dentist will help you to determine which cosmetic dental procedure will work best to help you achieve your ideal smile.

There is a third option that you might want to consider. This is called power whitening. It's sometimes mistakenly called laser whitening, but it's actually really different.

Power whitening is done in dental offices with 35% hydrogen peroxide (we do it in the dental office where I work, that's how I know all this). The system we use is called Beyond and it's only a 30 minute treatment. Granted, it is more expensive than the take-home trays that you can get (we charge $450 for the whole session), but the results are better and you don't have to mess around with goopy trays or strips for weeks on end.

The main risk with the tray whitening systems is that you can really irritate your gums if you're not careful or if the trays don't fit properly. You also run the risk of swallowing the gel.

I highly recommend doing in-office power whitening. But be careful which system you use. The one that we use in our office, Beyond, is really great and safe. It's from a newer company, so they're not as well known yet as Zoom. But Zoom's product is really dangerous. I have tons of friends who have tried out the Zoom machine and they had horrible results - burned lips and gums and horrible sensitivity. (I had to do tons of research before we invested in a power whitening machine - sorry if I'm boring you with all the details.)

Good luck with your decision!

My mom is a Dentist and she says that the "Professional" teeth whitening that your Dentist can give you doesn't work very well...... it's really like a jump start that's all. Don't expect for them to be really white if the laser is the way you go. Gel trays work soooooo much better. they may be a little bit more touble, but it's totally worth it. I used them for a month or so and I use them sometimes when I think about it. My teeth are really whilte and everyone is jealous! I say go with the trays!

Ok here is the deal. Badly stained teeth. There is a reason. Smoking, drinking coffee, wine, cola, doing drugs, not brushing your teeth, diet. If you smoke even if you whiten them they will go bad again, same with coffee and food. Eat more food rich in calcium and phosphorus (milk, cheese, broccoli, fish). Avoid cola (it sucks the calcium of your body). Brush your teeth after each meal and floss once a day. Take tooth paste from dentist. The one that is 10 times more powerfull than the one u buy in the store. Gel - depends on whos making it, but laser is better. However there is reason why u have stained teeth, U need to find the reason and then change your ways, otherwise your teeth will stain again.

Laser is better, but expensive.

The gel trays are the gel trays. I used the Premium product from Crest. It worked really well. I had tried the regular Crest White Strips, but no real change. The Premium works in a 7-10 days and the change is really noticeable. I refresh it every 6 months or so. 2 Treatments in one package of the Premium.

Definitely laser if your teeth are stubbornly yellowed (which happens to those who are on antibiotic therapy for any length of time). In that instance, the strips/gel trays simply will not help. Even the laser treatments and special fluroide treaments wont help. But for everyday staining (tea, coffee, cigarettes), the strips or gel should work fine. Also try using a little baking soda/water paste daily in your toothbrush to help brighten them.

If you tried the Crest strips and they did not work then it is unlikely that the trays from the dentist would work, same chemical and similar strength. The laser is expensive. I would retry the Strips and use 2 boxes, use 1, wait a week and then use the other.