Whitening Strips are pieces of thin, plastic (like Saran Wrap) that are coated with hydrogen peroxide. They are placed over the teeth for the purpose of mild bleaching. They are effective only for a color change of 1-2 shades.  Whitening strips should not be used for serious bleaching of more than 2-3 color shades. Problems documented with whitening strips include, the following:

- Short shelf-life due to use of hydrogen peroxide instead of carbamide peroxide (The formula weakens as it remains on the shelf).

- Uneven whitening by inadequate coverage of the areas between the teeth and close to the gum-line

- Very small coverage area. Because whitening strips are so small, they only cover the first 2-3 teeth on either side of the mouth

- Do not whiten the back side of teeth, which is important so that the stained backside of teeth do not show through translucent teeth.

- Whitening Gel is exhausted within 30 minutes, requiring frequent replacement of the strip

- Cannot be worn while sleeping

- OTC version is much less powerful than strips sold out of dental offices.  If you use whitening strips, be sure to purchase the professional strength from your dentist not the OTC version.