I received an advertisement for Luster Premium Home Tooth Whitening. When I looked it up, there were some good reviews. Do you know anything about the product? Is it safe?

Laurie Anne

Dear Laurie Anne,

I looked over both the reviews and the ingredients. I try to be fair about these type of things because I want people who can’t afford professional teeth whitening to have an option. Unfortunately, I don’t think this one is a good option. First, looking at the ingredients. They are not using a valid whitening ingredient. Instead, they use a pigment in zinc oxide. This will stick to your teeth and make them appear whiter, at least for a time. I am assuming that is where all the positive reviews came from. They saw the results and wrote a review before the pigment wore off. The light they advertise is too weak to have any real effect. I suspect it is only there for marketing purposes. Please don’t waste your money on this.

The one over-the-counter teeth whitening I have seen that does work is Crest Whitestrips. There are only two real downsides to this. First, the strips only cover your front six teeth. If your smile is wider than that, you’ll need to use more than one strip. Second, the whitening agent is pretty weak. This is because it is an over-the-counter whitening. There are legal restrictions on their strength in order to protect patients who are not under the care of a medical professional.

The number of boxes you would have to purchase in order to get the same results as you would with professional teeth whitening through a dentist will end up costing you about the same. One thing I suggest if the price is the issue is to simply be honest with your dentist that you want to whiten your teeth but don’t have the full price outright. See if he or she is willing to let you pay it out. It can’t hurt to ask. If they say no, you have two choices. You can wait and save or you can do it a little at a time with the Whitestrips. Either way, you will have white teeth.

This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.