I want to whiten my teeth, but I would rather do it at home and save money - UNLESS spending the big bucks at the dentist is worth it, for some reason - for example, maybe less risk of gum or tooth sensitivity, more effective, or to get significant whitening at home is hours and hours of hassle for not much result. For teeth that are yellow but not stained (no smoking, coffee, wine, etc) do you have experience with home whitening? Did it whiten significantly? Cause problems? Was it ineffective, or not effective enough, so that you ended up doing it at the Dentist anyway? I would love to hear what people's experiences are.

Using something like a normal whitening toothpaste combined with a good electric tooth brush can make a big difference.

That said, heavy plaque can only really be removed by a dentist. Had my teeth cleaned for the first time ever and it made a huge difference.

Here you go:
https://www.amazon.com/RUST-OLEUM-02754-Bath-Paint-White/dp/B000C02C5O/ref=sr_1_11?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1502197399&sr=1-11&keywords=paint+white

withstands moisture (saliva) and scrubbing (won't rub of when brushing your teeth). So your teeth will be permanently white!

I used the Crest whitening strips a couple times. The first few times, my teeth were sensitive to them and it was significantly uncomfortable, but after a few uses your brain stops freaking out about the sensation and it's just a little tingle. If you do the whole set as directed then you'll see a pretty large improvement, though not as large from a single treatment (which is usually once or twice a day for two weeks) as you get from a dentist visit.

It was a big enough difference that people noticed and commented on it, anyway. It ends up not really being all that much cheaper to do it at home, if you have an insurance plan with dental, but if you've got a real preference for avoiding the dentist, the whitening strips work just fine.

I'm probably talking out of my arse like I normally do, but yellowness of your teeth does not necessarily tell about unclean teeth or coffee drinking or or or.

Some dentist can correct me if I'm wrong, but I recall reading many people simply have yellower teeth genetically. It may also affect if the enamel is thinner, it exposes the yellower tooth bone (old people).

Take me for example. Ever since I was a kid, dentists always keep telling me how my teeth are so healthy and in good condition... but even I can see they are somewhat yellow, overall. Always have been as far as I can tell (at least after losing all my milk teeth; it was a furious fight but you should see the other kid, blood all over the sandbox). I haven't really cared trying to make them whiter, I want healthy teeth/enamel and gums, not necessarily white. I brush my teeth every day (sometimes twice a day) with an electric Oral tootbrush, and floss my teeth etc.

My wife has naturally much whiter teeth than me, but at the same time her teeth are in a poorer condition (cavities/fillings, she had lots of tartar removed from the gums a year ago or so, etc.). Also her breasts are bigger than mine, but mine are like steel compared to hers.

So I am unsure how do the teeth whitening products and services work in those cases? Do they make e.g. the actual tooth bone whiter somehow, or what?

As a dentist, my friend, who recently got sacked from his job, says he would recommend it too!

Same here. Actually my dentist once made me promise I wouldn't commit an atrocity and ruin my teeth with a "miracle" whitener product. She really likes my natural color, I guess, and wasn't fond of that kind of treatment.

Your teeth are going to be with you for the rest of your life (if nothing goes wrong). Perhaps you could seek the advice of a professional and then make an informed decision.

Go to a specialist, it's probably not a good idea to do this on your own.

My teeth are a mess.

I've used both whitening toothpaste and mouth wash. Had to stop the mouth wash due to the alcohol getting into my system via my messed up gums.

For a while, they got whiter but they've gone back over time.

You're in the UK, so if you can get signed up with an NHS dentist then check ups are free and a scale and polish costs less than £20 (unless the prices vary based on location, not sure about that).

I would first make sure your teeth are healthy and properly clean before considering anything like that, and ask the dentist what they think.

Personally it's not something I would bother with, I already have sensitive teeth and would worry it might make that worse...

Pure white is not the normal colour of your teeth (or bones). I'm sure they look fine.

I think the "never after you eat" includes the caveat "if you have eaten or drank something acidic that softens the enamel".

I always brush my teeth after my breakfast, but then I don't drink orange juice, coca cola, cider or red wine, or eat a lemon, on breakfast. My breakfast usually consist of an oat meal, milk, a banana and a sweet apple (not the sour acidic apples). The apple in my breakfast is the most acidic food, but I am pretty sure it is safe for me to brush after that, especially since I drink milk during the breakfast as well which neutralizes any anti-enamel acid.

I guess it also helps that my morning routing is:

- Eat breakfast.
- Go to shower.
- Brush teeth.

so it isn't that I brush teeth right after the breakfast anyway. It is just that the idea of brushing teeth before eating (breakfast)... sounds similar like suggesting you should go take a shower BEFORE you go jogging, not after. My teeth will become dirty from the food so it feels a bit pointless to brush just before that. Hey, should I wash my hands before or after I take a dump? :)

I hate it when doctors and dentists give some "orders" without giving explanations. For instance, last time I was at the dentist, she said to me firmly "remember to always floss BEFORE you brush your teeth! Very important!". I asked why is it important to do it before (and not after, or even during) brushing your teeth. She just looked at my like I was retarded and said something like "What on earth are you talking about? Of course you need to floss your teeth BEFORE you brush, otherwise the gaps will not become clean!".

She still failed to explain how the gaps will not become clean if you floss after or during the brushing. I figure she had just read that recommendation on some medical dentist magazine, and was just parroting it blindly without really understanding the details. I would like to know if there are some real logical reason why flossing should be performed before brushing (and not during or after). I currently do it during brushing, while I still have toothpaste in my mouth. I figure it helps when the floss gets toothpaste also into the gaps. Logical.

Another thing she said, and I heard someone else saying too, was instead of floss (dental tape), I should really use the small dental gap brushes. I explained that my gaps are so narrow that those brushes simply don't fit there. She claimed I am lying (as if it is physically impossible to have so narrow gaps), but I think I know since I have tried it myself. The thinnest gap brush I bought simply does not fit into my teeth gaps, PERIOD. Neither do any toothpicks, and even some thicker dental floss have hard time going to most of the gaps.

Hydrogen Peroxide will work over time, but really you should go see a dentist.