Finally found something that actually works for my coffee-stained teeth!

Okay, so I'm one of those people who can't function without my morning coffee (sometimes afternoon coffee too, let's be honest). Add in the occasional glass of red wine, and my teeth... well, let's just say they weren't exactly photo-ready.

I've been down this road before with whitening products. Tried those messy gels that never stayed put, those pen things that felt like I was coloring my teeth, and don't even get me started on the charcoal trend. Nothing really stuck or gave me results I could actually see.

But these Crest 3D Whitestrips? Game changer.

What you get and how it works

The box comes with 44 strips total - that's enough for 22 treatments since you need one for top teeth and one for bottom. They're all individually wrapped, which is nice because I actually took some with me on a work trip.

I committed to using them once a day for two weeks straight. And honestly? I was skeptical at first. But by day 4, I caught myself doing a double-take in the bathroom mirror. My teeth actually looked... brighter? By day 10, even my coworker asked if I'd gotten my teeth professionally done.

The difference was pretty dramatic - maybe 2 or 3 shades lighter. Even some old stains from my college years (when I drank way too much coffee) seemed to fade.

The actual experience

Using them is pretty straightforward - peel off the backing, stick them on, wait 30 minutes, then peel them off. The strips actually stay put, which was a pleasant surprise after dealing with other products that would slide around.

They're thin enough that I could still talk normally, though I probably sounded a little funny. I usually just put them on while catching up on Netflix or scrolling through my phone.

The only downside? Around day 6, I started getting these little zings of sensitivity in a couple of my teeth. Nothing unbearable, but definitely noticeable. Switching to Sensodyne for a few days helped a lot. If you've got sensitive teeth to begin with, you might want to do every other day instead.

Random tips I learned the hard way

Dry your teeth with a tissue first - the strips stick way better

Don't brush right before using them (learned this one the painful way)

Keep them somewhere cool - I left mine in my hot car once and the adhesive got weird

You get 8 extra treatments beyond the 14-day program, which is perfect for touch-ups

Bottom line

Look, I've dropped serious money on professional whitening before, and honestly? These worked just as well for a fraction of the cost. Are they perfect? No - the sensitivity thing is real, and you do have to plan around that 30-minute commitment. But if you want results you can actually see without breaking the bank or sitting in a dentist's chair, these are legit.

I'm definitely ordering another box for maintenance - probably every few months or so.

The good stuff:

Actually works (saw results by day 4)

Easy to use once you get the hang of it

Strips don't slide around like other brands

Way cheaper than professional treatments

The not-so-great:

Some tooth sensitivity (but manageable)

Half an hour is kind of a commitment

Can't drink anything while wearing them

Hope this helps if you're on the fence! Happy to answer questions if you have any.

I've been using a tray style whitening product for the last year but fell out of the habit of using it because it was messy and time consuming in the sense that I had to block an hour out of my day where I couldn't talk (not that I'm a big talker wherein an hour is that big a deal but it's definitely inconvenient). I had tried crest whitestrips years ago, but gave up after several days because the tooth pain was unbearable and I found them terribly difficult to keep in place - they would slide around and foam up even while trying to maintain minimal mouth movement.

The good news is, these have come a long ways from the strips I originally tried in terms of staying power. These suckers really stay on your teeth (which minimizes foaming - big time) and you don't have to will yourself to keep your mouth in an uncomfortably still position. You can swallow, talk, and pretty much go about your day, which makes the 30 minutes/60 minutes an effortless part of your routine.

The bad news is, if you're prone to tooth sensitivity, these are probably gonna HURT. I never had this problem with my mouth tray but I don't know if that's a good or bad thing. Perhaps my mouth tray wasn't whitening as well as it should have and that's why it never caused much, if any, sensitivity issues. I used the 1 hour treatment on day 1 and within 20 minutes I felt a few zings that told me this was gonna be 'fun'. I managed to make it through the full hour and in the interim, dug out some old sensodyne toothpaste I had bought awhile ago for a minor cavity that has since been cared for, which I immediately brushed with following treatment.

Scared of the hour long treatment, I've opted to stick to the 30 minute strips moving forward for the time being and so far, so good. Minor discomfort, but nothing "Yowch!" worthy. At the same time, I've decided to continue using the sensodyne toothpaste in place of my regular toothpaste for the duration of my 20 day treatment as I'm determined to make it through the entire process this time. I don't know if that's why my subsequent applications have been more bearable with no lasting discomfort after removal, or, if the 1 hour treatment is really just crazy strong (I do plan on giving that another try, but not until my last day) but I think it definitely has helped. If you have tried teeth whitening before and couldn't make it through the entire treatment, I would suggest giving this (senosdyne or something similar) a try during the process. My dentist gave me the thumbs up on this as he's assured me that any sensitivity issues from whitening is temporary and I haven't any periodontal disease.

I haven't noticed any significant whitening effect as of yet, even after enduring the unpleasant hour long strips experience, but it's early yet and my teeth aren't terribly discolored to begin with (perhaps A1 or B1; hard to tell from online photos) due to my love of black coffee and red wine. I have one tooth with slight intrinsic staining due to trauma, about half a shade darker from the rest of my teeth, and if this can put a dent in it I'll be floored.

I will report back at the end of my 20 day treatment. The one star deduction for now is because these still hurt without a little help. I'll definitely bump this up to a 5 star review though if I see results.

*********************

***Update 12/23/14***

*********************

As promised, I'm back and I have decided to bump this up to a 5 star review. I took before, during and after photos (I just can't figure out how to add them to my reviews any longer) and I'm really glad I had because the results were gradual enough that I'd have otherwise assumed there wasn't much of a change, but looking at photos of my teeth from start to end, I can see that my teeth are significantly whiter. Also, I did not experience any further sensitivity issues moving forward after switching over to sensodyne toothpaste for the duration of this process.

I did notice about half ways through my white strips that my one tooth was not whitening along with the rest (the one that had some trauma) and I half expected that... I had been advised in prior discussions with my dentist that it could be whitened, it would just require a lot of extra work since the dentin had become so dense. Basically, for a hefty price tag, a special tray would be made to isolate that one tooth and it would take several weeks of additional in office whitening in order to match it to my other teeth. What I ended up doing is taking an extra white strip (I've actually gone through two sets of whitestrips on that one tooth) and cutting it into segments to fit just that tooth in order to double up my efforts on it. This has helped significantly. Before, I almost considered stopping because that one tooth was starting to really stand out like a golden sore thumb - but now I'd have to really scrutinize my smile in photos in order to even notice. I just bought a second pack of whitestrips to try and finish getting that tooth even with the rest; then I plan on using these as maintenance for my entire smile on the weekends.

Overall; I'm really impressed with the results and very happy I gave this a try!

I have to say I was blown away by how well these worked! A friend who works as a beauty editor recommended them, saying they were the best [affordable] teeth whitening option on the market, but I still wasn’t expecting such a big difference in a short time. The photos are Day 1, Day 14, and Day 21, but the whitening was noticeable within 3 days. One time I accidentally left them on for 90 minutes because I forgot to set a timer, and that night/next day my teeth and gums were very sensitive, so I skipped the following night. Otherwise, I used as directed: daily for 45 mins, and had no problems. Super easy to apply, no taste, and *significantly* whitened my teeth. (I know the final photo looks brighter than the others, but I swear it was not filtered 😂 They were all taken in the same spot in my apartment in the morning light.)

these work but i don’t suggest doing it everyday. your teeth will progressively grow weak and i personally had my tooth chip after using these for 2 weeks straight. also make sure these make no/minimal contact with your gums. they will burn them and it WILL hurt. besides that it made my teeth completely white. but overall i’d just say to not use them daily and try to find a good toothpaste for sensitive teeth.

Let me start by saying that I'm 28 years old and I never had my teeth whitened or even crossed my mind in doing so, I thought they look "okay" the way they were but boyyy I was wrong. This is a review with some info of my own experience using the product & to guide you on what you might expect and maybe help you with a decision. Aight, now I want to say that this product has impressed me soo much that this might be the longest review I ever wrote and no, I have not been sponsored or paid by this company, this is just my opinion and my honest review. Anyways, Crest 3D White Strips is one of those things that you didn't know you needed but trust me, this thing it's amazing. It went beyond my expectations and it's one of those products that I'll be buying on the regular from now on. Make sure that you are consistent and follow the directions when using it. The kit comes with 20 treatments + 2 One Hour Express treatments as a bonus. So it takes 20 days for the whole process plus 2 more days if you use the bonus treatments. One treatment per day and each treatment comes with 2 "whitening strips" one for lower and one for upper teeth.

Also a little DISCLAIMER : I took pictures of the whole process and under the same lighting at around the same time of the day, I tried to take the photos with the same angle but no angle is exactly the same. Due to this some photos might look slighty different and with slighty different colors. You might also notice some slight color variations but every phone screen is different. As a reference the photos were taken on a Galaxy S22 Plus. I will also label the photos so you know which part of the process they are from. The pictures were taken as follows:

1. before starting the kit (DAY 1)

2. Half way tru the kit (DAY 10)

3. At the end of the kit (DAY 20)

4.after using the 1 Hour Express (DAY 21)

5.after using the 2nd 1 Hour Express (DAY 22)

6. And last, a picture from before starting the whole kit and a picture from the very end of the whole kit including the 2 One Hour Express.

(DAY 1 & DAY 22)

So to clarify, I used the whole kit including the 2 bonus treatments back to back but I don't think you have to do it exactly that way; I think is better if you use the 2 bonus treatments down the line, maybe a few months after the regular kit to somehow "extent" the whitening effect..? I think that is the reason why the whitening effect is less noticeable on the 1 Hour Express photos than the regular kit photos.

Also on another note.. You might have seen on the reviews that you get sensitive teeth while using the kit, this is true but is not as bad a you think, at least for me it wasn't. In my experience I had sensitive teeth on some of the days that I used the kit but it goes away in a hour or two after each treatment. Sensitive tooth paste should help but dont let that discourage you cuz the end results are soo worth it !

Now, I want to end this review by saying that this product is worth every penny and I 100% recommend this to anyone. Also the pictures SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES ! I hope this review helps you on making a decision . SMILE life is good, have a good day ! :)

If you want a noticeably whiter smile without paying hundreds of dollars at a dental office, Crest 3D Whitestrips (Professional Effects) are the absolute gold standard. They deliver elite, dramatic whitening right from the comfort of your couch.Here are the key points that make these whitestrips a five-star buy on Amazon:Professional-Level Brightening: Powered by enamel-safe hydrogen peroxide—the exact same active ingredient dentists use—these strips effortlessly break down deep, embedded discoloration. They remove over 15 years of tough coffee, tea, and wine stains in just one full treatment cycle.Advanced No-Slip Grip Technology: Unlike cheap, slimy generic strips that slide around in your mouth, Crest features an incredibly secure Advanced Seal grip. They lock tightly onto your teeth, allowing you to talk completely normally and even drink water while wearing them.Fast and Convenient Layout: The box comes with perfectly pre-measured, individual packets containing an upper and lower strip. You simply peel, apply for 45 minutes once a day, and reveal a brighter smile with zero mess.Long-Lasting Radiance: The results aren't temporary. A full routine noticeably alters the shade of your natural enamel, keeping your smile brilliantly white for up to 12 full months.It is an incredibly reliable, highly effective beauty staple that delivers on its promises.

I've heard good things about these whitening strips over the years but never tried them until now. With an upcoming wedding, I chose the Opalescence Whitening Trays from my dentist's office first (thinking they would work better than Crest Whitening Strips). Unfortunately for myself and my wallet, I didn't notice much of a difference. I started to consider a whitening treatment at the dentist's office ($$$), but decided to try these strips in hopes that they'd help. Thankfully they worked and I noticed a BIG improvement over 3 weeks (I was a bit shocked at how well they worked!).

Of note, I have an external filling on my front tooth. I originally had it done ~12 years ago but it started to wear down and was not exactly the same shade as the rest of my teeth anymore. That's a big reason why I've never whitened my teeth until now; I always heard that whitening treatments do not affect fillings. I wanted the filling redone before the wedding anyways, so I went ahead and whitened my teeth as much as possible so they could match the shade of my new filling to my "newly" white teeth. My dentist said they had to use the "bleach white" shade for my filling to match the rest of my teeth, so even she was impressed by how much the whitening strips worked. If you're thinking about trying them, I suggest doing so before choosing a more expensive method. 10/10 recommend!

I was actually starting to see a noticeable difference with these Crest Whitestrips in less than a week, so I was disappointed that I had to stop using them.

The strips themselves are a little annoying to apply and have a strange taste, but neither of those things would have stopped me from continuing. My biggest issue was the tooth sensitivity. After around five days of use, my teeth became so sensitive that drinking anything cold was extremely uncomfortable. At that point, I didn’t feel comfortable continuing with them.

They definitely seem effective for whitening, but the formula was simply too harsh on my teeth for consistent use. Obviously, everyone’s sensitivity level is different, so someone else may have no problem with them.

Pros:

* I noticed whitening in less than a week

* Effective when used consistently

* Convenient for at-home whitening

Cons:

* Awkward to apply

* Strange taste

* Caused significant tooth sensitivity for me

* Had to discontinue use after about five days

Overall: I’m torn because they were clearly starting to work, but the sensitivity became too uncomfortable to justify continuing. If you’ve never used them before or already have sensitive teeth, I’d personally start with a smaller package before committing to a large supply. That way you can see how your teeth tolerate them first.

Es espectacular los resultados recomiendo al vendedor

Buenos pero muy caros

Siempre las recomendaré

Buen valor

Al día 10 ví mucho cambio. Quedé muy contenta. Compré otros 2 para la familia.