I saw this advertisement for Luster Premium Home Whitening and looked it up. There are some reviews that says it whitened their teeth really fast. I wonder if you know if it is safe?
Paula
Dear Paula,
I am very glad you wrote. After doing some research into this it appears to be a scam. Let’s start with the light. It is definitely too weak to do anything and is likely only there as a sales gimmick to make their customers think they are getting more bang for their buck.
Their whitening ingredient is not what a dentist or even a reputable over-the-counter whitening product would use. Dentists will use a very strong peroxide gel designed to remove stains and whiten teeth. Legitimate over-the-counter kits use the same, but the gel is much weaker because of legal and patient safety issues. To get the really strong gel you have to be under the care of a dentist who knows what to look for in preventing complications.
Luster Premium, instead of using a whitening gel, uses a pigment found in zinc oxide. Essentially, what they are doing is painting your teeth. However, the effect does not last long and will fade away in a rather short period of time.
My suspicion about the reviews is they were written before the pigment wore off so the patient thought they were getting whiter teeth.
If you really want to whiten your teeth thoroughly, I suggest you do it through a dentist. You can even get your teeth completely whitened in one appointment if you use Zoom Whitening. If you need an over-the-counter kit, I have found that Crest Whitestrips does a decent job. It will take a lot longer than with your dentist and you’ll have to purchase several kits, but if you’re persistent it will work.
This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Steven Collins.