DO TEETH WHITENING PENS WORK?
Although teeth whitening pens look as if like they would be an efficient way to whiten teeth, this type of product does have some flaws. The idea behind this these pens is that you can put the whitener right where you want it to be.
A peroxide-based gel is usually the active ingredient used in teeth whitening pens which is the same ingredient used in strips, trays and in most other teeth whitening kits. The problem however is not with the active ingredient, but how it is applied to the teeth.
Uneven Bleaching
Although teeth whitening pens allow users to apply the gel directly to each tooth, it’s not easy getting between teeth and it’s highly unlikely that many people will be able to apply it evenly. This means their teeth will not be bleached evenly, with the front of their teeth becoming a few shades whiter, leaving areas between the teeth discolored.
An even larger problem with teeth whitening pens is keeping the gel on your teeth. With trays and strips, the gel remains in contact with your teeth until you remove them. With a pen however, the gel immediately starts to rub off because there is nothing to hold it in place.
How Effective are Teeth Whitening Pens?
Well they do have the same active ingredient as other whitening products so they do have the potential to work. The user however has to be able to coat every tooth evenly while getting the product between the teeth and also finding a way to keep the product on the teeth long enough for it to do its job.
Another issue with teeth whitening pens is that they frequently dispense the same amount of gel as a tray system. Therefore you may need to buy a number of pens to get the same amount of product you would receive in one tray or strip system. That is why tray and strips are much more popular for at home teeth whitening, they make applying the active ingredient and keeping it on much easier.
