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Teeth whitening procedures are expensive, invasive and time consuming. They involve overnight trays, flimsy strips and ineffective toothpastes. There is, however, an option out there that’s both affordable and non-invasive.
Whitening pens are a great option for those who want to brighten up their smile without hassle or discomfort. They don’t require complex regimens or overnight application.
There are several whitening pen options out there on the market. Most of them are fairly effective and a viable option for teeth whitening. Even though they aren’t as potent as trays, there are several good reasons to use a pen.
Bonus: Download our free whitening tips to give your smile a boost. Includes a comparison and explanation of whitening techniques using toothpaste, mouthwash, whitestrips and at-home gels and kits.
Teeth Whitening Options
These are a list of some of the different types of whitening products and their levels of effectiveness
- Pens/Swabs: There are a few whitening products out on the market which come in the form of a swab or pen. These are non invasive but vary widely in their effectiveness.
- Strips: Probably one of the less effective whitening options out there, these are not as invasive as trays but again, like pens, are less effective. They are pretty easy to find and are cost effective.
- Powders and Toothpastes: The least effective and reliable whitening products, these are numerous and common. Like pens, their effectiveness ranges from total placebo to only marginal effectiveness.
- Trays: The most invasive and costly teeth whitening method, trays are the only method which will provide definite whitening improvement. Trays are, however, pretty harsh on sensitive teeth. Zoom’s gel comes in syringes and is applied into dental these trays.
Again, it’s worth taking into account the options out there before diving into the specifics of one product and one specific method of teeth whitening.
Since I’m reviewing whitening pens specifically, let’s move on to reasons why one should consider using a whitening pen.
Why You Should Use A Whitening Pen
Whitening pens have several advantages over normal whitening methods. Here are just some of them:
- Non-Invasive: Using a whitening pen does not take a lot of time nor bring a lot of discomfort. The method is in the name; you use the pen like you would a marker to color your teeth a shade or two whiter.
- Portable: It is a lot easier to carry one of these little sticks on a trip with you than to have to bring a whole set of trays plus gets. The pens are usually fairly small and easy to carry.
- Gentle: For those with sensitive teeth, using trays can be a painful and uncomfortable experience. Whitening pens are generally gentle and won’t cause flare ups in the teeth or the gums.
- Individual Coverage: This is fairly specific but a pen can be used if you just want to bright a few oddly stained teeth as opposed to all of them at the same time.
- Ease of use: Using a pen is really easy. Generally, you just apply to teeth, wait a little bit, rinse and spit. That’s it!
These are just some of the advantages you may find with whitening pens. They are convenient and generally cheaper than traditional methods. Now that you know the pluses of using one of these pens, you should probably know how they work along with teeth whitening in general.
Teeth Stains 101
There are two primary kinds of tooth stains: extrinsic and intrinsic.
- Extrinsic: These are stains that occur on the enamel or outermost layer of the teeth. This is by far the most common cause of tooth discoloration, and this is the one treated by whitening pens. Some of the causes of extrinsic stains include the following:
- Coffee and other acidic beverages
- Built up plaque
- Various medications.
- Intrinsic: Intrinsic stains are deeper down, actually penetrating down into the dentin. These are typically caused by nerve damage or other more severe dental problems like cavities. If you have stains that won’t go away no matter what, these you either already know about or should see a dentist about. They won’t be helped by whitening pens or any other over the counter treatment.
It’s helpful to know about why teeth discoloration occurs in the first place and how it’s treated before looking into different whitening pens. Also, it is useful to know what’s in whitening pens that gives them the whitening effects
In order to lift stains off of teeth, whitening products employ one of two ingredients types to lift extrinsic stains off of teeth: abrasives and/or special ingredients.
- (No) Abrasives: Unlike other whitening methods, whitening pens usually do not utilize any abrasives at all. This can be a plus for people with sensitive teeth or thin enamel. In fact, users with high tooth sensitivity are typically the ones who favor whitening pens the most!
- Special Ingredients: In order to lift stains off of teeth, whitening pens use some sort of bleaching agent. In most cases, carbamide peroxide is employed. It’s a chemical variant on the common disinfectant hydrogen peroxide. It uses chemical action to break apart the molecules which make up extrinsic stains.
Whitening pens use the concerted action of a bleaching agent to whiten up teeth. These are pretty much
Now that you’re thoroughly equipped with the know how on everything regarding whitening pens and teeth whitening in general, let’s take a look at a few of the top whitening pens available. I reviewed several, and this is the list of the top three that I came up with.
Top Whitening Pens
These are the three best teeth whitening pens I could find on the market. I made my choices based on active ingredients, ease of use and other factors. Here they are!
Out of all the whitening pens out there, SmileBriter Whitening Pens are by far the best I could find. First of all, they are really affordable; a 120 day supply is only about $20.00! This is a massive savings when compared to using trays.
Another reason is the product design itself. It’s really easy to use and compact. The brush tip is full of bristles yet small enough to be precise and thorough when applying the product.
Also, it has really short and easy application instructions. All you have to do is to put it on, wait 2-3 minutes, rinse and spit. That’s it! No other steps or applications necessary.
Smilebriter’s pen contains the highest concentration of carbamide peroxide in any whitening pen I could find. At 44%, this pen should definitely lift some surface stains.
Unlike so many whitening products out there, this one does work. You’re not going to have teeth bright enough to blind someone with the sun’s reflection but they will be noticeably whiter. After about a month of use, I noticed an improvement of probably 4-6 shades in whiteness.
This pen from the company AuraGlow (they make other whitening products) is a great runner up to the Smilebriter pen. However, it’s less of a money saver than the Smilebriter pen. A 30+ day supply is about $21.99.
Still, it is a well a designed and convenient pen. It’s compact at about five inches long. One nice feature is the transparent tube design. I like how I can keep track of how much gel is being used and how much is left to go.
Compared to the Smilebriter pen, the brush tip is wider and thicker. This can be a plus or a minus depending on your personal preference.
The primary reason this pen is 2nd on my list is the concentration of carbamide peroxide. At only 35%, it’s simply weaker than the Smilebriter pen.
It’s certainly still effective! I noticed a few shades of improvement on a month’s use. Again, my only grievances with this product are with it’s price point and potency.
Out of all the whitening pens on the market, this is the only one I could find that is all natural. Unlike most other whitening pens and products, Just Pure Hut Dentist Whitening Pens actually contain no peroxide. How does it exactly whiten teeth?
It primarily employs baking soda. Yes, the common household deodorizer and cooking ingredients works as a teeth whitener too. It actually employs a very gentle abrasive action along with a chemical one to lift some extrinsic stains.
It also contains fluoride and other ingredients to help prevent tooth decay, another source of surface stains.
As far as the product itself goes, it’s similar to the other two pens. Just Pure Hut’s pen is compact, made of a sturdy, reflective plastic. I liked the bristle tip better than AuraGlow’s too. It’s really soft and compact.
The simple reason Just Pure Hut’s whitening pen comes at third on my list is it’s effectiveness. Despite the benefits that may come with being all natural, it’s simply not as effective as peroxide containing whitening pens.
Compared to the other two, I did not notice as much whitening effect after a month of use. Still, it does provide a mild improvement in teeth whitening. And if you’re concerned about peroxide, this is definitely one of the best non-peroxide whitening options out there.
Best Teeth Whitening Pen Wrap Up
Teeth whitening doesn’t have to be expensive, time consuming or invasive. Whitening pens are a perfect middle ground between trays and toothpastes. They are more potent and effective than toothpastes. They are much less expensive and costly than trays.
There are many other reasons to use them. The best teeth whitening pens can target individual teeth with worse stains than other teeth. The pens are also portable and very quick to use as well.
Remember, pens will only get at surface stains. They employ peroxides to bleach the enamel of your teeth. If you have deeper, intrinsic stains due to tooth decay or other causes, it’s best to talk to your dentist.
My list of the top three pens should give you a great selection to get started with whitening pens. I would give Smilebriter’s pen a try first due to its potency and affordability.
If you want whiter teeth without a significant time or money investment, definitely buy a whitening pen. You won’t regret it!