I’ve definitely noticed a difference depending on the brand—some of those whitening toothpastes made my teeth crazy sensitive, while others were just kinda meh for stains. Using a straw with juice helps, but honestly I started rinsing with water after having anything super dark (like coffee or red wine) and it’s made a bigger difference than I expected. I’m still paranoid about enamel, though... I even switched to a softer toothbrush just in case. Anyone else get nervous about using those whitening strips too often?
Totally get what you mean about the tooth sensitivity—some of those whitening toothpastes feel like they’re stripping everything, not just stains. I’ve had the same thing with strips too, actually. I’ll use them a few days and then my teeth get all zingy, so I have to back off. Rinsing with water after coffee has made a bigger difference for me than any fancy toothpaste, honestly. I’m careful with the strips now... learned my lesson after one too many “ouch” moments.
Rinsing with water after coffee has made a bigger difference for me than any fancy toothpaste, honestly.
Funny you mention that—my dentist told me to do the same, and I swear it’s helped more than all the whitening products I’ve bought over the years. I used to think those strips were the answer, but I always ended up with that weird tingling too. Has anyone tried switching to a softer toothbrush or a lower-abrasion toothpaste? I’m curious if that makes a difference with sensitivity or if it’s all about what we’re drinking and eating.
I switched to a soft toothbrush a while back because my gums were not happy, and honestly, it helped with the sensitivity way more than any “sensitive” toothpaste ever did. Whitening strips always made my teeth feel weird too. I do think what you eat and drink matters, but gentle brushing definitely doesn’t hurt… plus, those fancy toothpastes can get pricey fast.
“gentle brushing definitely doesn’t hurt… plus, those fancy toothpastes can get pricey fast.”
I totally relate to that—switching to a soft brush made a bigger difference for me than any of those “enamel repair” pastes. I used to think scrubbing harder would get rid of stains faster, but my hygienist actually showed me how that was just making my gums recede. Now I focus on gentle circles and it’s wild how much less sensitive my teeth are. Whitening strips were always a no-go for me too—felt like my teeth were buzzing for hours after. I do think diet is underrated in all this; coffee and tea are my weaknesses, so rinsing after helps more than anything fancy from the store.
