Made a difference for her, at least. Teeth really do have a mind of their own...
Spacing them out really helped my daughter too. Funny, I thought using the sensitive toothpaste would be enough, but those “sharp zings” you mentioned still showed up. She’d get nervous just thinking about using the strips. We also tried putting a thin layer of sensitive toothpaste on her teeth before the strips—like a little barrier. It didn’t totally fix it, but it seemed to take the edge off. Teeth are so unpredictable sometimes...
She’d get nervous just thinking about using the strips.
I totally get that, but honestly, I had the opposite experience with spacing them out. For me, dragging the process out made me dwell on the pain and made it worse in my head. I ended up just doing a really short cycle—like three days in a row—and then stopping for a while. The anticipation was almost as bad as the zings themselves. Did your daughter ever try that approach, or was it just too much?
We actually tried the “rip off the band-aid” method once, thinking it’d be less stressful than dragging it out. Nope. She got through two days before swearing off strips for a while. The zings freaked her out more than she expected, and honestly, I think the anticipation was half the battle for her too. Now she just jokes that her teeth will stay “vintage yellow” until she’s old enough to handle it. Sometimes you just gotta pick your battles, I guess…
I get the whole “rip off the band-aid” logic, but honestly, I’ve always been too nervous to try whitening strips that way. I’ve read way too many stories about folks getting those sharp zings, and since I’m already a bit anxious about dental stuff, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.
I tried spacing them out instead—like, every third day instead of daily—and it seemed a bit more tolerable. Still got some sensitivity, but it wasn’t as intense. I also stuck with the cheaper, lower-strength strips, even though I know they take longer to show results. Maybe that’s not as satisfying, but I’d rather have “vintage yellow” teeth than spend extra at the dentist fixing sensitivity issues.
Honestly, the cost of fixing pain later just isn’t worth it to me. I guess I’d rather play it safe and slow, even if it means the results are barely noticeable. Not sure if that’s the best approach, but my nerves (and wallet) are happier that way.
I tried spacing them out instead—like, every third day instead of daily—and it seemed a bit more tolerable.
That’s actually really helpful to hear. I’ve been wanting to try whitening strips, but the “sharp zings” stories make me super nervous too. Did you notice any difference in how long the sensitivity lasted when you spaced them out? I’m tempted to just try the kids’ toothpaste method for a while... not sure if it actually does anything though. Anyone ever just use sensitive toothpaste before and after strips?
