Crest 3D Whitestrips With Light: Is It Worth the Extra Cost?

Visit Website

Your white smile is constantly under attack: coffee, berries, wine, smoking, and even the natural aging process. Luckily, you don’t have to give up and surrender — you can battle back using Crest 3D Whitestrips With Light.

This product combines the well-known power of Crest Whitestrips with an LED light that gives them an extra boost. But just because a product has name recognition doesn’t mean it’s the right fit for everyone. Here are all the details you need to know before you buy.

Crest 3D Whitestrips With Light at a Glance

Few companies in the oral health sphere can match Crest’s name recognition. Since 1962, it has been one of the top three best-selling toothpaste brands in the U.S., often sitting in the top spot. That’s where Crest made its name, but thanks to its invention of stannous fluoride, it has also branched out into other at-home oral hygiene products, including mouthwash, floss, toothbrushes, and, yes, whitening kits.

Crest has been all about innovation since its inception. And when they introduced Crest Whitestrips in 2001, they truly stepped outside the box. The first at-home whitening kits weren’t available until the 1980s, and only through dental offices. By the late 90s, non-prescription kits were available, but not widely. Crest sought to make the whitening process easier for both the producer and consumer, and the Whitestrip was born.

No trays, no syringes, no gel — you would just peel off the strip, apply it to clean, dry teeth, and let it sit for the allotted amount of time. Then, you’d remove it, brush off the excess gel, and go about your day!

Crest 3D Whitestrips With Light builds on this revolutionary technology. Crest’s 3D technology offers a more thorough whitening than the original Whitestrips delivered. And LED lights help activate the whitening agent and open the pores of the teeth, accelerating the whitening process.

With this kit, you’ll wear the Whitestrips alone for 30 minutes, then pop in the LED light, turn it on, and continue whitening for another five minutes. The kit comes with 16 whitening treatments, though you can stop at any time if you reach the results you want early. Keep in mind that the LED light is designed to stop working after 16 uses, so if you want to whiten your teeth again in the future, you cannot just buy more strips.

Luckily, Crest 3D Whitestrips With Light is easy to find, available via many online retailers and brick-and-mortar stores.

Pros & Cons

Crest 3D Whitestrips With Light is an effective, convenient whitening product, but no whitening product is perfect. Here are their biggest advantages and drawbacks.

Effectiveness

The number one feature you want in a whitening kit is effectiveness. You want to be sure that you’ll be seeing a whiter smile in the mirror by the end of treatment. So, where does Crest 3D Whitestrips With Light fall on the effectiveness scale?

Fairly high. According to Crest, this kit can whiten the teeth up to twelve levels over the typical 16-day treatment, with results that last six months or more. However, most customers reported results more in the 2-5-shade range. That’s still a notable difference for most users, but if you have significant yellowing, you might want to do more research on other kits before you buy.

Most customers state that they noticed a difference in their teeth by the end of the second session, mainly because of two things. First, the solution in the strips is slightly acidic. While this isn’t enough to damage the enamel, it is enough to break up surface stains on the teeth that daily brushing can’t handle, even if you use whitening toothpaste. Second, it contains a 6.5% concentration of hydrogen peroxide — the active whitening agent. 6.5% isn’t exceptionally potent, but it can still effectively whiten your teeth.

There are, however, some issues with the LED light. Many reviewers note that it shuts off early, and that the batteries die before they complete all of their sessions.

Short-lived batteries might not seem like a huge issue. Just replace them, right? Unfortunately, there’s no way to access the battery compartment, so once the light stops working, that’s it. While it seems to work just fine for most customers, we came across enough complaints to feel that this makes a difference in the kit’s overall effectiveness.

Affordability

In-office, dentist-directed whitening is the gold standard for brightening smiles, but most adults choose at-home whitening kits like Crest 3D Whitestrips because they’re significantly less expensive.

Typically listed around $75, Crest 3D Whitestrips With Light delivers stunning results for a fraction of the cost.

The Crest 3D Whitestrips With Light kit includes the light, sixteen whitening strips for the upper teeth, and sixteen for the lower teeth. This kit doesn’t come with all the bells and whistles, but you get everything you need to whiten your teeth which is the most important aspect.

Crest’s name carries some serious weight in the whitening world. Their brand power and experience go a long way. Sometimes, you just feel more comfortable going with the time-tested company rather than a smaller provider.

Even though home whitening treatments are known as being affordable alternatives to expensive in-office whitening treatments, that doesn’t mean everyone is eager to dish out their hard-earned money for a kit. Thankfully, Crest makes their price tag a little easier to manage by working with a financing partner, Affirm.

This allows you to break the total cost of your purchase into four interest-free payments, each scheduled two weeks apart. With smaller installments, it’s much easier to find room in your budget for whitening treatment.

Unfortunately, the light’s battery is only designed to last for sixteen treatments, so you can’t reuse it for future whitening. Some of Crest’s competitors use longer lasting batteries, allowing their customers to purchase whitening refills instead of a whole new kit. However, since Crest 3D Whitestrips With Light is priced so much lower than many of their competitors, you may not mind springing for a new kit every now and then.

Quality of Ingredients

Over two decades, Crest Whitestrips have brightened millions of smiles. They’ve been proven effective time and time again. But the method is just as important as the results.

Most teeth whitening kits use peroxide — either hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. Crest 3D Whitestrips With Light opts for hydrogen peroxide, a proven whitening agent. At a 6.5% concentration, it offers pretty standard strength for a non-prescription at-home kit.

Hydrogen peroxide isn’t necessarily better or worse than carbamide peroxide, but it’s roughly three times more powerful. So kits that use carbamide peroxide will have a much higher concentration, but you’re getting similar whitening power.

Crest’s hydrogen peroxide is supported by other ingredients that assist in application, effectiveness, and flavor. These include:

• PVP
• PEG-8
• Water
• Acrylates copolymer
• Sodium hydroxide
• Sodium saccharin

These ingredients are pretty standard in whitening products, though some are more specific to whitening strips, helping them adhere to the teeth. While this formula isn’t as strong as what you can get from a dentist (24-30% for professional whitening vs. 6.5% here), it meets or exceeds the strength of most kits that rely on hydrogen peroxide for whitening.

Convenience

As a busy adult, you probably don’t want a whitening kit that is going to clutter your schedule. Ideally, it should be quick to apply, allow you to go about your life while using it, and require minimal clean-up when you’re done.

Here is where Crest 3D Whitestrips With Light gets its chance to shine. Whitestrips were made with convenience in mind, and the addition of an LED light doesn’t change that at all.

Before getting started, brush your teeth and floss to remove any particles that could hinder the whitening results. Then, wait 30 minutes to ensure there’s no toothpaste residue on your teeth. Once those 30 minutes are up, dry your teeth, apply the strips, and go about your usual routine — just don’t eat or drink until you’re done.

You’ll wear the strips for 30 minutes. When that half hour is up, pop in the light, turn it on, and wear it with the strips for five minutes. After that, take out the light, pull off the strips, then rinse your mouth with water to eliminate any excess gel. You’ll need to wait about 20-30 minutes before eating and drinking, as well as brushing your teeth with toothpaste (though you can brush without it when you rinse if the gel residue is bothering you).

It’s a highly portable kit, so you can whiten your teeth pretty much anywhere. It doesn’t come with a carrying case, but even a sandwich bag or unused makeup bag can work well. Overall, few LED-enhanced whitening kits can match Crest Whitestrips With Light in convenience.

Comfort

Here’s a harsh truth: whitening your teeth is never completely comfortable. Whether you are in your dentist’s chair sporting a smile stretcher or at home with a bulky tray in your mouth, you’ll likely feel a little silly and uncomfortable. But some kits mitigate this discomfort better than others.

Crest 3D Whitestrips With Light does pretty well here. Most LED whitening kits have two items you need to wear — whitening trays and the light. And in some cases, there are two separate trays rather than a single piece. This can be pretty bulky, to the point of notable discomfort.

Crest 3D Whitestrips With Light replaces the trays with strips, and the strips are significantly thinner. As a result, your lips and cheeks don’t feel as stretched as they might with others that have an LED light.

The fact that you only use the light for five minutes per session is a big bonus, since other kits require you to keep the light in for up to 32 minutes. Plus, the light is lightweight and hands-free. Some other kits have heavier lights or ones that you have to hold in place, reducing your ability to multitask.

The top complaint from customers is that Crest’s kit may cause tooth sensitivity, which is pretty common among whitening treatments. Crest suggests taking a few days off between sessions if your teeth start to feel sensitive. While this extends your timeline for seeing final results, the comfort is often worth it.

Some customers also noted that the gel leaves a gooey film that lingers on the teeth until you can brush them — 20-30 minutes after the session. However, since Crest doesn’t promote the kit as ideal for sensitive teeth and the film isn’t too concerning, we think Crest 3D Whitestrips With Light delivers a pretty comfortable experience.

What Are Crest 3D Whitestrips With Light Customers Saying?

Overall, customers who purchase Crest 3D Whitestrips With Light really love the product and the results it delivers. Many rave about its efficiency, effectiveness, and availability.

Unlike many other LED teeth whitening options, Crest Whitestrips have been around long enough to have a loyal following. While the light might be new, customers have been consistently using the strips for decades. As such, there are a lot of people who just wouldn’t consider using anything else.

Still, there are some complaints. The most common is that the formula causes sensitivity. However, we find the complaints about the light more notable. Many customers are unhappy with the fact that it is designed to stop working after 16 uses and some report that it stops working even before they finish all of their treatments. Quite a few people stated that they would love to see Crest make a more lasting LED light, even if it means paying a bit more.

Final Thoughts

Crest 3D Whitestrips With Light brings a lot to the table, including a high level of convenience and one of the most comfortable whitening experiences on the market. If you choose this whitening kit, we think you’ll be thrilled with the results. Just be aware that it isn’t ideal for sensitive teeth and the light has its limitations.

Not quite sold on Crest 3D Whitestrips With Light? Visit our review of the 4 best LED teeth whitening kits to compare your options.