Essix as Whitening Tray

[karencoutts]

Has anyone actually tried using their Essix retainers as a whitening tray? I have purchased 20% gel and worry that my gums will get burned by the overspilled gel.

I plan on my first bleaching foray to last only 20 minutes before removing the retainer. I have already searched through this forum and heard that I *can* use the Essix as a whitening tray, but I don't recall anyone who has actually done it.

[Audra]

My orthodontist gave my a syringe of whitening gel and told me to use it with my essix retainers - and I have - with no problems whatsoever. If there is any spillage over the top, just wipe it off.

[drrick]

I am not a big fan of using an essix ret as a whitening tray.
I prefer to have reservoirs in whitening trays to allow a good amount of gel to be in contact with the teeth (and refreshed as it breaks down) WIth an essix the material is in too close of contact IMHO to be a really good whitening tray. This can lead to a streaky bleaching result or a result that isnt nearsly as effective IMO.

[karencoutts]

Thanks for the advice, Audra and Dr. Rick.

I will still try using the Essix with gel because I ordered it three weeks ago... oops. Should arrive any day now. Don't want to just throw it away without trying it.

If it's a bomb, I can always get some trays with reservoirs done at a cost of SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS!!! Yikes. I suppose it's nothing compared to the overall cost of orthodontics, but this time, it is purely for looks and I cannot justify the expenditure. It is only a recent phenomenon to have unnaturally white Hollywood teeth and it might be all right to have my normally white teeth instead.

The hygienist said that I'd be a great candidate for Crest Whitestrips now that my teeth are completely straight, but my smile is so wide that more than just my social six show when I smile.

[fluffybottom]

I used my Essix retainer for whitening and, let me tell you: Don't do it. I repeat, DON'T do it! It burned the HELL out of my gums (and my whitening gel is only 15%) to the point where they bled in some spots. It took a while for my gums to feel good again.

Getting a custom tray shouldn't cost you hundreds of dollars though. For $100, my dentist did my trays and gave me the gel. And I live in Los Angeles -- everything is expensive out here!

[fluffybottom]

This can lead to a streaky bleaching result or a result that isnt nearsly as effective IMO.

Oh, and this too! When I used my Essix, it definitely came out streaky. When I used the whitening trays that my dentist made for me, with was much more even.

[rolo]

I did this with poladay 15% gel, the first time I overfilled the trays and it went everywhere. Then I applied the gel to the teeth rather than the trays and that worked well, no sensitivity, sore gums or streaking. I continued until I completed the course (14 day left on for 30min). My teeth went to shade B1 a couple of weeks after whitening finished, although they did go a bit scary and too white for a couple of days.

[karencoutts]

Thanks, fluffybottom and rolo. Funny thing is, I only read your replies today, while my trays were in! It seems that it might depend on individual sensitivity or maybe the brand of the gel?

My gels came in today so I brushed my teeth with water and applied a continuous line of Opalescence 20% PF gel to my Essix, toward the front of the tooth, as they recommend. I popped the retainers in, and I believe there was no spillage at all. I used a half syringe in total for top and bottom.

I did have the sensation of the retainers being squishy. The gel adheres very very well to the retainer and the teeth. I could barely taste a minty peroxide. I sort of imagined the gums behind my two front teeth getting a bit sore. I kept it on for 30 minutes before freaking out and removing them. I didn't feel any soreness, but neither did I notice much whitening!

When I pulled off the retainers, I noticed that they seemed to be evenly distributed with the gel, which was pretty thick. I ran water into the retainers, but the gel still adhered. So I decided they weren't so bad after all, and wore them with the gel still inside for another 1.5 hours. The gel is designed to stick to the teeth and not easily be removed with water/saliva.

Brushed again with toothpaste this time, and brushed the gel out of the retainers with water.

No soreness at all. I read that the "PF" version of Opalescence is supposed to be less painful. Next time I'll try to keep it on for a few hours or until my gums start burning, whichever comes first.

It's hard to tell whether my teeth are any whiter, but there are no streaks so far. I'll finish all the tubes and let you know the result in the end.

[karencoutts]

Forgot to mention that I didn't notice any spillage when I put the retainers on. I applied the whitening gel in a continuous line like I had been instructed by some video.

[karencoutts]

Today I wore the trays for 45 minutes with no problem. I rinsed out the retainers thoroughly, so I thought, before putting them back on.

Four hours later, I removed the retainers to eat dinner and found that they were still partially filled with the gel! Yikes! I didn't want to use the toothbrush to clean them out, worrying I would scratch them, but next time I will. It looks like there was no harm done. I am not too worried since the 20% PF mix is intended to be worn overnight according to some of the literature. My gums are not sore at all, but my teeth look nice and white!

I won't be seeing anything spectacular happen anyway since my teeth aren't very yellow at all, only around the roots. Not a coffee drinker.

[TimSeattle]

I used the Essix retainers for applying whitening gel (medium strength).It worked well. If I overfilled with gel, I got gum burn, so learned to put a smaller drop on each tooth position, with no further problems. Theoretically, you could get some streaking, but I had no problem with this.

I've also used the Essix retainers as covers to hold the whitening strips in place. They work great, so I'll probably continue to use the whitening strips annually.

[karencoutts]

Thanks Tim of Seattle for your input. I find that I have had no problems with the 20% opalescence gel so far. I'm not seeing spectacular results after wearing it for 5 times in progressively longer stints, starting at 45 minutes, but at least there are no side effects, gum burn, etc. I have no idea if my teeth can even go whiter than they are already.

Today I wore the gel for four hours. I think I will save the rest of the 5 syringes for another whitening session whenever I notice my teeth getting yellow.

[b]

My ortho gave me custom trays and bleach as part of my treatment, so I didnt have to pay extra, but I cant imagine using my essix as a whitening tray because of how much it sits on my gums, I would be worried about that, but like someone said above me, $100 for custom trays and bleach is not that bad

[karencoutts]

Hi b,

I was quoted $200-300 for the trays, not the $100 mentioned by the previous poster. My Essix retainers seem to be working fine as trays: no streaking, and no spillage.

Thanks for writing in.