Judy: I use the dentist-made trays. The very first round of lightening was amazing! Now I just use them for maintenance every time I get my teeth cleaned. Sore gums is my number one complaint, though.

I read somewhere a while ago that you can use those gels to desensitize your gums so you won't feel too sore.

Judy: I actually trimmed down my trays in places so they only came up to the tops of my teeth rather than up over my gums in places where the redness was most apparent. I used a really small sewing scissors to do this. That way, the bleaching solution never reached my gums. I'm so glad I did that: It really helped!

Gloria: I find the gels help my teeth because they sometimes start to ache while I'm bleaching. My dentist has me do this for a week before I bleach so the gel has a chance to be absorbed into the enamel.

Judy: I use Sensodyne gel toothpaste to brush my teeth well before I bleach. That helps eliminate the dull aching I sometimes experience deep in my teeth. My dentist tells me it's caused by having thin enamel. I apply Vaseline with a Q-tip on my gums before I insert the trays to minimize the sore gum problems. Also, try not to use too much of the bleaching gel (it's really easy to overdo it at first) and always wipe off any excess you can see on your gums once you get the trays in place. I've also read that you shouldn't brush your teeth and then immediately insert the trays because you slightly scrape your gums every time you brush. I think I'd check with my dentist on that one, though. I think a clean surface is the way to go so I just try to have a light touch with my brushing and avoid my gums. I was also told to only drink water for the first half hour once I pull the trays out because teeth are very porous and need to be hydrated by water so the first thing I do is rinse vigorously with water in the morning. That's also when they're most vulnerable to staining so a cup of coffee would be a "no-no" at that point. And orange juice just plain hurts! WAY too acidic for me but that's also due to my thin enamel. The only good thing about thin enamel is that it bleaches the easiest.

Once you've done the initial bleaching, if you want "a boost" the recommendation is to do it again for a day or two after getting your teeth cleaned when there's absolutely no tartar to block the bleaching solution from getting in the enamel.

I have to say that if I didn't have the bleaching trays and just read all that I wrote, I might decide not to go forward with the whole thing. It all sounds awful! But it's really not that bad and my results have been so good that I think it's worth it.

Hope that helps and good luck!

I love the Crest white strips, only one thing to consider if you're thinking of trying them. A couple times,I've bought the generic brand, and they are completely different at most stores (at least, at Duane Reade and Target). So for those of you who don't like the thin crest strips and how they slip around, the generic might work better for you. They are a thick, wax tray that kind of molds to your teeth. I actually much prefer the Crest ones, and I really do get comments from strangers all the time about how nice my teeth are, even a year after using them.

The sensitivity is a problem for me too. I thinks sensodyne helps, and also I have gotten perfectly good results by just using every other day. I think you are actually supposed to use them twice a day, but I would want to saw my head off if I did that! If you have really sensitive teeth, you could probably try using them for less time too.

I've never tried the dentist made things those. Why do you prefer those, out of curiousity? I'm sure the custom made trays are more convenient.

Ah, thanks Karen! I guess I'll stick with my OTC route, at least, until I take the plunge and quit smoking. Then I might want to do some overall with the whitening so I'm not tempted to take it up again!

I've recently tried Aquafresh whitening trays and I hate them. They don't fit on my teeth (they're crooked), the gel gets out in my mouth, and my teeth are more sensitive to them than the Crest strips.