Opalescence Go 6% At-home Teeth Whitening System

Where I got it: I was contacted by Opalescence Australia to trial and review this at-home teeth whitening system. Opalescence Whitening products are manufactured by Ultradent in the US and can only be purchased from a dentist for around $175 NZD. Check out www.opalescence.com/au/find-a-dentist.aspx for a list of dentists.

What I got: I was sent a box of Opalescence Go 6% At-home Teeth Whitening System. It contains 10 pairs of trays for a full treatment (10-days). Opalescence Go is also available in 15% strength. Opalescence Go is a dentist-controlled, dentist-supervised, take-home bleaching system, dispensed in pre-loaded disposable trays. It is a clear- flavored, high viscosity, sticky, 6% hydrogen peroxide gel with potassium nitrate and sodium fluoride.

PRECAUTIONS: Only intended for use by those with healthy gum tissue. Gum tissue irritation may result if used in individuals with periodontal disease. This product is NOT for nighttime use (overnight). Occasionally, some parts of teeth may bleach faster or less evenly than others. Acidic foods/juices may cause sensitivity if consumed shortly after bleaching. Do not use tobacco products or eat while bleaching. Not intended to use by pregnant women. Do no freeze. Do not swallow gel or rises. Materials should be refrigerated to maintain shelf life.

How I find it: The box comes with 10-days worth of whitening treatment (10 pairs of disposable whitening trays in individually sealed packs) and an instruction/information leaflet. The individually sealed packs should be stored in the fridge when not in use. Before use, take a packet out and leave at room temperature. When ready (does not say you need to brush teeth before use, but I brush just in case), remove the seal, take the tray out (do no separate green and white tray) and place the tray onto the upper row or bottom row of teeth (U for Upper, L for Lower). The trays are pre-loaded with whitening gel, so try not to disturb them. Once the tray is in, gently suck down onto the tray to achieve a better adhesion and the gel will spread. Once that is in, remove the green tray carefully and leave the white tray. You can help the gel spread by lighting pressing the trays (don’t worry, the gel will not overflow). Leave on for 60-90 minutes. Remove once the time is up and brush your teeth as normal to get rid of the residue gel.

Overall: First of all, apologies for the change in lighting in my photos. I moved house and the lighting in my bathroom is somewhat different. However, I will describe to you how well it worked for me. Overall, I think the system is very easy and straight-forward to use. The individually packed trays are very hygienic convenient to travel with. I had no gum sensitivity and the tray is quite soft to wear and does not look intrusive (my hubby didn’t even know I was wearing it), but it does affect my talking a little.  The gel has a minty taste but there is still a gel after-taste, which I don’t really like. The length of wearing the tray is a little long for my preference, it would be great if it was for 20 minutes! After every treatment, my teeth is overall whiter with the edges 1-2 shades whiter than the rest of my teeth. However, that tends to fade after a couple of hours so you are not left with white-rimmed teeth. I am a tea-drinker so I guess that does stain my teeth, but the system whitens gradually, therefore it was quite hard for me to see substantial results after 10 treatments. I did see about 2 shades whiter after 10 consecutive treatments (results may vary between people, some people may require stronger strength to achieve best results), but after 2 weeks, my teeth seems to have been re-stained a little. I guess I have to maintain them properly and go on the treatment again after a certain amount of time. I would definitely try this treatment again but I think the stronger strength for better results.

Disclaimer: I am not paid to do these reviews. All reviews are of my honest and personal opinions.

By Kitty Tam