Ways to Whiten Your Pearlies! (Teeth)

That moment when you are talking to someone and all of the sudden their voice strangely sounds like it’s fading into a tunnel-like echo because all you can focus on is their teeth that appear to be the shade of an overcooked cob of corn.  Let’s talk about ways to whiten your pearlies! (Teeth)

Unfortunately, all through my teenage years, I was that person qho was putting you into a dry-heaving, trance-like state because of the mustard stained shade of my pearly-not-so-whites.  I know mustard yellow is what is hip to the hop right now, but on teeth, that color should be drop kicked out of existence.

(*slight* dramatization to illustrate the color of my teeth for many years)

(this picture was taken after a cheese ball contest, but it may as well have been my senior picture)

In my defense, and in the defense of all those who have suffered along with me, the color of enamel varies from person to person because of genetics and other factors. Some people are just annoyingly blessed with fairy white enamel, while others of us suffer from the corn disease (I made that disease up, don’t look it up in the dental dictionary, it’s not there even though it should be).

My sister was in the dental hygiene program my first year of college, and she introduced me to the world of TEETH WHITENING.  She took impressions of my teeth and made me custom bleach trays.  It wasn’t until after I saw the results that I realized I had been living with jaundice of the teeth all those years. Why didn’t someone tell me?! I had no idea how yellow my teeth actually were, and how easy it was to improve them. The results were amazing, and I can honestly say I felt like it lit up my whole face .  Whether or not it actually did, I don’t know, but it made me feel that way. And what else matters, right? This little experience is just one of many that solidified that dental hygiene was the right profession for me as well!

Well, my friends, get ready to do some barney jumps, or crab crawls, which ever you prefer. Because I’m going to let you in on

4 WAYS  YOU CAN GET YOUR PEARLIES WHITER.

I’m positive at least one of them will be suitable for you; whether it be cost, convenience, comfort, and/or all of the above.

**ONE:

{Whitening Toothpaste} (over the counter)

Pro’s: inexpensive and over-the-counter, EASY (don’t have to alter your regime at all-just brush as normal), very minimal sensitivity

Biggest Con: not fantastically noticeable results, only removes extrinsic stains

Does it work? Yes! Although, the results are very subtle.  Whitening toothpaste is only  effective on extrinsic stains (coffee, tea, tobacco staining).  If you are wanting blinding white pearlies, whitening toothpaste isn’t the rodeo for you, but if it’s all that fits in your budget, it will make *some* difference.

There are a gazillion (literally that many) whitening toothpastes. They are all pretty similar because they all usually contain hydrogen peroxide as the whitening ingredient. BUT my favorite is Colgate White Optic (about $4 a tube). After I haven’t used it in a while, I will notice that it slightly brightens things up a bit.

All toothpastes help remove surface stain from your teeth through the action of mild abrasives. “Whitening” toothpastes in the ADA Seal of Acceptance program have special chemical or polishing agents that provide additional stain removal effectiveness. Unlike bleaches, these ADA Accepted products do not change the intrinsic color of teeth.

**TWO:

{WHITE STRIPS}

Pro’s: SO EASY. Open the package, apply one of the stripes to the top of your teeth and one to the bottom, go about your ‘bidness for 30 minutes, take them off and you’re good to go.  GREAT results, variety of level’s/power’s to choose from to cater to your wants/needs.

Con’s: Causes sensitivity, so many choices it’s almost over whelming

Like whitening toothpastes, there are as many brands of whitening strips as there are shoes in Kim Kardashians closet.. How do you even begin to decide?

Personal preference.. do some reading and read reviews to feel more comfortable with your choice. If you want to ease yourself into whitening, choose a lower “power” or “level”. The power will be shown right on the box, for example: the power of the white strips on the box in the picture below is the maximum strength of 5. If you want to dive in head first, choose the maximum power.

I personally have tried several different types of Crest white stripes, and have never been disappointed. They get two thumbs up from me! My husband is currently using them  and loves them also.

BUT my FAVORITE Whitestripes I’ve ever tired are the CREST 3D White Intensive Professional Effects Whitestrips     (amazon seems to ALWAYS have the best deals on white stripes in my experience, PLUS they have a $10 rebate!).  The results are amazing and QUICK!

The Crest website says:

“Crest 3D White Intensive Professional Effects Whitestrips of Advanced Seal Technology delivers our best professional-level whitening results in just 7 days.”

**THREE:

In office, one time bleach: {CHAIRSIDE BLEACH} – IMMEDIATE BLEACH

During chairside bleaching, a protective gel is applied to your gums or a rubber shield to protect the oral soft tissues. A bleaching agent is then applied to the teeth and a special light may be used to enhance the action of the agent.

Pro’s: Immediate results, don’t have to do any of the work yourself

Con’s: sensitivity, expensive,  (if I were going to spend this much money on bleaching, I would personally put it toward bleach trays, (which I will talk about next), because you can touch up at home without having to pay for a whole new procedure to re-whiten.

Chair side whitening is ideal for “I gotta have white teeth YESTERDAY!” events. Weddings, senior pictures, family Pictures, first dates with that possible future hub-a-lish, etc..

To learn more about the process and pro’s and con’s, HERE is a great article.

 **FOUR : SAVE THE BEST FOR LAST

{Customized Bleach Trays} from the dental office.

These products contain peroxide(s) which actually bleach the tooth enamel. Carbamide peroxide is the bleaching agent and comes in several different concentrations (10%, 16%, and 22%). Peroxide-containing whiteners typically come in a gel and are placed in a mouth guard/tray. Some products are used once or twice a day for two weeks, while others are intended for overnight use for one to two weeks.

The process is simple; Your dentist’s office takes impressions of your teeth, they make a mold of your teeth, they make a soft/plastic tray for your top and bottom teeth, they give you tubes of bleach. Take the trays home, apply a tiny dot of bleach in each tooth slot of the tray, put trays on, wear for instructed amount of time. You’ll be blinding the world in no time!

Pro’s: FANTASTIC results, customized trays can/will last YEARS, so if you ever want to re-bleach, you just buy more bleach from your dentist and get to de-yellowing time after time after time.

Con’s: Sensitivity, takes time to get bleach trays made, more expensive than over the counter whitening options

These nuggets will CHANGE your life. If you want optimal results, there is no debate in my opinion, custom bleach trays are the bee’s knee’s!!

(results of a patient from a previous dental office I worked at.  ALL from using custom bleach trays)

A lil tip for you:

TONS of dental offices offer free whitening trays and bleach to new patients. I see billboards/commercials/advertisements similar to this one below all the time. And 2 of the offices I have worked at in the past have offered similar incentives.

Ask around for recommendations for a good dentist in your area, and then call them and ask what new patient specials they have, and if they provide any specials for any kind of bleach system.  Even if you have to pay for them, believe me you, the investment is a gift that keeps giving!

 Precaution:

The biggest precaution I can give you for ANY kind of whitening is that it can and most likely WILL cause some sensitivity. The sensitivity is temporary, and let’s be honest..beauty is pain, right? My teeth get SUPER DUPER sensitive when I whiten, but I use fluoride in my bleach trays in between bleaching, which helps heaps!  We aren’t wearing our 5 inch heels because they’re comfy are we? And the sensitivity is temporary and usually is completely gone after a few days after the bleaching process is complete.  Although it does cause some discomfort, bleaching your teeth is NOT harmful to the enamel if you follow the correct instructions/regime for each particular bleaching procedures.. The biggest harm that can be done is leaving those chompers yella.

Lastly, it’s crucial to remember to brush and floss regularly and avoid foods and drinks that are known to stain teeth, as this will help extend your brighter smile and ensure an overall healthier mouth. And if you want to just put a pin in it and think about what kind of whitening is right for you, HERE are a few ideas of foods that whiten teeth naturally.

VERY ROUGH APPROXIMATE PRICE BREAKDOWN:

Whitening toothpastes: $3-$8

Whitening stripes: $20-$75 (depending on the “power” or “level” you decide on, and the amount of stripes in the package)

Chairside whitening: $100-$300 (every dental office’s prices are SO different depending on which procedure they use)

Bleach Trays: $100-$200 (again, it drastically varies from dentist to dentist)

I don’t have any actual before and after pictures of my results from whitening, but this pretty much sums up the drastic difference from what I can remember.

Don’t suffer from corn disease as long as I did, your banana teeth years are behind you!

Have a BRIGHT & SHINY week my friends!!

Ways to Whiten Your Pearlies! (Teeth)