Teeth whitening - share your experience
Mrs_Z
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Just wondered if any forum members have had their teeth whitened - what methods did you use and were you happy with the results? Any advice? Do's or don'ts?
I've just started doing mine with a home kit from my dentist - consisting of tailor made trays and gel to wear over night. The initial dose was enough for 2 weeks, after a week I started to see some difference, after 2 weeks (now) I can see what I'd call a minor difference. OH says my teeth are definitely whiter and now have a nice natural, clean colour of a 20yr old. I don't want the end result to be unnaturally white or too obvious - ie. glow in the dark.
At the dentist's check up he's given me another 2 weeks worth of gel to keep going but I have doubts - ie. the end results being too white and also in total 4 weeks seems quite a long time to be wearing the gel overnight. In the whitening gel product description it said most patients achieve their optimal results in 1-2 weeks. I'm somewhat uncertain what to do...to stop or keep going? I will probably finish the current gel and then take a break but I would be interested in hearing other people's experiences.
I've just started doing mine with a home kit from my dentist - consisting of tailor made trays and gel to wear over night. The initial dose was enough for 2 weeks, after a week I started to see some difference, after 2 weeks (now) I can see what I'd call a minor difference. OH says my teeth are definitely whiter and now have a nice natural, clean colour of a 20yr old. I don't want the end result to be unnaturally white or too obvious - ie. glow in the dark.
At the dentist's check up he's given me another 2 weeks worth of gel to keep going but I have doubts - ie. the end results being too white and also in total 4 weeks seems quite a long time to be wearing the gel overnight. In the whitening gel product description it said most patients achieve their optimal results in 1-2 weeks. I'm somewhat uncertain what to do...to stop or keep going? I will probably finish the current gel and then take a break but I would be interested in hearing other people's experiences.
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That said I would be very wary of going too far and ending up with a result that's wildly out of sync with the rest of your face.
I would also be very careful about the future, specifically I think your teeth have to age gracefully with the rest of your face and not become ever more incongruously youthful as the face framing them ages.
From personal experience and observation of others your face can be dramatically improved in appearance by getting sufficient sleep every night or almost every night, taking regular outdoor exercise, eating a healthy balanced diet, being a healthy weight and habitually smiling.
In my experience as you age fewer and fewer people in your age group do these things so the net result is that you appear better and better looking compared to others.
Go for a walk and really look at everyone else you see and think about it, I'm sure you'll find yourself agreeing with me.
So I think my conclusions are that if I were you I would stop now and I would consider the totality of my appearance and possibly decide that I would make some changes to my behaviour. I definitely wouldn't go further with changing your teeth as "natural for a 20 year old" strikes me as the outer limit of what might be your natural colour.
Scallops. A host of legends surround this, one of the loveliest of seafoods, except when overcooked. My favourite true story concerns the young lady scallop preparation worker, interviewed by the 'New Yorker' Magazine. When asked for her honest opinion of the shellfish she said "They don't have much personality".
From Patrick Anthony's International MENU Dictionary.
You're having your whitening done properly though (By a registered dentist - not illegally by a hairdresser or a beautician) and it sounds like it's being done in pretty much the same way I do it.
It is very hard to go 'too far' with proper tooth whitening with proper materials. The 'Essex' smiles are either done with very dubious techniques, or the Rylan CLark-Neal sort of smile is only achievable by whacking off your own enamel, and getting Armatige-Shanks porcelain to replace it
Some of the 'whiteness' you get can be down to a bit of dehydration of the enamel, and that bit fades after a few days - so sometimes your dentist may recommend taking it a tiny bit whiter than you might be comfortable with, to allow for the bit of fade that might take place. That's why I'd go on what your dentist recommends rather than anecdotes on an internet forum.
If you do stop, and the fading makes them not quite as you'd like, you could always start again for a few more nights and you won't have lost anything. But your dentist's guidance is what you should follow.
1. Get recommendations from friends/family/neighbours/etc.
2. Once you have a short-list, VISIT the practices - dont just phone. Go on the pretext of getting a Practice Leaflet.
3. Assess the helpfulness of the staff and the level of the facilities.
4. Only book initial appointment when you find a place you are happy with.
Good enough is almost always good enough -Prof Barry Schwartz
If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try -Seth Godin
Good enough is almost always good enough -Prof Barry Schwartz
If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try -Seth Godin
1. Get recommendations from friends/family/neighbours/etc.
2. Once you have a short-list, VISIT the practices - dont just phone. Go on the pretext of getting a Practice Leaflet.
3. Assess the helpfulness of the staff and the level of the facilities.
4. Only book initial appointment when you find a place you are happy with.