Wedding Wednesday: Getting the pearly whites… pearly white

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One of my top beauty concerns for my own wedding was my teeth. That was a long time ago, waay back before I had dental implants, and I felt a little self-conscious about them. At the time, I at the very least wanted them to be nice and white. The issue came up again last year when I got my braces off and discovered that four years of braces + coffee + red wine + Italian food does some fairly unflattering things to your tooth color. If you’re looking for a specialist Manchester dental implant centre, visit https://www.360dentalcare.co.uk/ and contact 360 Dental Care now for a free consultation.

I’ve tried quite a few different products (understatement) in my efforts to keep a bright smile, so I figured I could save you some googling by telling you about the things that worked for me – or didn’t. Before we get into the reviews though, here’s a (hopefully) handy schedule for when to start different whitening methods. Take a look at the top cosmetic dentists in NJ and their website where you can find more information about the best dental treatments, check out this page and their article about cosmetic and general dentistry.

So, uh, let’s start with some of the slightly less drastic options, shall we?

Whitening Toothpaste

I’ve been using one whitening toothpaste or another for as long as I can remember – to the point that I forget there’s any other kind. My long-time everyday toothpaste has been Aquafresh Extreme Clean White, because…. I don’t know why. It’s just what I’ve always used. I think it helps prevent re-staining to an extent, but it doesn’t really hold up to Extreme Coffee-Drinking (<- please read that in a deep TV announcer voice).

For the past several weeks I’ve been testing out a new whitening toothpaste with the longest name ever – Crest 3D White Luxe Glamorous White*, which I’m pretty sure didn’t exist way back when I had my own wedding. Too bad, because it actually did make my chompers a couple shades whiter within the first week – and I thought they were pretty ok anyway. This is now my go-to for preventing new stains, see here.

When to start: 1-2 weeks before, or when you start the rest of your whitening regimen

Maintenance: Avoid things that cause stains, and alternate with a regular or sensitive toothpaste if whitening toothpastes make your teeth sensitive. I actually tried some of the Rembrandt 2-Hour trays to see if that would help and…. meh

Bleaching Trays (non-custom-fit)

A few weeks before I did Zoom whitening (more on that in a minute). Obviously I can’t speak for every product that uses this method, but these particular ones didn’t form well to my teeth, and they didn’t really get much whiter. You can also get bleaching trays custom-made by your dentist, and I’d expect those work much better, but I haven’t done that so I can’t really give any opinions on it. As for the ones you can buy at the store – I think there are better options. I also went to a great dentist in Tijuana recently and they were one of the best I’ve ever visited so definitely try them if you are in that area.

When to start: 1 month before

Maintenance: Brush with a whitening toothpaste (as sensitivity allows) and avoid staining foods & beverages.

Bleaching Strips

Personally, this is my favorite way to get whiter teeth. It doesn’t cause nearly as much sensitivity as in-office whitening (at least, for me it doesn’t) and it’s really fast and easy. I’ve been using various types Crest Whitestrips for the past year or so to ‘touch up’ after Zooming. A course of the Vivid strips once every couple months has kept things pretty bright, but they are a little bit hard to keep on your teeth. Luckily they have a new version out – 3D Whitestrips Luxe*. Yes, they’re more expensive ($60 instead of $25 like the Vivid version) but they’re better in pretty much every way. You can stretch them to cover as many teeth as you want, and they adhere to the teeth really well. Most of all, they get my teeth whiter, and that’s what counts. I took some pictures for you – here are my teeth before and after one treatment:

Before

After

They do make my teeth a little bit sensitive for about a day, so I use these in the evening and only use them every 2-3 days.

When to start: 2-4 weeks before

Maintenance: Brush with a whitening toothpaste (as sensitivity allows) and avoid staining foods & beverages.

Zoom Whitening

Image courtesy of zoomwhitening.com

If you haven’t heard of zoom teeth whitening yet, it’s a professional whitening treatment where your dentist uses a hydrogen peroxide gel and a UV light gadget to whiten your teeth. If you will like to learn from an expert, see this amazing dentist in chattanooga.

My teeth were stained really oddly when I got my braces off and I wanted some heavy duty whitening to fix it, so I got my teeth Zoomed as soon as my orthodontist ok’d it. If you’re looking for a Cypress dentist who will treat you with professionalism and respect, Universal Smiles has the top-rated dentist in Cypress TX and surrounding areas.

Folks – don’t do this right before your wedding, seriously.

Did it work? Sure did! I really wish I had before and after photos to show you, but unfortunately it’s been over a year ago and I have no clue where the pictures went. My teeth were probably the whitest they’ve ever been, but it was at a cost. You see, my teeth have never been especially sensitive, but this hurt. As in, it was a little painful during the session (I did make it through the whole 45 minutes though) but by the time I got home my teeth hurt so much that I ended up just going to bed. Eating, talking or any sort of fun was totally out of the question. The sensitivity wore off over the next several days, but it was a few weeks before they were totally back to normal. And then you obviously have to be careful about re-staining your teeth, so no staining foods or beverages are allowed for the first 48 hours. The $200-$500 price tag isn’t something to take lightly either. I could see this being a good option if  you have severe staining, but I personally would recommend trying less extreme (and less expensive!) methods first. In any case, it’s definitely something you want to do well before your wedding date.

When to start: 2-6 months before your wedding date

Maintenance: Brush with a whitening toothpaste (as sensitivity allows) and avoid staining foods & beverages. Touch up with other whitening methods if necessary.

Other Things to Know

A few other tips for you –

• Don’t forget to visit your dentist at https://www.rocksmiles.com for a good cleaning. Keeping your teeth healthy will keep them looking their best, and the cleaning will get into all those little nooks and crannies. Flossing will help stains from setting in between teeth.
• Whitening methods remove stains to reveal your natural tooth color, so you won’t necessarily end up with news-anchor chiclets – and that’s ok! If your want better results, you may visit a cosmetic dental clinic like Laura Loftin Dentistry.
• All whitening doodads have the potential to make your teeth and gums sensitive, so don’t wait until right before the big day to do it! Give yourself some time to space out the frequency of treatments if you need to.
• To cut down on sensitivity, use a ‘sensitive’ toothpaste several times a week (I’m a fan of Sensodyne ProNamel).
• Fluoride can keep bleaching gels from penetrating the way they should, so bleaching strips will work better if you wait a little while after brushing.
• A cool-toned lipstick plays down any yellow tones on the teeth, making them look whiter.
• If want to have a perfect smile but is ashamed because of a missing tooth, dental implants are the magic bullet to that.
• You can also take an oral health-boosting supplement like Dentitox pro to prevent common problems like bad breath, swelling, receding gums, and tooth decay.

What are your favorite products and tips for a dazzling white smile?

* – Some products were provided by the company for consideration. The content of the post is 100% from me, because I just want to help you feel fab on your wedding day, whichever products get you there.