Three weeks ago I got my teeth professionally whitened for the very first time.
For as long as I can remember I would always get compliments on how white my teeth were, and I loved knowing I had pearly whites starting back at people when I smiled. But, over the last couple of years my teeth were not looking as white as they used to. I’ll blame my coffee addiction for that! Is it bad that I think I’d rather have no teeth than give up my coffee? I kid, I kid…sort of!
I’ve used Crest whitestrips on and off all my life, and normally I l would notice a huge difference with those, but for some reason over the last couple of years they just weren’t having the same affect as they normally would. Was it because of my diet? Was it because I was getting older? I didn’t know. But what I did know was that I just wanted whiter teeth.
A few months ago I ran into an old co-worker of mine and I swear I could see her smile glistening from across the room. She told me she had just gotten her teeth professionally whitened at Megnificent Smiles here in St. John’s. Right away I knew I wanted to try it out myself. And so I did! Todd wanted to get his done too, so we made our appointments back to back on the same day.
BEFORE THE APPOINTMENT
There was only two things we had to do beforehand: (1) complete online forms and answer standard questions such as our medical history, allergies, last teeth cleaning and dentist visit, etc., and (2) make sure we didn’t brush our teeth with toothpaste or use mouthwash the day of (brush with water only!).
Todd’s teeth are extremely sensitive to whitening products so he was nervous before his appointment. When he booked his appointment they assured him that he wouldn’t experience any sensitivity like other at-home whitening products, but they did recommend that it would be a good idea for him to start using a desensitizing toothpaste leading up to his appointment.
They also reminded us to drink any tea or coffee before our appointment since we wern’t allowed to have any colorful beverages after…water only! Thankfully my appointment wasn’t until noon, so I had no trouble getting my two cups of coffee in for the day.
THE APPOINTMENT
I was greeted by the lovely Meghan from Megnificent Smiles, and I instantly knew I was going to be in good hands! She was so friendly and professional, and you could tell just how passionate she was about what she does. Meghan is a registered dental hygienist and the owner and sole employee of Megnificent Smiles.
The first thing I noticed when I arrived was that it didn’t look like your typical dental office at all. There was no receptionist desk, but just a modern couch and a few chairs, and I was brought into a cute room with a dental chair.
After walking me through the procedure and answering any questions I had, she began by putting a rubber mold in mouth and then adding a blue gel over my gums that I was told would help prevent any sensitivity from the whitening. She then gave me some glasses to put on to protect my eyes from the light, put some vitamin E gloss on my lips to help with any drying, added the hydrogen peroxide directly to my teeth, and then turned on the blue light.
And then I just had to lie there and not move and wait for it to hopefully works it’s magic!
Over the next hour and a half Meghan checked on me periodically and gave me any suction if needed (which I did…plenty!). She would also reapply bleach in any needed spots for a touch-up.
There was music on in the background and she also allowed me to hang on to my phone (I’m guessing to help with the boredom!!), but with the protective eyewear on, everything looked red, so most of the time I just stared at the ceiling!
When the time was up, a fluoride treatment was added to my teeth. This helps strengthen the enamel and allows the teeth to recover faster from whitening treatments.
Overall, the process was a breeze!! There was no sensitivity, no pain, and no teeth electric shocks (IYKYK). The hardest part of all was trying to relax my mind during the process (again, IYKYK).
Todd also experienced no sensitivity or pain, and he was very, very surprised since he can’t tolerate using any whitening products.
AFTER THE APPOINTMENT
We both were given mouth trays and a syringe of a lower dosage of peroxide to use for a touch up at home. For best results she recommended to use it within 48 hours of our whitening appointment.
I went back to work in the afternoon and went about my day as normal. For the rest of the day, it did feel like there was a thin film on my teeth due to the fluoride treatment, but she said it would wash off when we brushed our teeth that night, which it did.
I was told for the rest of the day to follow a beige colored diet and stay away from any colorful foods or drinks. It’s really important to do this as your teeth are extremely porous and really suspectable to staining during this time. She told me coffee was fine for the next morning though, which I was a little surprised by because a lot of what I read online suggested to wait 48 hours. Since I love my coffee so much I wasn’t going to question it but, again, I was surprised. She did suggest that for the best and most long lasting results to use a glass straw for coffee or any other drinks that could stain your teeth overtime.
The first night after getting the treatment done, I did find my teeth a teeny tiny bit sensitive, but honestly it wasn’t bad at all. It’s been over two weeks now and I’ve experienced no issues at all. Todd did find his teeth a little sensitive over the next day or two, and he did experience a few “zingers”, but he said it didn’t hold a candle to how bad his experiences have been with Crest whitestrips.
A fun fact I learned that day – using whitening toothpaste full time is a big no-no! I’ll be honest and say I was totally guilty of this, and I can’t believe I didn’t know any better. Apparently whitening toothpaste is abrasive which wears down your enamel over time and could cause your teeth to appear even darker. Yikes!!! It made me question if that’s why I’ve been finding my teeth looking more yellow than usual, or why whitestrips haven’t been having the same effect. At least I know better now! She suggested only using it a few times before a special occasion, or very sporadically. She recommended this toothpaste.
THE RESULTS
Now for the fun part….the results!
When I looked at my teeth immediately after, I was shocked! Gosh, did my teeth look white! It’s amazing to see the color of your teeth change right before your eyes like that! When I got in my vehicle after my appointment, I swear I just sat there for five minutes staring at my teeth in the rearview mirror. My teeth were even looking whiter than my white shirt!!!
If you look real close (especially around my canines) you can see the layer from the fluoride treatment.
For about a week after, both me and Todd would always look at each other and comment on how white are teeth were looking. I couldn’t believe his results either (I think I was even more impressed with his than mine….and that’s saying something because I thought mine turned out really good!).
I really wish I had taken before and after pictures in the office to get more of a truer picture. These were taken in my car and the lighting had changed drastically. The results were a lot more noticeable than what’s showing!
Now, I’ll be completely honest and say that while I was so impressed with the initial results, I am finding that I’m equally as disappointed with the long lasting results.
I knew my teeth would never look as white as they did on the day of my appointment, but it’s only been three weeks and my teeth have turned quicker than I thought they would. In fact, sometimes I even feel like they’ve gone back to the same shade they were before the treatment. I’m also finding the same with Todd’s results, although his still looks whiter than before his appointment, which is great!
Should we have done better with our diet during those first 48 hours (or even week) after the whitening treatment? We followed the rules (afterall, I am a rule follower!), but I’m wondering if I should have avoided coffee or other foods for longer like most articles were suggesting as your teeth are more susceptible to staining up to a week after the whitening treatment.
I’m hoping these are questions I’ll be able to answer next time, as I will definitely be trying this again. I was told that you can get the treatment done every six months (although once a year seems to be the most average time), so I’m already looking forward to getting it done again.
I’d love to hear your experience if you’ve ever tried it!
Until next time!
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