Is this not the most ridiculous photo I’ve ever posted?
So teeth whitening, yeah. I don’t dislike the color of my teeth but I always wondered how much whiter/brighter they would look with professional whitening, and also if it would even be worth the time, money and effort.
Fast forward to me asking my dentist, Dr. Daniela Pavlin, if she thought I would be a good candidate and she told me that she probably couldn’t get them too much whiter but yes, in fact, they would be brighter and a little whiter for the effort. So why not try it? For the sake of beauty experimentation, of course.
Dr. Pavlin used Opalescence Boost, a one-hour in office treatment that is chemically activated so no hot, painful light is needed – the biggest complaint I hear about professional teeth whitening is ALWAYS the light, by the way.
The gel is red and, yes, totally looks like blood. It’s not.
For me, the worst part of the whole process was wearing the retractor (i.e. the big thing that holds your mouth open). As Dr. Pavlin told me, I have a small mouth and a LOT of teeth so my actual mouth (not teeth) felt pretty sore after about 30 minutes of wearing this thing.
Dr. Pavlin let me take out the retractor for the remaining 30 minutes, thank god. I just had to be careful about not moving my mouth around too much so the gel wouldn’t rub off. The tube is just there to suck up my saliva, which I produce in heaps and BOUNDS when nervous/uncomfortable.
A weird facial expression, yes, but you can clearly see the new brightness in my teeth (photo on the right)! Sorry, but there was just NO WAY I was putting that retractor back in my mouth to show you my full set of chompers…but you get the picture, no?
The final verdict:
I love the new brightness to my teeth! And while, sure, the retractor was pretty uncomfortable for me (due to my small mouth), I would definitely do this again just to get a little extra white shine going. My bottom gums were sore for a day or two, but only while brushing, so I just used the “gentle” setting on my Sonicare and I was all good.
P.S.- If you live in the LA area and are looking for a new dentist, I can’t recommend Dr. Pavlin enough!
What do you guys think? Have you ever had your teeth professionally whitened?
You are my hero! I always wonder what I look like when I have that crazy retractor in my mouth – pretty fabulous! xx
Ha, thanks! It was worth it.
I’ve only done the professional gel at home in trays before my wedding, since I was worried about sensitivity. It’s so worth it though, definitely makes a huge difference in a smile when it’s white and bright!
I wanna try those next!
The thing I love about the trays is you can always buy more gel and whiten again using the same trays. I whiten probably once a year now.
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