Naturally, I know people trust a post that’s not sponsored more than one that is so let me start by saying that I was not in any way compensated for this post. As a matter of fact, it cost me $75 but gained me a world of confidence and it’s so exciting to me that I had to share with you all. (**I have added Amazon links within the post that will make me money but I suggest going to your dentist for the professional version, if you can!)

Why Use Teeth Whitening Products?

A lot of a girl’s confidence is tied up in her looks. We don’t set out to feel this way but the first thing you’ll always notice about someone is how they look. It doesn’t help that society puts a pretty big emphasis on appearance. What you wear to a job interview can determine whether or not you get that job and if you don’t brush your hair in the morning, people will probably avoid you. That’s just how it is.

June 2018 at the New Jersey Renaissance Faire. Original photo courtesy of Frank Burkhauser and I never shared it because I was mortified by my teeth.

Over the years, I’ve changed a lot of my appearance as far as makeup and how I style my hair but there was one thing that wasn’t getting better: my teeth. When I was 18, I remember someone I didn’t even know commenting on a photo of mine, “You’re so beautiful. If only you didn’t smoke.” The comment was entirely out of line but it was also an indirect comment about my yellow teeth. I’ve never been a smoker but smoking is just one of the things that can yellow your teeth. Coffee, dark sodas, improper care, and aging in general can also turn them yellow.

An adorable picture of me and my puppies on Christmas Eve 2017. It never made it to social media because I didn’t have time to put a teeth  whitening filter on the picture.

No matter what got you there, having yellow teeth can be truly embarrassing. Whenever I looked at a photo of myself, the first thing I saw was that stained smile looking back at me. It only got worse over time and I hit a point where I was taking every since photo and adding a teeth whitening filter. That’s right you guys, I’d been faking a lot of my photos for the last several years because I was that unhappy with how my smile looked! I’m revealing some of the real pictures so you can see the huge change that has taken place here.

This was my last birthday, October 2018. The birthday photos I uploaded excluded the smiling ones so this never went in. Completely unedited (hence very dark photo!) in all its yellow glory.

 

All of that editing doesn’t help much for real life though, does it?

 

Which Teeth Whitening Products Work?

Within the last several years, I’ve tried a bunch of teeth whitening products. I reviewed a few gels that you use with special lights and that didn’t seem to do anything at all. I bought activated charcoal, which seemed to slightly improve my teeth until one of my front teeth suddenly chipped. After looking it up, I found that it’s possible that activated charcoal can be very abrasive and make your teeth more brittle. It could have been a coincidence but I wasn’t willing to risk it.

While at the dentist getting my tooth fixed, the dentist told me that there hadn’t been very many methods that work well. He said that in all of his years, Crest 3D White Strips seemed to be the best. Two of his staff agreed, showing me that they use it regularly. Dentists are permitted to sell Crest 3D White Strips with twice the strength of what you can buy over-the-counter (higher percentage of peroxide) but he said that the OTC work just as well, you just have to use them twice as much to get the same result. Price-wise, it’s basically the same if you buy the stronger box or two of the store-bought boxes.

I bought a box of the dentist’s Crest 3D White Professional Supreme White Strips, which contained two weeks worth of strips. I can’t link you to this exact one because like I said, it’s only available through a dentist but if you choose to buy a Crest 3D White from your local retailer, you’ll just need to use it for four weeks instead. IF your teeth are sensitive, I think that going for the over-the-counter version might be better since the Professional Supreme is obviously stronger.

A tip from my dentist’s office and fellow white strip users: Brush your teeth and dry them off before application. It helps to adhere the strip to your teeth and make sure it’s touching your teeth directly. Then, brush your teeth again after using the strips.

 

My Experience and Results

After my first application, I was FLOORED. The fact that I could already see a difference was ridiculous to me but I’d taken a quick picture to compare and it certainly looked like a change. I convinced myself it was just the difference in the light and waited for the next use. On the second use, I got a bit too much of my gums under the strip and they turned white. I called the office, concerned, and was assured that it would go away within twenty minutes and it did. So if that happens to you, don’t fret! Try harder to avoid putting it over your gums next time but even if you do, it’s not a big deal although it may irritate your gums a bit.

After a few days, I did start to feel a dull annoyance of sensitivity. My stepmom describes the feeling well as a “tooth headache”. It would go away after less than a day. I spaced out my treatments to every other day and that seemed to work out well.

One of the staff told me that I might be happy enough after a week of use. She was absolutely correct! After a week, I was literally jumping up and down with excitement when I saw my smile. I saved the rest of the strips for touch-ups and I use them here and there before a big event now. I still have two just sitting in the bathroom cabinet! I also maintain my teeth with the Crest 3D toothpaste because, well, why mess with a good thing?

And are the results noticeable? I would say absolutely! My mom is the kind of lady who will tell you that you look terrible or that you might have gained weight. The very first thing she said to me this past weekend was, “OH MY GOSH, you’re right that whitening stuff works!! Your teeth look amazing!” Then she commenced that whole, “Look at this! Did you see them?!” thing moms do. She hesitated at the $75 price tag but I told her if that sounds like a lot, she doesn’t remember how yellow my teeth actually were. She called me this morning to tell me she wants me to pick up a box for her.

 

The bottom line here is that I’m absolutely in love with this product and I had to write an entire post just to recommend it because I’m that thrilled. If you try it, can you please let me know about your experience? How did it work, did you experience sensitivity and if so, for how long? Most importantly, how do you feel about your results?

Just this past weekend, the first week of April 2019. Directly off of my camera with no filters and I couldn’t be happier!