My Journey With Teeth Whitening
Like many, I suffered through braces, rubber bands and retainers for about 3 and a half years during my early teens. I remember the day I got them on-- which also happened to be the day before Thanksgiving. Good planning, Mom ;) I also remember the day I got them off-- the day after freshman yearbook pictures; again, fabulous timing. But, I also remember all of the days in between when I would worry about how my teeth looked after I got my braces off. I seemed to care more about them staying the same color (I heard horror stories of kids ending up with permanent bracket marks on their teeth from discoloration) than I did about them being completely straight.
All throughout my teens I drank a ridiculous amount of pop (or soda to you non-Midwestern folk) as well as the occasional coffee. But, when I got my braces off, the color of my teeth seemed to be as close to the color of my teeth before braces as I could remember. However, I still felt very self-conscious about my teeth. My friends seemed to have these perfectly unedited white smiles while I secretly made sure to use the 'whiten' tool on any photo editor I could find.
As much as I tried to not be so hung up on my teeth, I remember sitting in the car one day and I happened to catch a glance at them in natural lighting; I was so embarrassed about how yellow they looked and truly angry that I let them get so bad (in my eyes). So, I decided to do something about it. I looked into professional whitening but realized how much it would cost me and immediately closed my laptop in a huff. But, then I remembered that they make at-home whitening strips specifically for this purpose. So, I hopped on Amazon and looked at my options. I knew that Crest was a reliable brand and I had learned, from stalking the reviews section, that their products seemed to work well. As I was stumbling through the pages, I found the Crest 3D White Supreme FlexFit strips. With claims like, "Whitens teeth as well as a $500 professional teeth whitening treatment, satisfaction guaranteed," I thought why the heck not?!
Once my strips came in the mail I immediately wanted to try them. The box comes with 14 packets of white strips with each packet containing one strip for the top teeth and one for the bottom. I love how stretchy the strips are; it makes it super easy to reach the teeth further in the back of my mouth. I like to use them for the full hour suggested on the box and usually blog or watch TV while I wait for the whitening to take effect. I have not noticed any extra sensitivity on my teeth since I only use them about once every 2 weeks or so depending on how I am feeling about my smile.
While I have not used the whole box yet, I am feeling much more confident knowing that my teeth are getting brighter! I am really impressed with how only a handful of whitening applications has enhanced my smile and my self-confidence! :)
{Before & After: NO editing was done to these photos}
Though my teeth are not exactly where I want them to be yet, I am so impressed when I look back on what my teeth used to look like verses now. I can tell just how much brighter they look even without any editing! It's amazing what a healthy looking smile can do to one's self-confidence. Mine has definitely sky rocketed since using these strips and I am excited to see what my teeth look like after I use up the entire box! :)
So, if you have discoloration to your teeth I highly recommend these strips! I drink coffee everyday and I am still seeing results-- and getting compliments on my smile weekly. Treat yourself to a new smile- you deserve it!
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