Flip on the television, watch the runways, browse through glossy magazines and you’ll see one thing in common: Shiny, bright whites.
Chiclets of perfection are hard to come by, unless your first and last names are Julia and Roberts. Pristine and blanched choppers have gone through serious work, usually at the hands of some Beverly Hills or Upper East Side cosmetic dentist with tanks of nitrous oxide.
Taking out a loan or going on a monthly payment plan to fund that flawless smile is simply out of the question, what with the word recession constantly on the lips of people from midwest to Wall Street. The good news is your local neighborhood drugstore and beauty boutiques are your dental saviors, stocking brands aimed at digging away for those pearly whites.
Crest Whitestrips Premium Plus ($39.99): This 10-day whitening system comes with 40 strips and is clinically-proven to yield whiter teeth for 18 months, providing you follow the twice-a-day-for-ten-days system.
Aquafresh White Trays ($29.99). You get seven days worth of pre-filled, flexible and disposable trays for both the bottom and top sets of teeth, which cover more surface area than regular whitening strips. These trays also don’t slip, making the system easy as pie and letting you sit back without having to readjust any messy strips mid-process.
GoSMILE Smile Whitening System ($89). GoSMILE is never budget-friendly, but it’s worth the extra dough. This system has 14 single-use ampoules filled with a formula you brush over your teeth twice a day, for seven days. It also gives the user control over where to brush, so no spots are missed. The packaging is pretty aesthetically-pleasing, too, as well as highly convenient for on-the-go, meeting-filled days.
Arm & Hammer Advance White Toothpaste ($3.60): Containing both peroxide (for whitening), baking soda (for cleaning) and “penetrating bubbles” (for a minty aftertaste), this is a cheap and chic way to get bright whites.
Super Smile Professional Whitening Toothpaste ($21 for 4.2 oz): Invented by Dr. Irwin Smigel (who pretty much invented aesthetic dentistry), this is the baby that cosmetic dentists recommend most because it wipes out stains without being abrasive.
So don’t be wiping that smile off your face now, ya hear?
It’s amazing how much teeth whitening products are out in the market today. These are effective but not all of it can give you your desired results. It is best to ask your dentist how you can have a teeth whitening treatment at home using the correct product.
I recommend the Aquafresh White Trays in my practice as an effective, cheaper alternative to a professionally applied system.