So I started off this weekend with a bang and completed 101 item number 97 by getting my teeth whitened. This is something my mother has wanted me to have done for years. Ever since I (finally) got my braces off in fact. I was a bit dubious about it thinking why not be happy with what you’ve got but then I realised that it’s not about changing who you are but about enhancing what you have. The same can be said about a new haircut, a nice tan or a killer outfit. Until recently I’d never really accepted me or my body but now I have a new sense of confidence that comes from the fact that I am comfortable in my skin (for the most part – come on I am a girl after all!)
Anyway around Christmas time I was browsing Groupon’s deal of the day and the offering was laser teeth whitening at a local salon for just £99 instead of £299. I mentioned it to my mum and the next thing I knew she had bought it as my Christmas present. New Year came and went and by the time I called up to book an appointment the nearest one they could give me was March 12th!
So yesterday morning I toddled into town after a mammoth 12 hour dozing session (oops!) to get it done. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect to be honest, I’d tried at home whitening kits which I found fiddly and not very good and I really hoped that I wasn’t being taken for a ride. When I got there I had a standard medical questionnaire to complete (allergies, medication, that sort of thing) and some information to read on the treatment as well as a list of things I could/couldn’t eat for the next 24-48 hours (no tea! What the hell was I going to drink if I wasn’t allowed tea for 2 whole days! Oh yeah and nothing with a red sauce – probably shouldn’t have booked that dinner at Pizza Express for the evening then!)
The treatment itself was pretty painless and very boring. A guard is placed in the mouth to keep it open throughout the 60 or so minute treatment then some kind of protective gel is put around your gums (to stop the whitening gel coming into contact with them) and hardened with some kind of light (I really should know all these things after all my years of orthodontic work!) the therapist then dried off the teeth before applying gel to each individual tooth. A laser light was then pointed into my mouth for 15 minutes then it was lather rinse repeat another three times.
She warned me about sensitivity and the possibility of random sharp shooting pains at the beginning but I didn’t experience anything until the very end of the treatment where one of my bottom teeth twinged. (I can only describe it to those that have sensitive teeth as the feeling you get when you take a bite of ice-cream and it hits the wrong part of your tooth causing you to cringe) anyway after it was all completed I had to rinse my mouth out with water and was given an aftercare sheet on how to make the most of your treatment. Total time taken was just under an hour and a half and I left extremely happy with a slightly stiff jaw! As with every cosmetic procedure it will fade with time but how long that takes is down to me and how well I look after them.
Unfortunately by the time I got home the shooting pains continued to plague me. (About one or two every hour) so I took some painkillers, skipped my burlesque class and had a snooze before I met up with some friends for dinner (I ended up with a salad and milk lol) and a trip to the theatre to see Avenue Q. By the end of the evening my teeth were still a little tender so I just gave them a gentle brushing with sensodyne and they seemed to be just dandy in the morning.
I’d love to share before and after pictures with you but I have none. I’ve always hated my toothy smile so most pics are with my mouth closed however I did notice that I haven’t been able to stop smiling since I had them done and that can only be a good thing!
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