Pearly Whites

[LabRat]

Anyone ever whitened their teeth? I am currently trying the Opalescence system from my dentist, and am not impressed. For $340 (170 per arch) I had to get molds done, then nightly fill them with this vile melon tasting 'bleach' and wear them overnight. So far, after 3 nights I am seeing a general lightness, but mostly in blotches. And this morning the forwarned "sensitivity" has set in. Try downright annoying pain. Just sitting here, my lower teeth are just kind of throbbing. Like, when a tooth dries out, and air hits it and you get this little jolt, only slightly less jolting and continuous. Why, you ask would I do this silly thing? Well, because I was feeling a little mousy even after losing all of the baby weight, and a boob job was a little too pricey.

[wolf]

My dentist doesn't much go in for that stuff, but he has said it was okay to use the home kit from Crest ... the strips, I think. However, he would only go so far as to say "many people think they work well" and "they won't hurt you."

[OnyxCougar]

I tried the Crest Whitestrips and they worked to a point. There is a procedure you can get in the office that takes about an hour and is supposed to really work, but I forget what it's called....

[mrnoodle]

cleaning?

[Undertoad]

These days you can get bonding in any shade of white, that completely and perfectly changes the shade of your teeth. To preview what it might look like, watch any TV news anchor. You can bet that every single one of them has had this procedure. For fun, spot the ones who are new/not so wealthy and look for different shades on their tops and bottoms.

Many Indians get this done in too-light shades of white... apparently it is a cultural thing.

It's about half the price of a boob job I think, but a boob job is a ridiculous medical procedure.

[ashke]

Is it bad for your teeth though..?

[Undertoad]

That kind of bonding is just a thin porcelain "veneer" - I think the dentist removes the enamel from your teeth and replaces it with this porcelain, permanently. It's not bad for your teeth - it's like replacement teeth covers.

My ex-wife had this done, because she was obsessive-compulsive about her looks. I do not think she feels any better about herself because if you are OCD there is always some flaw to address. At the time it cost about $5000 but she used an expensive dentist.

[Catwoman]

In the words of Christina Aguilera: 'You are beautiful, no matter what they say...'

Stop changing things! You're fine as you are!

And don't tell me you're doing it for 'yourself' because that's bollocks. Stop pandering to the unrealistic demands of Photoshop7!

[ashke]

So it's like owning a set of china... for your teeth?

The practice of teeth whitening began in the Middle Ages. Teeth would be filed down by a barber-surgeon and then soaked in a concentrated solution of nitric acid. Although the procedure did work to make teeth white, it also destroyed the tooth enamel and led to major tooth decay.

Today’s dentists use whitening techniques that involve gels, strips and pastes to make teeth their whitest. Tooth discoloration is caused by colored molecules such as tannins and polyphenols, found in red wine, coffee and tea, which become absorbed by the tooth enamel’s surface.

Cigarettes, blueberries and other foods that contain dark pigments can also discolor your tooth enamel. Some of the staining can be removed by brushing, but over time the compounds can seep into the enamel.

Other causes of tooth discoloration are aging and certain antibiotics in childhood. Teeth gradually turn more yellow as we age, and the antibiotic tetracycline can turn children’s teeth gray if taken during early childhood.

Toothpastes depend on abrasive substances including silica, aluminum oxide, calcium phosphates and calcium carbonate to remove stains.

However, to remove stains that are below the surface, a whitening agent containing hydrogen peroxide will likely be needed. The use of peroxide as a teeth whitener was discovered in the early 1970s when scientists using the substance as an oral antiseptic found that it also brightened teeth.

Hydrogen peroxide forms radical intermediates--extremely unstable and destructive molecules--that break down into water and oxygen. The radical intermediates react with the pigments that stain teeth and destroy much of the double-bond network that gives the pigments their color, according to researchers.

If whiteners don’t work on your teeth, as often happens, tooth veneers are another option. Veneers are thin coverings made of porcelain that are bonded to your teeth. Though they won’t stain, they are not as long lasting as real teeth.

-- from http://www.mercola.com/2003/mar/12/teeth_whiteners.htm

[russotto]

Originally Posted by Catwoman

In the words of Christina Aguilera: 'You are beautiful, no matter what they say...'

Coming from a woman who has more plastic in her body than I have in all my computers...

[staceyv]

I use rembrandt whitening toothpaste- the one sold for "heavily stained teeth", and I drink red wine, coffee every day and smoke cigarettes- and I get compliments on how white my teeth are. I also sometimes use their whitening kit that comes with 4 or 5 little tubes of toothpaste.
You can kind of see my teeth in this pic.

[Iggy]

I have a question... Why is it that most of the time I cannot see pictures, it just says "Attached Images" over an empty box? I don't know how to fix this. Please tell me if you know! Thanks!

[Undertoad]

What browser and what firewall?

[LabRat]

Originally Posted by Catwoman

And don't tell me you're doing it for 'yourself' because that's bollocks. Stop pandering to the unrealistic demands of Photoshop7!

WHO I am doing this for is not the point. There are other threads for pissing matches about the unrealistic expectations placed on today's youth. This one is about whitening your teeth.

In my dentist's defense, she suggested I start using Sensodyne toothpaste before and during the procedure, and rinse with ACT right after taking out my arches to reduce chances of getting sensitive teeth. But did I listen, of course not. Duh. A couple of ibuprofin took care of the prob, and I didn't use the stuff last night. My labbies do notice a difference however, and I told them to tell me if I'm starting to get too white, once I start using it again.

[Catwoman]

Originally Posted by LabRat

WHO I am doing this for is not the point. There are other threads for pissing matches about the unrealistic expectations placed on today's youth. This one is about whitening your teeth.

Sorry, I just find it odd that someone would want to alter their appearance without knowing why, or even questioning that want. You're doing it to make you happier, ultimately, right? Well what if you could be happier without whitening your teeth! I see no difference between this and make-up, or this and liposuction. Pointless, often dangerous and most of the time it doesn't actually make you look any better (like a 20 stoner wearing fake tan, if you see what I mean). Not trying to judge you just help by pointing out the obvious.