Time And Teeth Whitening: Planning In Advance For Your Class Reunion
Teeth whitening takes time. Most over-the-counter kits require you to wear the strips from five minutes to an hour and from three days to two weeks. So what major life event is so important that you have to have white teeth? How can you make sure you get the white smile you are looking for? How white do you want to go? How expensive is teeth whitening? These are all good questions, and here are the answers.
What event is so important that you need white teeth?
If you are heading to a twenty-five-year high school reunion, you want to look your best, to be sure. You do not want to look a day over thirty even though you are forty-one or forty-two. Your teeth will absolutely show your age, as they will be quite yellow. If you are a smoker or a heavy coffee or soda drinker, the discoloration is much worse. You will need to start the whitening process at least a month in advance to the reunion.
How can you get the best results?
You should brush your teeth twice a day with a whitening toothpaste before applying the whitening strips. Buy two kits that have a fourteen-day supply that requires you to apply the strips twice a day. Faithfully follow this routine every day for a month. Also, avoid drinking coffee and cola after you have brushed and used the strips, and if you have to drink either, use a straw so that the natural dark dyes of coffee and cola do not adhere to your teeth.
How white do you want to go?
Most of the packages of whitening strips do not recommend that you use more than two kits back to back. You can get up to four shades whiter, but only if you do not smoke, drink an excess amount of coffee and/or colas. If you can stave off of these dark-colored beverages, you can get very white teeth, especially with the added whitening toothpaste. If you want your teeth brilliantly white (e.g., almost glow-in-the-dark white), then you will need to schedule an appointment with your dentist right before the reunion to have a professional whitening treatment to get your teeth even whiter. Some whitening kits even recommend this right on the box.
How much does it cost?
Most two-week, over-the-counter teeth whitening kits cost around $50, which means that two of them will hover around $100 give or take $20. That is still a little bit less than a professional whitening. If you find that you want your teeth whiter still, you may pay a few hundred dollars more for your dentist to complete the job. However, your smile will definitely not betray your age.
To learn more about in-office teeth whitening, check out a site like http://www.pikedentistry.com.