Project White Teeth

I am whitening my teeth. Right now, actually.

Kevin convinced me to try out his dentist. But, since I'm very loyal to *my* dentist, whom I've been seeing since I was a child, he had to work out a very attractive package to get me to switch.

When I went to his dentist instead of mine, we each got a $50 credit for our accounts. Then, I also got a free teeth whitening kit. They made a mold of my teeth and made little plastic trays to fit them. Then, they provided me with whitening solution.

I was told to use a special toothpaste for 2 weeks before whitening my teeth. So, a little more than 2 weeks ago, I switched to Sensodyne Pronamel toothpaste. It cost about $1 more than what we had been using, and I love it. I'm going to keep using it from now on, actually. It makes my teeth feel smoother and stronger, and it actually even lightened them! (More than any whitening toothpaste I've ever used.)

Today, I checked my teeth with the little chart that came with my kit. I've determined that my top teeth are a 3 on the yellow scale, and my bottom teeth are a 4. (The scale goes from 1 to 10, with 1 being white and 10 being yellow.)

So, they aren't actually that bad. But, I would like maybe a 2 and a 3. It would be nice to see some results that are measurable, right?

Now I'm supposed to wear the little trays with the whitening solution in them for 1 hour a day for the next 2 weeks or so. During this period, I have to stay away from anything that could stain my teeth, as they will be more porous than usual.

Here is a list of the top 12 teeth staining foods and drinks:

1. Coffee (Of course. I'm going cold turkey. I had one last mocha this morning.)

2. Tea

3. Red wine (I prefer white, anyways)

4. Soda (Gasp! No coffee and no PEPSI!)

5. Dark fruit juices (apple is okay)

6. Popsicles/slushies (if they stain your tongue, they stain your teeth)

7. Soy sauce

8. Balsamic vinegar

9. Tomato sauce (Note: if you each lettuce, broccoli or spinach first, it can form a protective layer on your teeth to combat the staining power of tomato sauce. So, salad first, then pasta.)

10. Blueberries

11. Beets (Avoiding this one will so not be a problem for me.)

12. Curry (Not a problem here, either.)

According to my new dentist, if it would stain your carpet or your shirt, it would stain your teeth.

I'll let you know how this whitening thing goes during the next 2 weeks.

If you are interested in switching to my dentist to get all this free good stuff, let me know. *wink* (Disclosure: I would get another $50 credit if you did!)