10 years ago by
I had been thinking for a while about teeth whitening.
I had wanted to try, because because because… Well, let’s just say I like red wine, tea, coffee, and sometimes a cigarette… And that after a while, it shows.
But I was totally paranoid about it.
I was afraid it would hurt (I’ve heard it can be very, very painful), afraid it might ruin my teeth, which are super fragile and finally afraid of ending up with something too white, Tom Cruise type teeth.
Obviously, big worrier that I am, I never imagined doing it anywhere other than with a specialist. There was no way I was going to do it at home. I wanted to make sure my teeth were in very good hands.
Even so, people had been telling me about whitening strips for some time – the little strips you buy at the pharmacy and leave on your teeth for 5 minutes to an hour depending on the level of whitening you choose. My sister, who has good, solid teeth, asked me to bring some back for her (apparently, they aren’t sold in France) and she really liked them and thought they were super effective.
So I decided to talk to my dentist about them. He told me there was no risk involved and that they were worth a try – so I finally decided to go for it.
And that’s what I did this summer. I bought them from Crest, doing the least intense treatment – I put the strips on for 5 minutes per day right before going to bed. I also decided to drink my coffee with a straw while I was doing the treatment – that wasn’t written anywhere, but I figured a little extra enthusiasm couldn’t hurt.
Feedback:
Sensation, pain?
Zero, other than the fact that the taste isn’t pleasant – a little like bleach, but it doesn’t last long. It didn’t hurt at all.
Application?
Super easy. You get the hang of it really fast. I put them on before brushing my teeth, because it says you can’t do it after.
Results?
For the first week, I didn’t notice much of a difference. I was about to stop when I started to notice a slight improvement. By the end of the second week, I could really see a difference, even though it was subtle. By the end of the month, I was happy. I didn’t have teeth the color of a porcelain sink, but that wasn’t my goal. They were just a little brighter and natural looking, exactly like I wanted.
So there you go!!! I don’t know if they are available in your country, but I think whitening strips are a perfect solution when you don’t want to go through the more intense treatment or if you’re not looking to get extra white teeth.
What do you think? Have you ever tried whitening? Did you get good results?
Translated by Andrea Perdue.
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I’ d love to try, but I’m afraid… Now I’ll definitely put my teeth into a brand new color!
XOX, Gap.
http://www.gaptoothedgirl.com
Cette photo est superbe!<3
Bises
Le monde des petites
http://www.lemondedespetites.com/
there’s nothing like a really happy smile! :)
http://littleaesthete.com
Comment continuer à boire du thé vert et du earl grey bien fort, du café sans jaunir ses dents ? Que boire le matin qui soit énergisant, un jus de légumes ? des dents vertes …? Ce strip est super efficace mais sûrement toxique à la longue.
J’ai fait un blanchiment pro, chez un specialiste, avant mon mariage. Ça etait trés, trés douloureux, et pendant quelque temps, j’ai senti le douleur re-apparaître. Donc, je ne ferai jamais un deuxiéme blanchiment, jamais, jamais.
J’ai essayé chez un dentiste sérieux (pignon sur rue, bonne réputation, etc…), le résultat était bien mais j’ai eu horriblement mal, sur le fauteuil et pendant deux jours après. Plus jamais !
I’m always a fan of a quick teeth whitening session with at-home white strips, and I feel like the results last for a while. They leave my teeth a smidge sensitive, but that resolves by the time I finish the full course.
http://www.enduringethereal.com
Je ne connaissais pas cette méthode, je testerai bien aussi tiens!
Bisous
http://www.Lauralexo.com
je crois sincèrement Garance que le sourire est le reflet de l’Ame. ça demande un soin permanent….
Bisous,bisous.
Yael Guetta
http://www.ftwwl.com
For tea, coffee and wine stains, I have found that the best whitening treatment is just to go to the dentist and have my teeth cleaned and polished. No need for special products or processes!
I’ve never tried whitening but I really want too!
http://sheseeksadventure.wordpress.com
Je l’ai fait chez mon dentiste l’année dernière… J’avais une dent plus sombre que les autres (pas très chic), du coup, je me suis lancée. C’est assez cher et long (j’ai fait la version à domicile, 2h de pose – très très chic). Résultat des courses très satisfaisant, je le referai si besoin.
Pour ma part, je dispose un peu de bicarbonate de soude sur mon dentifrice, et je suis plutôt satisfaite du résultat !
Claire
http://www.lemondeselonclaire.com
SMILING without overthinking…funny how living in America influence our perception of beauty. I used to not notice the whiteness of teeth but here I do!? Happy it worked for you.
By the way lots of lovely people smiling on your blog :-D
http://pinterest.com/GeraldineTrip
There is nothing to be afraid of using the whitening strips…only if you do it too often I believe it is harsh to the enamel and gums. I only do it once a year, or less!, and my dentist always comments how white my teeth look. I love them!
Hello garance
J ai fait un blanchiment avec des gouttières. Et ça m a changé la vie !!!
J ai tout de même consulté trois dentistes pour avoir des avis différents et comparer les prix car ce n est pas donne.
Visiblement j étais un bon sujet car il faut des dents saines plutôt jaunes que grises
Ah ah
Et le résultat est dément et hyper naturel
Pendant 4 jours, pas de the café vin rouge cigarette betterave
Tu les portes la nuit
C est vrai que parfois ça lance méchamment
Depuis j ai repris le vin rouge et la cigarette et c est toujours aussi beau
Je le referai sans hésiter
Baci
Cela m’intéresse énormément.
As-tu eu des différences de prix importantes entre les devis ? Les dentistes utilisent -ils tous les mêmes produits dans les gouttières ?
I’m a big fan of Whitestrips and see results after just a few days. I also love the 3-D glam white toothpaste from Crest plus whitening gum from Trident…
xx, Kristi
http://www.currentlycrushing.com
I have tried the whitening strips several times, and they do work wonders. But don’t get in the habit of using them too much because they can also make your teeth a bit sensitive or at least they did for me. So I use them once a year, preferably in the winter as my skin gets super dark in the summer so I don’t look like Ross in the episode of friends when he decided to whiten his teeth :) But the strips are definitely effective and cheaper than having the dentist do it (at least for me it is).
et tu as pris lesquelles ? je vois qu’il y a plusieurs sortes .
I want to try!
Passa a trovarmi VeryFP
I used the Crest whitening strips after hearing about them about 10 years ago now. I bought them online as I’m in the UK. They did work for me and I was so much happier but I did notice that it did make my teeth quite sensitive and actually the enamel on my front teeth is slightly translucent now.
I don’t regret it but I don’t think my teeth could handle doing it again.
Merci pour ce retour d’expérience. Jhésite mais c’est quand même un petit budget …
La parenthèse Enchantée.fr
I’ve used these in the past and loved them, but for the past few years the nerves in my mouth are too inflamed to try anything that might irritate them (grinding post-immense dentist screwup with pain that lasted over a year). My current dentist would take off the surface stains (I’m an avid coffee and tea drinker) with some ultrasonic thing and that really did the trick for a short time, but she told me the best thing to do in between rather than bleaching them was to get a top of the line sonicare toothbrush (which also has a pressure sensor for when I’m brushing too hard, so it protects my gums). I didn’t think it would work, but it really did. I would almost say it was worth the pain in caused my bank account for that tooth brush.
J’ai un ami à qui on a dû faire des implants (de dents); conséquence de 15 ans de blanchiment en cabinet ????
Hmm.. I need to try. xaxa
http://www.fashiondenis.com
so cute
xxxx
http://www.dominiquecandido.com
J’ai utilisé les Crest 3D advanced, 1/2 heure tous les 2 jours pour ma part, et ça marche du tonnerre! Par contre, ça fait un peu mal, mais ça passe après quelques jours dès qu’on espace les traitements.
CHEESE!
^^
Célestine
May I suggest a daily rinse with a whitener rinse just before brushing the teeth? Works wonders! First thing I do in my morning brushing routine is to pick up the whitener rinse, take a swig, then swish while I put the toothpaste on the brush. Then I spit it out into my porcelain sink–whose whiteness is no longer something to emulate; it being rather old–and brush! Then floss. Then rinse with a good anti-cavity mouthwash (one minute! otherwise it has no effect). The cumulative effect is worth it, I promise.
Super post !
Ca m’intéresse énormément.
Je pense faire un blanchiment des dents au fauteuil depuis longtemps mais j’hésite.
J’ai une amie qui l’a fait et c’est sublime.
Si tu te décides à tenter le coup, je serai ravie d’avoir ton avis.
Je trouve que des dents blanches c’est waouh, ça illumine le visage, rajeunit,…
Merci Garance :-)
Once in a while I use them, but my teeth are sensitive to cold afterwards so that is a downside. I think too white teeth look weird on people.
http://www.FashionSnag.com
J’ai utilisé ce produit Crest il y a un an et demi, mêmes posologies (ça donne du sérieux au produit de dire ça, non?!) ayant les mêmes craintes que toi et je dois dire que j’ai été conquise! La couleur n’est en aucun cas plus claire que mon email naturel et la tenue est plus longue que ce que je pensais (je pense le refaire dans quelques mois). Mes copines et mes soeurs ont noté la différence et piqué l’idée des strips (que l’on commande en France ou Italie sur Crest.fr ou .it) et surtout, le plus important, j’ai appris à sourire à pleines dents!
Meilleur remède pour le blues de la rentrée
If whitened my teeth for the first time at a specialist, it cost me a lot of money but I liked the result. Now a few years later I’ve also used the Crest strips and I was also very happy with the result, even though I got a little bit sensitive teeth afterwards.
It’s only painful when you do with a poor dentist. A good dentist would know by checking your teeth (for microscopic cracks, chips, fine lines, veins all of which would be invisible to the eye) whether they can withstand whitening or not, and if so at which percentage (6% or 11% or 15% or 22% or 35%). It is a lot of sub-par dentists who have given whitening a bad name. I’ve done it three times in 15 years (no good dentist would suggest a yearly top-up for example; if it’s done properly, it’s just not needed for 5-7 years!) and my teeth are very white. Never had a prob, and I did both the at-home trays and the laser (which is not a laser at all by the way, it is a white light, but ‘white light’ does not sound as sexy as ‘laser).
Trop belle la photo !
J’adore ton blog
xo
http://stansmithwho.blogspot.fr/
Funny post. Yes, years ago I had trays made up that fit over my uppers & bottoms perfectly and I bought the professional whitening gel from my dentist. Great results (but I also like red wine, coffee, tea, curry…careful tumeric and tomato sauce) so now once a year I buy a refill from my dentist and use the trays over a few nights. It seems to last quite a while and I’m happy.
blog: http://girlwhowouldbeking.com/
I really liked the Crest strips– I used them years ago in high school. One night, I decided to fall asleep with them on–I figured I would kill 2 birds with 1 stone. And when I woke up, they were gone! In my rush to get to school, I grab the box with the 1800 number, so I could call Crest HQs from the front office. I was afraid I might have poisoned myself. Luckily, they are not too strong, and eventually passed!
Every now and then, when I want to refresh my teeth, I rinse with hydrogen peroxide. My dentist said that it is not harmful ( JUST DONT SWALLOW!) and safe to use every 1-2 weeks. Just don’t get carried away!
I have a hard time with strips for some reason. They always slide about on my teeth and I can’t stand the taste/feeling of them, plus they made my teeth sensitive. However I do like GoSmile ampules. They’re not cheap, but I think they’re worth it because a.) They’re effective b.) They’re easy to use (just crack one like a glow stick and rub it on your teeth c.) They’re perfectly pleasant to use. I do them every few years–usually before something like a reunion or something because I am vain.
houla: ” je faisait ” !!!!!!!
Ma dentiste, qui est une amie aussi, m’a conseillé de ne jamais le faire car ça fragilise les dents et rend l’émail poreux. A long terme, elle dit que c’est catastrophique…
Hello,
Et bien, tout est dit, si demain Garance s’ennuie… ce dont je doute, elle pourra toujours devenir importatrice exclusive de ce produit pour l’Europe.
Je ne dis pour la France, le marché est trop petit pour les ricains.
http://urbanjustine.blogspot.fr/
I had to get veneers because almost all of my enamel was gone.
http://hashtagliz.com/
Sounds great! But Im a little afraid…my teeth tend to be a little sensitve so it scares me I won’t be able to drink hot/cold beverages. ;(
I love whitening strips! I do them about once a year and they keep my teeth looking bright and fresh. I think they’re just as effective as going for an expensive treatment at the dentist.
Thanks for sharing. I was also so nervous about it before.
http://fashion-smog.blogspot.co.uk/?view=magazine
Crest strips are the best! We can’t get them here in the uk easily either, but they are fantastic – just don’t use them more regularly than instructed!
Natalie x
I used to do it but it weakens the enamel on your teeth (among other things that do that… soda, any sort of acid) and if you have weak enamel IT WILL HURT. I was doing it one day like I always did and 8 minutes in all the sudden it was a searing pain combined with possibly someone smacking a dumbell on my mouth…. Never again. I am done. Now I just brush and try my very best to avoid not staining items, but items that wear on your enamel because that leaves teeth more porous and more likely to soak up the stains. You’d have to threaten me in much more serious ways than a little staining to make me give up tea, coffee, wine and the like.
Ooo yes, Crest! I love it! I bought them for the first time in 2007 and bring it in industrial quantities back to my country (and some other neighboring countries; I’m from Belarus) ever since. A lot of dentists have been asking me why my teeth are so naturally looking and white and pretty (all but American dentists) It’s funny that it seems like European dentists don’t want to reveal this cheap trick so that people would keep signing up for professional whitening?
Over time it’s not super good for your teeth they say, but ‘we’ll all die in the long run’ so I’m really loving my new smile. I started smiling 500% more often!
The people I know who regularly whiten at home or professionally now have grey transparent areas on their teeth, especially at the edges of the teeth. I also see white patches on the surface. I don’t think it’s worth it! Go to the dentist and have a proper cleaning instead.
just saw this and thought id share, found it amusing
http://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/beauty/celebrity/2009/05/21/celebrity-teeth-pictures-before-and-after
Crest White Strips one hour….cheap I do it once in a while ….before brushing…..I have white teeth normally…these strip clean the film left from staining drinks or food I use Crest Whiting Toothpaste and a Sonicare tooth brush…
My sister uses the Crest 3D whitening toothpaste and mouthwash set instead of whitening strips and her teeth look great. She says that her teeth sometimes feel sensitive to cold liquids for about five minutes after using the products, but then they go back to normal.
I don’t get it… I really wanted to whiten my teeth, got the stripes, and my two attempts ended with me throwing up… the 5min with the stripes on- seemed like 15min, the taste was so horrible, and my body just couldn’t tolerate it. I believe that I already gave up on that. Did this happen to any of you?
I would love to dot that but I broke one of my teeth when I was younger and it’s the one in the front so I can’t do it…
Well j’ai essaye le meme produit et mes résultats perses sont les memes!!! Top, facile a utiliser et pas cher, j’adore! On pourrait lancer un petit commerce au black….
Bisous
http://www.blushandbeyond.com/2014/09/02/automne-2014-les-tendances-maquillages-que-vous-pouvez-reellement-porter/
Alix
You don’t need strips. Just use hydrogen peroxide, available from the pharmacy or supermarket medicine aisle.
Dip your toothbrush in (it acts as a disinfectant too for the germs on your brush), put your toothpaste on as usual and brush as normal. Rinse well afterwards and viola! It is good for the environment, gentle on your teeth and cheap as chips!
:)
Am always too lazy to get through an entire box, literally having half filled boxes of White Strips under my bathroom sink. I do agree that they work though. So glad you went for the least painful option. My sister had them done years ago at the dentist and she cried from the resulting sensitivity for days. Eeks! Not for me!
I have used the trays (from Rembrandt) once, and ended up in so much pain I cried. My gums bled and swelled!
I have used Crest Whitestrips a number of times, and have experienced no ill effects. Yes, my teeth become a bit sensitized for a few days, but all you need is three days of the powerful ones. Go for it!
Apres un bon detartrage, ma cops dentiste m’a fait faire une goutiere et de temps en temps je fais un traitement a la maison avec un produit qui est une seringue et que l’on met ds la goutiere pendant la nuit . Jamais plus que quelques jours car cela peut irriter les gencives.
Je trouve cela tres efficace et cela ne fait pas mal si on en abuse pas.
Cheese!
nath
You can whiten your teeth naturally by swooshing activated charcoal (not regular charcoal!) 5 mins/day for a week or so. Its natural powers pull the stains from the teeth!
Once we reach 50 our teeth start to yellow – just one of the many little downsides of mid-life! Although I have my teeth cleaned and polished by a dental hygienist every three months, I still noticed they weren’t as white as they had been. So I invested in the Enlighten system at my (UK) dentist. It was around £400 for bespoke moulds and two syringes of differing strengths to use at home for two weeks, finished with an in-dentist booster. I was thrilled with the results – natural but people kept saying how well I looked! Now I just keep it up by using it once every few months for a few hours and it’s an essential part of my maintenance regime.
Where do you get them from? Any online sellers? Thank you
Oh yeah, they work like a charm. My teeth always have been quite white, so I don’t know if they would really lift your natural color, but for a in between fix they are great!
Simona
Lake&Moon
I get it when you say you are a worrier when it comes to teeth whitening.I am as well and i have fragile teeth too plus no i do not like a very white smile on me.I like the way my teeth are now,i just do a little whitening once in a year.Plus most things good and beautiful have a bit of default e.g Roses and their thorns and my default are my teeth not being perfect.:)
I’m surprised no one has mentioned oil pulling. It is really the only natural way to whiten teeth with none of the harsh chemicals found in strips/toothpaste or without damaging your teeth. It is simple, cheap, and easy to do. Plus it has a ton of other health benefits.
hahahaha “les dents couleur robinet”, la chose la plus drôle que j’ai entendue de la journée!!!
This is a very controversial subject because there is no quorum amongst dentist to what is right considering teeth whitening. My dentist is soooo against it (as well as other dentists I asked for an advice), that once she even told me: If you do teeth whitening, do not come back to me as I won’t be responsible for the aftermath and won’t be doing your teeth. And the aftermath is taking off the protective coat, gum inflammation and stuff…
So, I’ve put that on hold for some time.. but still, I’d like to whiten them as it gives your face freshness and looks great. I wouldn’t do it at home, to be super honest.
On the other hand, there is a growing trend of putting veneers on your teeth, so everybody looks immaculate.
And the other question is: What is natural white when it comes to your teeth? (do not as a dentist)
V
haha… i’m reading this post while sitting in bed with my moulds (from the dentist) whitening my teeth! It’s been 3 days and I’m noticing a significant improvement. My teeth look ‘newer’. Like you, i was initially worried about whitening my teeth, but my dentist reassured me it’s perfectly fine to give your teeth a ‘lift’. And white teeth look good with red lipstick hey?! :-)
point de vue professionnel (je suis dentiste):
effectivement tu ne risquais pas grand chose et il est fort probable que tu aies eu une amélioration de la teinte de tes dents.
Cependant, ne t’attends pas à ce que le résultat dure dans le temps (pas plus de 4 à 6 mois à mon avis selon ta consommation de thé, café, vin rouge, cigarettes….) parce que ce genre de produits très peu concentrés ne blanchit pas la dentine (l’intérieur de la dent qui est responsable de la teinte des dents: c’est cette dentine qui fonce quand on prend de l’âge et qui fait qu’on a les dents plus foncées en vieillissant indépendamment de ce que l’on consomme). Seul un blanchiment professionnel fait par un dentiste pourra tenir dans le temps (de 2 à 5 ans). Mais attention à la technique utilisée pour ne pas avoir de sensibilités comme tu le redoutais (pas de lampe au fauteuil par exemple)
Voilà! j’espère que j’ai pu te renseigner.
j’adore ton blog, continues à faire de belles photos, ça fait rêver…….
Ugh, je déteste moi-même les bandes qui peuvent nous rendre la douleur. C’est évident que vous n’avez pas inclus le nom du produit (je comprends bien), mais il y a une grande possibilité qua celui-là contient de peroxyde. J’avais peur d’essayer du blanchiment des dents bandes, parce que la plupart de produits dans le marché me donnent la sensibilité. Mais la semaine dernière, j’ai essayé un produit suédois (Stella White), mais je n’ai pas eu mal du tout. je n’ai rien senti même la premier application!
P.S. Je suis votre fan ! Bisous ! <3
It’s truly very difficult in this busy life to listen news on Television, thus
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A smile is a way of entering the soul. A good personality smiles play a significant role. When we see a sweet smile, it makes our day. In a big smile, a perfectly shaped, equity position of teeth and shiny whiting is also important.
Celebrities seem to have it all, but sometimes, they spend a lot of time and money to see it that way. Although the teeth of these celebs are now correct, this was not always the case. Here is a list of celebrities you do not know that veneer or other primary cosmetic dentistry have done.