Why I swapped dodgy DIY teeth whitening with a trip to my dentist: Claudia's Story
We invited Bamboo Dental patient Claudia Jones to write a guest blog for us to talk about what led her to getting teeth whitening from the practice.
They were all yellow...
Just how far would you go to whiten your teeth? Rumour has it that the Romans used their own urine to whiten their teeth. I for one know Im not about to resort to that but its reassuring to know that our obsession with the perfect smile isn't anything new. Just how yellow is too yellow? Thats the question I always found myself asking. I have pretty straight teeth and I regularly attend my dental check ups but something in the back of my mind always told me I needed whitening. Sometimes Id look in the mirror and my teeth looked fine. I knew my teeth weren't bright white but whose were? Celebrities Id always tell myself, but I didn't want a blinding smile like Rylan. Other times however, I couldn't believe how yellow my teeth looked. It seemed to depend on which mirror I looked in. Mirror mirror on the wall who's got the yellowest teeth of them all? Well, if I was asking my bathroom mirror the answer back would be me. However, in my bedroom mirror they looked fine. So which mirror was lying? Could I blame trickery of the light for my golden smile or I could I actually benefit from whitening? It was a question that went around in my head for quite some time before I finally decided to go for it. I went straight on to Amazon and ordered some whitening strips. Id heard nothing but good things from my friends. Home whitening kits seem to be all the rage these days, and whitening strips appear the latest craze in DIY dentistry. I had nothing to lose. Each morning and evening I put these strips on my teeth until a week in, when I decided to abandon the project. Id seen the reviews and had heard first hand from my friends that these things work, so why did I stop you're asking? Well I just couldn't be bothered. On top of brushing and flossing, leaving these strips on for 30 minutes twice a day seemed excessive. These strips were very sticky and flimsy: they were sliding off and were difficult to keep in the right place. However, more importantly, my teeth also felt very sensitive after the first few days, and I know I wasn't prepared to give up ice cream. I knew that if I wanted a whiter smile, I couldn't be trusted to be in charge of the process.
Professional Teeth Whitening in Cardiff
I researched my options. I knew I wanted professional teeth whitening but I was apprehensive to say the least. Im the same with spray tans. Im always nervous about going for a spray because I don't want to look orange. As far as my teeth were concerned, I knew for sure I didn't want an unnatural smile. After a quick search on Google for professional teeth whitening in Cardiff, my home town, I found Bamboo Dental who offered both In-Practice and Take-Home treatment. I was curious to see how their take home treatment might differ from over the counter whitening treatments, but Id made up my mind that I wanted whitening done by a professional. I contacted the Bamboo Dental team who booked me in for a free consultation. A week later, I came along for my consultation with Dr. Dan, the practice principle. Dr. Dan was nothing but lovely, and easy on the eye! We talked through the benefits of both In-Practice and Take-Home treatment. He told me honestly that more people opt for the Take-Home treatment as people prefer to spend as little time in the dentists chair as possible! He explained that unlike whitening strips, the Take-Home whitening gels and trays whiten the side and back teeth, not just the front teeth. He said the process works by placing whitening gel in the trays and seating them over the teeth. These trays are prescribed and results are seen in just two weeks. Dr. Dan explained that by choosing Take-Home whitening kits from dentists you're also benefiting from the dentist's expertise. Was I to choose the Take-Home kit, he'd make sure the type of tooth straining I had would respond to the whitening process. From that, he could give me an estimate of how long the whitening process would take, how long the results would last, and what to do after that. The argument for Take-Home kits was very convincing but I was set on getting Dr. Dan to do the hard work! Dr. Dan revealed that the In-Practice procedure would require me to come in for 4 x 15 minute sessions. Using special whitening technology, he promised he could provide immediate results. I added that I in no way wanted my teeth to be too white! He laughed and said that he could make my teeth up to eight shades brighter if I wanted, but not to worry, and that Id get the final say on what shade I wanted. It all sounded good to me, so I decided to book in my appointments there and then.
Eight Shades of White
When I went home that night, I researched the process a bit more. I was and still am surprised by how many people opt for DIY whitening when you can benefit so much from the expertise of your dentist. I know when I was using the whitening strips, I could have benefited from Dr. Dans advice with those side effects! Furthermore, Bamboo use Philips Zoom. Id never heard of Philips Zoom before visiting Dr. Dan, but having been voted Product of the Year, and being used by over 10 million patients worldwide, I knew I was in safe hands and making the right decisions.Im pleased to announce that a few months later, having had all four appointments, I am delighted with the results. The results were instant like Dr. Dan had promised, and Bamboo have provided me with excellent after care.