We all know that feeling, the one thing about ourselves we’d like to change. For me, it was the teeth, totally normal-looking no doubt to other people, but to me always a little bit yellow under my forensic gaze – despite daily efforts with one or other ting-polishing toothpaste. It was time to try something a bit more… professional.
And so one Saturday morning I found myself in a London dental clinic, under the care of a certified dental technician. A checklist has to be filled in, noting fillings, general dental health, etc. For example, there’s no point attending an expensive whitening session if you haven’t had the hygienist give your teeth a good scrub in the previous six months. Otherwise, they’ll just be laying a white glaze over embedded tartar, which is a bit like putting perfume on without having a shower, ie not ideal.
We all like to see a healthy white set of gnashers
Once the technician was happy with the state of my gnashers, I laid back so he could dangle a white light over my waiting cake-hole – if ever I’d been self-conscious about my teeth before, etc – and protected the gums with tissue. Then he kept my mouth wide open with a rubber wedge, applied a gel to the teeth and shone a bright lamp over the area. And there I stayed for 30 minutes. Another bit of advice… be sure to bring an ipod for such long moments.
And that was it. Light off, mouthguard out, tissues binned, and a mammoth rinse-out in the nearby basin, and time for a mirror inspection. Definitely, recognisably whiter, even before I’d applied the strips as a follow-up treatment that I was sent home with.
Apparently, the clinic does not offer the prospect of your teeth going whiter than is genetically possible, so certain celebs have evidently taken other means for that all-winning smile
This effect apparently lasts for approximately 12-24 months, depending on smoking, wine-drinking and hygiene habits. What made this definitely worth the investment is the amount of time and cost expended versus the confidence it imparts. For me, I suddenly found I wanted to smile all the time, the effects of which you can imagine go a lot deeper and last an awful lot longer than a facial.
Because teeth whitening is a relatively unregulated cosmetic service that is nonetheless classified as denistry, click here to check that you're putting in the hands of a professional, registered with the General Dental Council.
We visited the Harley Street Whitening Clinic, where the treatment described above costs £299, and takes one hour in total, with additional DIY home treatments at a price of £50. Click here for more information.