It’s no secret that the teeth-whitening industry is a booming business. Anyone can walk into their nearest pharmacy and discover rows of whitening pastes, strips and even pens – all for less than 50 bucks. So why on earth would anyone leave the comfort of his or her home and spend a pretty penny on an actual whitening treatment at a proper dental office? BECAUSE THE DRUGSTORE ONES DON’T WORK AS WELL.
Let’s get one thing out of the way: I’m vain. I’ve tried every teeth-whitening process under the sun, and I haven’t quite found the perfect fit. That’s why when I heard about Smile Arts of NY through Lifebooker, I decided to give it a go.
Read on to learn about my experience:
What You Need to Know Before You Go:
- This takes a little over an hour, so plan accordingly.
- Make sure you don’t have super sensitive teeth — this isn’t for you if you do.
- They encourage you have a dental appointment prior to your session to reduce existing plaque and tartar.
- Have your morning coffee before you go, because you can’t have any for 48 hours following the procedure.
- If you have severe anxiety about sitting still with your mouth propped open for an hour, again, this probably isn’t for you.
- It works.
What I Learned About Smile Arts Teeth Whitening:
- The staff is beyond friendly and accommodating – they even have Apple TV so you can watch your favorites shows during the whole shebang. Naturally, I watched my favorite, naughty Upper East Siders.
- You get to wear these cool orange glasses the whole time, so the brightening light doesn’t blind you.
- My teeth were a little sore afterwards, but nothing unbearable.
- You can’t consume dark food/bevs for 48 hours after the process, and they give you a really funny list of foods recs (read: white gravy, pancakes with white syrup and white bread with no crust.
- Fettuccine Alfredo is a perfectly acceptable lunch for 48 hours.
Who Should Have It Done:
- Those with thick enamel – i.e. not very sensitive teeth.
- Those who can sit still in a dentist’s chair for over an hour.
- Those who aren’t afraid of light beams.
- Those who can avoid coffee for two days.
- Those who are as equally vain as I am.
What The Process Is Like:
- First, you get a quick polishing session. For me, this was the worst part.
- Then, you undergo three 15-minute Zoom light sessions wearing the gel-filled rubbery retainer.
- If you have sensitive teeth, they advise you do two 15-minutes sessions and promise you’ll still see results.
How Long Does It Take:
- About 75 minutes.
How Much Does It Cost:
Each place varies, but luckily for you we have an exclusive Lifebooker deal to offer you in NYC, SF and LA:
NYC:$99 at Smile Arts of NY
LA: $89 at Complete Dental Centers
SF: $179 at Bonita Dental
Image Courtesy of Lifebooker
Teeth whiteners have bleach and other chemicals, which damage your tooth enamel along with the abrasive toothpaste. I use an Emmi-dent – the first ultrasonic toothbrush – which kills the bacteria that cause stains on your teeth from food and drink. My awful coffee stains were gone in 4 days, which was months ago – and I drink a lot of coffee. It’s safe, easy, no maintenance and free – just brush your teeth twice a day with ultrasonic Emmi-dent and its nonabrasive toothpaste. It works motionlessly – you hold it for 5 seconds, then move to the next group of teeth. I used to whiten my teeth, which was painful from the chemicals, time consuming, expensive, and didn’t last more than a few months. You can buy Emmi-dent at Emmi-dent.com under “Shop”.