up & up Advanced Whitening Wraps

OK ladies, who out there could use some whiter teeth.  I know I could.  Between my iced coffee habit and my love for red wine, my teeth are not as white as they could be no matter how often I brush with my whitening toothpaste.

A few weeks ago I was in a panic with my sister’s wedding coming up (not to mention the holidays also approaching).  Now, awhile back I had used the Aquafresh White Trays - and while they were everything I had hoped, they also came with a price tag of over $35.  This time around, I was trying to save myself some money.  My sister in law (my favorite dental assistant) recommended Crest Professional Effects.  If she says they are the best, they are the Best!

I didn’t however tell her I was trying to save money, only that I wanted my teeth whitened.  Seeing a nearly $50 price tag was enough to make me say eh, maybe next time.  I happened to be shopping at Target (my home away from home) about a week and a half before my sister’s wedding when I came across their own store brand up & up.  The tag line for their brand?  ‘Quality essentials.  Everyday affordable’.

They had me at affordable.  I won’t lie.  $15 for a seven day dental whitening and I was in!  They say it whitens teeth up to 7 shades.  I opened the box at home, noticed the mirror inside the case (it’s the little things people!) and I was excited to try them.  A wrap on the top, a wrap on the bottom.  Thirty minutes.  Not only was it easy, but I was thrilled that there was more coverage to them than when I had used the Aquafresh trays.

To be honest, I did not even use it for the full 7 days.  I got, uh, busy.  Yeah, that’s it.  No really, there was a lot going on that last week before the wedding and the last 2 days slipped my mind.  Here’s the good thing though.  In only 5 days my teeth WERE actually noticeably whiter!  Not 7 shades by any stretch, but I was pleasantly surprised that the product worked – in less time then advertised - for only $15.

I mainly did this daily while my kids were napping.  I have to say I only had one issue.  I am a teeth grinder and the one time I tried to whiten while the kids were awake, I somehow stuck my teeth together.  And couldn’t talk.  Ok, I COULD have talked, but with the top & bottom wraps feeling glued in a sense, I wanted to finish the whitening and not take the chance of ruining the wraps before the time was up.  Other than that, I think this is an awesome product, especially when you are on a budget.

In writing this post, I was surprised to find that not only could I not find these readily available on Amazon.com, but I could not seem to locate them on the Target website either!  All I can say is that you should definitely try these.  Pay a visit to the store.  For $15, how can you go wrong?  My teeth looked fab at the wedding, and a few weeks (and several red wines and iced coffees later), they are still white.

Featured photo by orangeacid/Flickr

Why I Don’t Floss Anymore

My grandmother died with all her own teeth. My mother will not be so lucky. I figure my odds are about 50/50. Last year, after having my teeth moved back into the places they have occupied since I got my braces off at 15 (who knew they’d move after all those years?), I began to have problems with my gums. Apparently it’s not unusual for this to start to happen after 40, but it’s way different when it happens to you.

The first thing out of my mouth was, “What can I do to fix it?” The answer my friends is the Waterpik.

I hadn’t seen one of these since the early 80s. I didn’t even know they still made them. They do, and I’m here to tell you that you really need to get one.

The newer models are more attractive and compact than I remember. Unfortunately they’re not much quieter. No matter, it’s only about two minutes. Oh, and I wish the reservoir held just a tiny bit more so I could do my entire mouth without having to add more water. But really those are my only two complaints.

Using the Waterpik takes more time than flossing, but I will never go back. My gums have improved dramatically and the only thing that changed was replacing floss with water.

The model I bought was $60 ($45 on Amazon). A small price to pay to keep my own teeth, I’d say.