A Bright and White Smile with Crest

I never realized how yellow my teeth were until I started blogging. Post after post, I realized I was slightly disappointed with my photos because my teeth looked far from white! They always looked particularly discolored when I wore lip gloss, especially bright pink tones. I decided I wanted to try something, but I had no idea what! Obviously I didn’t want to spend a ton of money or worry about harming my teeth. Thankfully, I invited my friend over for dinner and I noticed just how sparkly white her teeth were. I asked her what she uses, and she responded with Crest 3D White Whitening Strips! I decided to give them a try. (By the way, this post is NOT sponsored in any way. It was just a topic I wanted to share with y’all.)

I went to Costco and bought a pack—I think it was around $45, which was pretty expensive, but still cheaper than a professional appointment. The set I bought came with one pack of the classic whitening strips and one pack of super-fast ones (you put these on for an hour before a special event; these aren’t meant for people under the age of 18 and I haven’t tried them yet).

For the classic strips, you apply a top and bottom strip onto your teeth for 30 minutes each day for 14 days straight. The directions are super simple and applying the strips is too. For the most part, they stuck on my teeth really well, and I never had any issues removing them after the time was up.

Before you start using the strips, make sure to read ALL the directions and pamphlets! I thought I read everything and was about to start, but then I found another pamphlet which said you couldn’t brush your teeth before applying them. Of course, I had just brushed my teeth…

A tip for using these: after you pull the strips off, take an old toothbrush and gently brush around your teeth and gums. This will help get off any residue and protect your mouth from any of the chemicals in the strips.

Teeth whitening is notorious for causing tooth sensitivity. This was my experience: the first few days after starting my strips, my teeth were pretty sensitive. They tickled and caused some discomfort when I ate and brushed. My biggest issue was that my tongue hurt—the sides felt like I had bitten them. After about five days though, the strips stopped bothering me. I will admit, it was uncomfortable those first few days, but it’s not like it was unbearable or anything. I thought the results were worth the few days of sensitivity.

Here are the before and after photos (super awkward close-ups of my mouth). It may not look like a huge difference, but I definitely noticed an improvement both in my photos and just every day. Also, I totally forgot to take the after photos *right* after I finished the process. Whoops. So the after photos were taken two months after the before photos…I know I know, not an accurate representation. However, you can check out my back to school post and Instagram pic which was taken the day I finished the regimen. I even wore my favorite pink lip gloss, and my teeth sparkled like pearls!

My friend—the same one who recommended the strips—has been using them for years. With each set, her teeth have gotten whiter and more stains have been removed. You’re only supposed to use a set every six months, but I will definitely be doing it again to make my smile even whiter.

What did you think of this review? Do you have any questions about teeth whitening? I’d be happy to help!

Have a great Wednesday!

Miles of smiles,

Grace

Maroon Mock-Neck Top: Arizona via JCPenney, $11 // Floral Jeans: JCPenney, $40 // Brown Booties: DSW, $35 // Olive Scarf/Shawl: Scout and Molly Boutique in Portland, $60 // Green Fingerless Gloves: Salmon Days booth, $10 // Brown Stitch Belt