OK, so for those who aren't already aware, let's just get this over with now.
I'm a smoker.
Yes I know I shouldn't smoke.
I'm 40yrs old. Of course I know I shouldn't.
I've had a double lung surgery, have 15% less lungs, and what's left was stapled to my chest walls.
Of course I know I shouldn't.
I have two great kids to think about.
Of course I know I shouldn't.
I knew I shouldn't have started when I was 19.
But I did.
And I do.
And although that's not necessarily the POINT of this post, it does have something to do with it, so ... yeah.
There ya go.
I'm a smoker.
AND I know all the logical reasons why I shouldn't. Thank you. Please don't send me email.
I'm also an excessive Pepsi and coffee drinker.
Tim Hortons coffee to be exact. Extra large triple triple, (in case, ya know ... you were ever stopping by or something ...).
My love of caffeine, also has something to do with this post.
No, I'm not laying all my specific neurosis out here for you to analyze and discuss.
Sorry! Another time, maybe!
I'm talking about things that tend to stain the enamel on teeth.
MY teeth, included.
So, to say I was happy when an email landed in the Korner, wondering if I'd be interested in trying some products from Crest®, is a bit of an understatement.
UH ... YEAH ... guinea pig over here! Waving! Frantically!
The challenge was to remove up to 80% of the surface stains, for a whiter-looking smile, in 14 days!
YES! I wanted to do that!
Yes, kind marketing person, absolutely send me your products!
And she did.
Four of the Crest And Oral-B 3D White® products arrived within a couple of days.
I received the:
- Crest 3D White Professional Effects Whitestrips with Advanced Seal technology,
- Crest 3D White Vivid Toothpaste,
- Crest 3D White MultiCare Whitening Rinse,
- and an Oral-B Pulsar 3D White Advanced Vivid Toothbrush.
RIGHT ON!
Loved the idea of all of it!
According to the Crest® people, if I used all of the products they sent me, together ...
"Crest and Oral-B introduce their first-ever 3D White collection designed to provide dramatic, noticeable whitening results for a smile that makes heads turn.
When used together, Crest 3D White Professional Effects Whitestrips, Crest 3D White Vivid Toothpaste, Crest 3D White MultiCare Whitening Rinse and theOral-B Pulsar 3D White Advanced Vivid toothbrush, users can notice whitening results after just one day."
Alrighty then! Let's put it to the test!
To start this project 'right', I needed a 'before crest smile' pic.
I took one.
Teeth only.
And then deleted it at Adam's basketball game a few weeks ago ... BY MISTAKE ... when I ran out of room on the camera.
So, I've tried to do the next best thing.
I've included a couple of pictures from last summer.
As I gathered everything up off the counter, the toothbrush became a bit of a debate, as one of the boys tried to claim it for himself.
I considered it, gave him a kiss on the cheek, took the brush out of his hand, and told him to, 'Get a blog, Kid!' ;-p
I ripped open the toothbrush, took the toothpaste out of the box, and ran to the bathroom with my boy not far behind.
Just because he wasn't getting the fancy new toothbrush, didn't mean he also didn't get to try the new toothpaste!
He was checkin' that one OUT!
And, no time like the present to get started!
Brushed the teeth.
Took my time, made sure to get the fancy new brush over each tooth.
Rinsed with the mouthwash.
That was NICE!
Not like the old brown bottle of Listerine I remember mom and dad had in the bathroom cabinet!
Oh yeah. I tried it. BLECH!!!
This? This Crest® product? Not blech!
Then, I tried the strips.
The strips and I didn't really get along. But we'll get into that in a bit.
First ...
The Toothpaste
"Patented dual-action silica system helps polish away surface stains to gently whiten teeth
Unique paste-gel hybrid formulation offers the cleaning of a paste and the freshness of a gel, helping teeth feel smooth and clean."
Suggested retail price of $2.49 - $3.29* for 85 mL, $2.99 - $3.89 for 125 mL and $3.88 - $4.99 for 165 mL.
***taken from Crest fact sheet***
What really got my attention though, was this, 'Removes up to 80% of surface stains for a whiter-looking smile in 14 days'.
NOW we're talking!
The toothpaste, I loved. Great taste. No complaints at all.
Did it remove 80% of the surface stains?
I don't know what percentage I'd give it, but yes, *I* thought there was a noticeable difference, within only a couple of days.
Nobody has walked up to me and said, out of the blue, 'wow, your teeth look really white today.'
But, Adam did comment, 'I think that toothpaste is working, Mom!'
Whether he really saw a difference, or he was simply a boy, trying to please his Mama ...
I. DON'T. CARE!
The Mouthwash
"Specially formulated with two ingredients: hydrogen peroxide to whiten teeth by removing surface stains, and sodium hexametaphosphate – to help protect against future surface stains"
Suggested retail price of $6.49* for 473mL and $8.99* for 964 mL
I don't really have alot to say about this HUGE bottle of mouthwash.
It was minty, which I liked.
It made my teeth feel clean, which I also liked.
And it didn't taste like
I suppose I should be concerned it contains hydrogen peroxide, but the enamel is still intact, and it hasn't eaten away my two front teeth, which are capped.
This is a good thing.
Mouthwash ... good job on the challenge. Passed.
Suggested retail price of $59.99 - $64.99*.
The Whitestrips?
Love the idea of them.
Finding the 30min EVERY SINGLE DAY, is the hard part. For me.
I know from past experience. I still have a (different) box of unused whitestrips sitting in the bathroom cabinet now.
I can't say I really gave these particular whitestrips a fair shot.
Not because I was lazy putting them in.
I tried.
Unfortunately, either my gums have finally begun to show signs of the 20yrs of smoke and coffee, or the chemicals in the strips are just too hard on my mouth.
Whatever the reason, they burned after only a few minutes.
Not to the point where it literally burned the inside of my mouth.
Not THAT extreme.
But I definitely had an uncomfortable burning sensation.
So I took them out.
I'm NOT saying this would happen to everyone.
Keep in mind I originally prefaced that observation with the fact that my years of smoking and caffeine may (most likely) have played a part.
You'll only know if you try it for yourself.
Whitestrips ... uncompleted challenge. I can't really say Pass or otherwise, since I didn't really give it a try.
And finally ...
MicroPulse™ bristles pivot and pulse for a clean the user can feel"
Suggested retail price of $6.99-$8.99*
The bristles are split and angled and pivot while you're brushing.
Once again, you can feel it cleaning the surface and around the teeth.
Overall, does a great job.
Sadly, however, this toothbrush is not made for a certain type of person.
Unfortunately, a person such as myself.
A multi-tasker.
If you're simply standing there, mouth open, going over each tooth, (as I had done the night before), it's a good brush!
However, if, like myself, in the morning rush you power up that brush, stick it in your mouth, start the brushing process, grab your coffee off the vanity ledge, close your mouth around the brush, run down the stairs heading to the microwave to re-heat the coffee, and throw a few dishes in the dishwasher while waiting for it, and about the fourth step down realize ...
'What is that god-awful vibrating in my mouth!!!!'
The TOOTHBRUSH, people! The toothbrush!
Keep your minds out of the gutter and stay with me, here!
By the time I made it to the microwave, the vibrating toothbrush was uncomfortable.
By the time I reached the dishwasher, I ripped that sucker out of my mouth.
It didn't hurt.
But for me, personally, I'd never be able to close my lips around it, because I couldn't handle that vibrating against my teeth and the sensation that they would explode at any given second.
More often than not, I'm running around the house WHILE I'm brushing my teeth.
Having said that, if I'm focused on the brushing, giving them a 'good' cleaning, exercising all the plaque demons, THIS is the brush I'll use!!!
Toothbrush ... mostly good job on the challenge.
Thoroughly cleaning in and around teeth ... Passed.
Ease of use while multi-tasking, if you don't like the whole 'vibrating lips' thing ... Failed.
Sorry.
Overall, I have to say I really liked most of the products I tried.
All of which are available now, at mass retail, drug and grocery stores across Canada.
I can't really say I tried the whitestrips more than once, so we'll just leave them out of this.
What I CAN say though, is ...
Would you like to see the result?
I got a close up of the pearly whites tonight.
And yes, I do think they're white, if I do say so myself!
Thank you, Crest And Oral-B®, for giving me the opportunity to try your products, and improve my smile!
And thank you, Ms Marketing Rep, for giving me the opportunity to get some of this crap off my teeth.
Hopefully, for good!
Oh ... wait ... I'd probably have to give up smoking, coffee and Pepsi to get rid of it all forever.
OK, so ... thank you Crest® and Ms Marketing Rep, for helping me keep most of the crap off my teeth ... for as long as I continue to feed these bad habits ...
Happy Brushing!
K.
