Hi! I'm Ryan. I'm a senior writer here at BuzzFeed. You may know me from when I humiliated myself on BuzzFeed's YouTube by trying fruits and vegetables for the first time and thus going viral for all the wrong reasons. Anyway — the internet has made me insecure, and for multiple reasons, I don't really smile in my pictures:
I just don't like the way my face/mouth looks when I smile — like I'm AWKWARD and look bizarre:
Because of that, I always do some type of head-tilt moment, like so:
Like, my mom gives me shit for doing the same pose in every photo because I NEVER smile.
Anyway, I wanted to make more of an effort to smile in pics, since I'm in the bridal party of best friend's wedding. I wanted to make sure I was smiling confidently, so I decided to reach out to NYC-based celebrity dentist Dr. Debra Glassman about teeth whitening. Dr. Glassman has practice dentistry for 45 years:
Dr. Glassman called me and told me about one teeth whitening option — The Boost Whitening procedure, which brightens teeth 8 to 10 shades whiter. "We call this 'the lunchtime makeover' because patients and celebrities come to the office during the day when they can steal one hour away from their busy schedules," she said.
During my in-office visit, Dr. Glassman requested a pre-procedure cleaning since it had been three months since my last visit to the dentist. "Pre-care is a thorough dental cleaning and excellent home-care routine of flossing and brushing your teeth. You will also have a complete dental examination to make sure that your teeth and gums are healthy," Dr. Glassman said.
Here are my teeth before the treatment. They're not, like, hideous, but they're definitely not as bright and have no WOW factor.
So, I got a standard teeth cleaning, and then it was time to get whitened! The process is pretty easy: You just lay back, they insert a tray that will keep your mouth open, put sunglasses on you to protect your eyes from the light, apply a gel to your teeth, and then you just kinda sit there, looking like this:
It did not hurt. I just laid back and listened to music because I was bored. The staff checks on you sporadically to make sure everything is going well, and the only time I had an issue was when my lip started to get irritated from being stretched. So, I'd say wear chapstick or ask for some cream, like I did.
"Boost Treatment removes stains built up from drinking coffee, tea, eating blueberries, marinara sauce, soy sauce, and other colored foods that stain teeth. The stains get into crevices and on the surface of the enamel. This procedure removes these stains thoroughly," Dr. Glassman said.
Here's what I took after the procedure, which took around 45 minutes. My smile is undeniably whiter and brighter.
And here is me after I walked out of the procedure, after finding some good lighting:
Before and after:
Here's the before and after with the shade comparison teeth:
Here's me a week after the procedure:
I'm super skeptical and hard to please, but I was really thrilled with my results. Honestly, I'd tell you if it was bullshit. It was actually an amazing treatment, and I'm super pleased with the results. The only downside was small bursts of tooth sensitivity and pain for a few seconds afterward on the day of the treatment, especially walking in frigid NYC. I definitely recommend taking the Tylenol you receive from the doctor.
Now, I want to be super transparent about this treatment, so let's get into the basic questions I asked Dr. Glassman. Here's what she said:
What is the pre-care?
Pre-care is a thorough dental cleaning and excellent home-care routine of flossing and brushing your teeth. You will also have to complete a dental examination to make sure that your teeth and gums are healthy.
Do patients experience pain after?
Some patients have sensitivity to the teeth after boost whitening. The newer products cause very little sensitivity, so patients can take an Advil or Motrin if needed afterward. Most likely, it won’t be needed. The sensitivity is reversible, and goes away pretty quickly. The sensitivity is usually to coldness, so we tell patients to avoid cold drinks and cold foods for 24 hours.
What does post-care entail?
For 48 hours, avoid foods and drinks that stain teeth. Continue to floss and brush well. Always floss twice before you brush. Always use a soft toothbrush. Always change the toothbrush every two months. We find the soft bristles wear out and will not clean teeth well after two months. We love soft toothbrushes because they are kind to the gums and kind to the teeth.
What does this cost?
The cost of boost whitening is [typically around] $650 for the whole treatment.
When are results most visible?
Boost whitening is dramatically visible after the procedure is complete in the chair.
How long does it last?
Boost whitening is a permanent change. If you’re eating and drinking a lot of staining foods, patients can use pre-filled whitening trays [from the doctor] for 30 minutes every few months to keep the whitening sparkling. It costs $15.
How many sessions are needed?
Boost is done within one session, which is so exciting — especially being in New York, I find people want instant gratification.
My tips as a patient would be:
So yeah, if you want to invest in some quick and easy self-care this year, I'd definitely recommend the Boost Whitening. If you want to see if I manage to smile correctly at my friend's upcoming wedding, you can follow me on Instagram! And if you'd like to book an appointment for Boost Whitening with Dr. Glassman, you can here!
I received this treatment for free, but it did not impact my review. These are my personal, honest thoughts about the treatment.