How To Whiten Your Teeth for $6!!!!

Hello, Friends!

Here's a bit of info about me you may not know. I live in Southern California, the land of the dazzling white smiles. Yup, it seems tooth bleaching out here is as common as getting groceries...or, you know, filling up your gas tank for $65 a pop.

It costs a pretty penny to get the professional trays and bleaching gel needed to bleach your pearly whites. You have to pay the dentist (or orthodontist) to mold the trays, then pay for the trays and the gel. The average cost for all of this? About $300. Lucky for me, I have an orthodontist who isn't money hungry who told me how to whiten my teeth BETTER than a dentist can for $6! And, now I am giving that information to you.

Here's all you need...

An adult sized mouth guard (the kind football players wear. If it has that strap on it you can cut that off. It's usually about a dollar at Target or WalMart.)

5 Minute Speed Whitening gel (you can get this at WalMart or CVS. I don't like WalMart's ethical practices, so I buy at CVS. But, it's cheaper at WalMart). You can buy the gel alone or in a set. I got the set.

Cotton Swabs


Here's what you do...

First, follow the directions on the package of your mouth guard regarding how to fit it. Usually this involves dipping it in hot water until it becomes soft. Do not submerge for more time than the package says (it's usually not more than 10 seconds), or your guard will start to shrink and stick to itself. Shake off the extra water, put it immediately in your mouth and suck in (think of the sound you make when you hit your shin) while pressing on the guard with your fingers (press HARD), front and back, until you feel it get hard. Then, remove it. Repeat with bottom teeth.

After you are through with that, if your gel came with the pre-whitening rinse, go ahead and use that according to the directions. Now, put some whitening gel on a q-tip and apply a light film to each tooth, all around the front of your teeth and in between them. Get every inch of the front of your tooth so the spaces in between your teeth aren't yellow after you bleach. When you are through applying the gel to your teeth (I only apply it to the teeth that show when I smile. No need to bleach your molars...unless you have a smile like Julia Roberts) go ahead and pop in your tray. Repeat process for your bottom teeth. 5 Minute White actually starts working after 5 minutes, so you can keep your trays in for up to about 20 minutes. It is safe to do this twice a day for the first 2 weeks.

After you time is up, take out your trays, rinse out your mouth (I use a toothbrush to get the gel off) and then brush like normal. Rinse your trays (not in hot water) and lay them out to dry. That's it.

Here are a few tips...

I bleach in the shower so I can rinse and spit effectively. Sometimes you drool with trays in, so the shower is great for bleaching and catching that drool.

The bleach works better if you DON'T brush your teeth right before.

Don't drink anything that can stain your teeth for a few days after bleaching. Or, if you do, rinse your mouth right after with water that has some lemon in it.

If you get sensitive (I have sensitive teeth, and I have never had a problem with this. Laser bleaching made me want to cry for DAYS) then cut down on your bleaching time or stop all together.

I have been told there is a YouTube video on how to do this. If you want to see, you can always YouTube it. I think it's by a girl named Kandee.

That's it! Enjoy your new movie star white teeth!

Warmth and Peace,
The Thrift Store Barbie