Whiter Teeth Right Now

Achieving pearly whites (that are white-white) are one of our beauty wants. I mean of course, it could be an asset to smile. There's even an editing function to achieve whiter teeth in photographs. I remember this episode in FRIENDS where Ross Geller (i.e. David Schwimmer's character) bleached his teeth by leaving the whitening strips on his teeth a tad longer than the directions state. Here's a screenshot of the episode for your memory.

Oh no Ross! She has black light! And your teeth are really, really white. Omigod it's scary!

Of course we don't want that right? We want a moderate and beautiful beauty queen white for our choppers. The usual remedy for this is either a whitening toothpaste which take weeks to show results or an in-office dental bleaching which strips the tooth surface and could cause the teeth to be sensitive. Not to mention it's quite expensive.

While at the grocery, I spotted a new kind of Close-Up Toothpaste which, get this, promises white teeth right after you use it. I thought, why not give this a try? I'm a Close-Up consumer I did use it, but I didn't quite see much results in the whitening department. Yet I felt that the tooth surface was smoother than usual and there's less plaque buildup with all the food I eat. Okay, maybe I wasn't educated with the product much.

Anyway, I think I found my answer when I received an invitation to an intimate lunch at the Peninsula with the people behind Close-Up's new product, Close-Up White Now (rhymes with "right now") to answer our questions. It was a good thing that my schedule cleared up that day and I was able to attend the event.

After lunch (I just love the Vietnamese Spring Rolls), we were presented the product. Before that, we all had our pictures taken beforehand by a photographer, to show how our teeth looked before using Close-Up White Now. I did mention that I used the product before and I purchased it before the event. I said too that when I spitted out the foam, it was a deep blue color instead of the usual white with a tinge of the toothpaste's original color.

You know what that was? It was actually the Blue Foam Technology, a patented technology. Instead of using bleaches or abrasives which slough off the surface of the tooth weaknening it, the blue coats the tooth surface canceling out the yellowness. It's the same principle as using concealer to cover a blemish or pimple. Think the desaturation function in photo editing except it's in a toothpaste tube. So in other words, the instant whitening is actually a result of the blue film. It's like makeup on the teeth.

However, don't get me wrong. The blue stain is perfectly safe on the teeth, even on children. It does more than "put makeup" on the teeth though. Close Up White Now also contains a conventional cleaning system that also cleans teeth. So, in other words, you get the instant whitening plus the benefits of the toothpaste. Close Up White Now is also safe to use on veneers and false teeth as well. We were told however, that this product could stain clothes (and toothbrushes too, but staining the toothbrush with a blue tint is okay) so take the necessary precautions so we don't end up with a blue glop on our white shirts.

We were invited to try out the product after our very yummy meal. Before that, I was told to dispense a full amount on the toothbrush (a bit more than pea-sized for adults, even though I'm a crazy adult. :P) and brush on for a good 2 minutes (note that I was timed during the process) before spitting out the product and rinsing our mouths. After brushing our teeth, we had our pictures taken and the photographer showed us the difference. I guess that's why I didn't see much of an effect first when I tried it at home. I didn't brush for 2 minutes (think two Happy Birthday Songs).

So what's my take? I like the minty flavor. I personally prefer gel toothpastes than the opaque kind since the flavor's stronger. After two minutes of brushing, I was able to notice a difference that my teeth were whiter. Take note too that I used pink lipstick for the second photo. It was a warmer pink, and it's supposed to make my teeth look more yellow than my former blue-red lipstick, but I noticed it was whiter.

Here's the best part. Sometimes teeth could be sensitive after brushing right? After trying out the product, I still ate and even drank ice-cold orange juice and I didn't have any stinging. Deadma lang ang ngipin. I love it too that the surface still is smooth and there's less plaque buildup. However, note too that the degree of change varies from person-to-person, depending on the degree of yellowness on the teeth. The blue film does wear out with time, and we would need a retouch, just like how makeup needs a retouch. But hey, we still get the squeaky-clean benefits still of a regular toothpaste remember?

The price is around Php65.00 for a tube. It comes in one size right now though, and that was my only complaint, since it could be too big to fit my kikay kit. My solution here though is that i use it at home first and when I could fold it to a more compact size, that's when I tot it around with me.

Now for whiter teeth for a photoshoot or a special occasion, you know now what I'll be whipping out. By the way, it's still okay to use mouthwash with this. It won't stain or sting. And you'd be glad to know that it didn't have the Ross Geller effect.