A Tangible Result Part One

At last! Someone noticed my whitened teeth. Phillip noticed they were different. A confirmation that my caustic efforts are paying dividends. I have reached a poignant moment in the process, one where I need to decide - shall I continue down this lightened path? Shall I stop now and remain simply 'lighter'? Shall I become 'Kelvinator White'?
With whom do I align myself? Which teeth do I see myself eating with, smiling with? The reality tv contestants, the youngsters fresh from the cosmetic dentist, or the au natural?

I'll wait for the dulling effects of holiday red wines before I reconsider the bleaching process.

Catherine absolutely thrashed me in Scrabble.

Sensitivity to Reality TV Contestant Smiles....

I think I now understand what whitening means to me. I know what it can do, and what it can't. It can't get to the roots, as the trays don't reach that far, and the bleach would irritate them if it did. So, it really only affects the surfaces that people see. The teeth essentially are no different to before; it's only how people respond to the visible surface that has changed. My teeth tips only appear different. Deep down they remain the same teeth I started with only weeks before.

That's all well and good, but with only a few syringes left of the precious bleach, how the hell am I going to look like a Californian reality tv contestant?@!? Do I need to accept that I never *will* look like a Californian reality tv contestant, or do I shell out for some stronger bleach? or , god forbid, go the 'Zoom' road? Are brilliantly white teeth exactly the answer to life's problems?

Catherine and I have started a new Scrabble game. I am waiting for some words to appear like 'dentures', 'dazzle' and 'obsession' to appear. Luckly we only have seven tiles to play at any one time.

Many Hands make Light Teeth

I'm now questioning the product. Shouldn't I by now have Kelvinator White, guess who's mum's got a Whirlpool teeth? I've used up two whole syringes of the Excel caustic crap. It's hurting less, but shouldn't I be experiencing the total white bliss? Again an object lesson in expectations has been forced upon me, at the cost of $AU 462 GST inclusive. Perhaps my judgements should be made at the end, not in the middle, of the treatment. Perhaps I am 'pre judging' it.

Catherine keeps me on my toes, I feel her probing eyes scanning my beige incisors, checking for That Hollywood Look. I must remain natural.

No pain No gain

I didn't realise that teeth whitening can cause pain. Bleaching can hurt. The smiling happy Pan Americans on the pack don't display how they suffered to get to where they are today. I notice the packaging has no disclaimer. It should read "product use may lead to you seriously questioning the value of whiter-than-white teeth". Was I left to discover this on my own?

The first day of treatment I felt mislead by my smiling friends. Were they gritting their teeth, or does the pain of bleaching simply firm their resolve to get 'the whitest of teeth'?

Destiny

While discussing the concept of teeth whitening with my friend Catherine, a thought took hold. As metaphor for life, should the bleaching be seen as a natural progression towards a pre-ordained future, or rather the artificial manipulation of life events designed to produce a wholy contrived end result? Is one born with white teeth while others achieve them, or do some have whitening thrust upon 'em? The cover of the "Excel Three: Daytime" kit indicated scarce little in this regard; only a vista of smiling contemporary Pan American people - a black man, an asian woman, a blond lady and a caucasian male, sharing one pearly white vision of dental excellence.

How to Achieve the Perfect Smile

I ponder the worth of cosmetic dentistry, and decide it needs to be addressed head on, or more likely, jaw on. Day one involved a delicate negotiation with my dentist Trevor. It seems there's two types, the quick, one-session-in-the-chair "Zoom", or the diy bleach kit at home.

We opt for the cheap one. Diedre the New Zealand hygienist, warns me agains bleaching the exposed roots. I take this all on board, and pay the exhorbitant fee.

Cause and Effect

I've searched for a free blog service because Microsoft announced one. Diversity is an absolute requirement for life on earth, so for this one reason alone Blogger and others like her need to exist.