My experience with getting teeth whitened professionally

Honestly, the quick water swish never did much for me. I tried it for a while (also cheap and lazy here, lol), but eventually my dentist gently hinted that my coffee habit was starting to show. I switched to a super basic baking soda rinse—literally just baking soda and water—and it made a noticeable difference without breaking the bank. Teeth definitely have their own weird preferences, though...my brother barely brushes, drinks soda constantly, and somehow still has annoyingly perfect teeth. Go figure.

I totally feel you on the teeth having their own weird preferences thing. My sister is exactly like your brother—barely brushes, drinks coffee and soda nonstop, and yet her teeth look like she just stepped out of a toothpaste commercial. Meanwhile, I'm over here flossing religiously, brushing after every meal, and still worrying about stains. Glad the baking soda rinse worked for you though...I might give that a shot myself. Thanks for sharing your experience—it helps ease my nerves about trying something new at the dentist.

Totally relate to this convo—genetics and teeth are a weird combo, aren't they? I've seen people who barely touch floss have perfect smiles, while others brush obsessively and still struggle. From what I've read, enamel thickness and saliva composition can play a big role in staining and decay resistance. I tried the baking soda rinse too, and honestly, it did help a bit with surface stains. Just be careful not to overdo it—too abrasive if used every day. Glad you're feeling better about trying new stuff at the dentist though...it usually pays off.

Haha, genetics really is the ultimate dental lottery. I've had patients who swear by charcoal toothpaste, but honestly, it makes me cringe a bit—talk about abrasive! Curious if anyone's tried oil pulling...heard mixed things, but some swear it's a game changer.

Yeah, charcoal toothpaste always felt a bit sketchy to me too—like brushing with sandpaper, lol. Tried oil pulling once... lasted about two weeks. Didn't notice much whitening, but weirdly, my mouth did feel cleaner overall. Could've been placebo, tho. Honestly, professional whitening was the only thing that made a noticeable difference for me. Genetics definitely won round one, but modern dentistry got me back in the game.