What happened when this teeth whitening newbie tried a professional kit?

We try teeth whitening for the first time, and it's not what we expected

I tell people I have horse teeth; I am 32, and I have never had a filling. It's an achievement I have no control of, but I feel proud anyway. Saying that, I'm not the most regular dentist-goer, and every time I do go, I fear the worst. But so far so good!

I brush twice a day, thrice if I'm going out, and I floss... sometimes. But I also drink a hell of a lot of staining fluids like coffee and red wine, so while they're not the colour of cheese just yet, I don't have pearly whites.

I am getting more and more conscious of my yellow gnashers the more people are taking care of theirs. So many people have lovely white teeth these days, and why not? It's so easy to achieve. Teeth whitening isn't the chore it used to be. However, it should be done under proper supervision. I've used dodgy online strips before and honestly, felt like I was being poisoned. Bleach and mouths don't go together unless you know the facts.

Last month, I dropped into MyDental in Ballsbridge for a clean and polish, where my dentist also took a moulding of my teeth (when you get your teeth whitened they should be clean). And...that was the hard part over with. As a complete whitening newbie, I wasn't sure what to expect, but it turns out you take care of the whitening part yourself. Your dentist instructs you on how to use the pack, which consists of your teeth moulds and a couple of syringes filled with the whitener. It's up to you to insert the gel into the mould with the syringe and for how long you leave the moulds in for.

It was the quickest clean I've ever had, which is brilliant because I hate getting it done and that's why I hadn't in about two years (but I made an appointment to go back in six months because a) I'm an adult now, and b) the MyDental experience is a good one). The moulding took seconds and the instruction only a few minutes. Wham, bam, thank you, Dentist!

I've used my kit twice - the first time for an hour and the second time for two - and have seen a subtle difference. I hung around my house during each process, but I could have done it at work. You hardly notice the mouldings are there, and you can still talk pretty normally. The only thing you can't do is eat or drink (or smoke), so it's best to do it after lunch!

Here I am last year with Davis Factor of Smashbox:

And here I am today.

You can see they've gone up a shade or two, not a huge difference, but one I can work on. I prefer this controlled approach; the biggest worry people have when they decide to whiten their teeth is that they'll end up looking like Ross from Friends. My wedding is four weeks away, by then, my teeth will be at optimum, but not glaring brightness. Stay posted for photographic evidence!

MyDental invited me to try the treatment, and I am genuinely glad that I did. The low-cost practice also has some exciting news: it's not only expanding its location to include a clinic in Cherrywood, but it's also expanding its services. MyMedical will be offering dental services, of course, but also GP services, health screenings and medical imaging, all at below-average costs.