Fong Wai Ling shares her teeth whitening experience with us.

It was my grandmother who made me realise, at a very young age, the importance of having a good set of teeth. I can recall the first time she gave me such advice.

We were watching the evening news. I remember the anchorwoman had a pretty face and perfect salon-finished hair. But when she opened her mouth to read the news, her misaligned front teeth were an instant damper on her beauty.

"See? No matter how pretty a face is, if the teeth are bad, everything is spoilt," my grandmother said matter-of-factly.

Since then, I always can’t help but notice a person’s teeth and attribute it as one of the more important features of a person’s appearance. I am lucky to have naturally aligned teeth; I didn’t need to wear braces like many of my schoolmates. However, in recent years, I began to notice that my pearly whites were no longer as white as they used to be.

I don’t smoke and I do not drink a lot of coffee or tea (one of the common reasons for stained teeth) but yet, I began to notice that my teeth were starting to look stained and yellow.

I grew desperate and couldn’t help feeling that my stained teeth were affecting my self-esteem. But fortunately, there was a treatment that could help – teeth whitening.

A popular procedure in cosmetic dentistry today, teeth whitening has become a ‘must-have’ dental procedure for anyone looking to restore their teeth’s natural whiteness.

I did my research and decided to opt for a system which was supposed to be safe and effective and which could produce results that can last up to two years.

Days before my procedure, I was combing through some entertainment magazines and observed the smiles of celebrities with their perfect teeth. Of course, I wanted my teeth to look just like theirs after my treatment. Teeth that sparkle like that will make anyone look good, I felt.

The day finally arrived for my appointment at the Sunway Medical Centre. After the quick registration protocol, I met Dr. Cindy Wu, the dental surgeon that would be performing my procedure.

A few minutes after our introduction, my journey for a brighter smile began.

Dr. Wu began with a thorough check-up of my teeth. She then gave me a rundown on how it would work. She told me that the treatment uses a patented blue-light technology and whitening gel.

She explained that the whitening gel that was going to be applied on my teeth contains 15 percent hydrogen peroxide, an oxidising agent that works to lighten teeth. The near-neutral pH value of the gel lowers the risk of teeth sensitivity during the treatment.

After this whitening gel is applied over the teeth, the blue light technology works to accelerate the whitening process.

After she explained how everything would work, Dr. Wu began my treatment with a quick scaling to clean my teeth. She proceeded to tell me that there are two types of teeth stains – extrinsic and intrinsic. Extrinsic stains are caused by certain foods and cigarette smoking (extrinsic stains can generally be removed by scaling). Then there are intrinsic stains, which are trickier to remove (can be caused by excessive exposure to fluoride during early childhood, the maternal use of tetracycline antibiotics during the second half of pregnancy and the use of tetracycline antibiotics in children eight years old or younger). In this instance, the inner structure of the tooth (the dentin) darkens or gets a yellow tint. The only way to tackle the problem is through an in-office teeth whitening procedure, exactly like the one I was having.

While there are many agents that can stain teeth such as cigarette smoke, coffee, tea and some foods, Dr. Wu explained that even the best set of teeth become yellow over time, due to the aging process.

Before applying the whitening gel on my teeth, Dr. Wu applied a plaster over my upper and lower gums to protect my gums from the whitening gel. Then, she put a mouth guard in which helped to keep my jaw apart. Looking in the mirror, I admit this was quite a frightening sight. It looked painful but it wasn’t. However, after a while, the muscles around my mouth began to feel a little strained.

Dr. Wu then applied the whitening gel on my teeth and then positioned the blue light device in front of my mouth – the light was then switched on. There are three 20-minute sessions during the course of the procedure. After each cycle, Dr. Wu would reapply the gel, and switch the light on again and leave me for 20 minutes. I kept falling asleep in between.

Dr. Wu suggested I attempt a fourth and final session – and so I did. After all, I wanted to achieve the whitest possible shade! I think overall, I sat in that dentist chair, tilted in a 45-degree angle, for close to two hours.

Before my treatment, Dr. Wu established my current teeth shade by using a Vitapan 3D-Master Shade Guide, which showed my shade to be in the C1 category. Dr. Wu did warn me before my treatment that I should not expect to achieve a super white set of teeth like those seen on the covers of magazines. However, she did assure me that my teeth would be a much lighter shade than before the treatment.

At the end of the treatment, I was pleasantly surprised when Dr. Wu revealed that the whitening treatment had brought me to the whitest shade on the Vitapan guide! As far as I was concerned, this was definitely a case of ‘Mission Accomplished’! But before I could get too excited, Dr. Wu cautioned that I should avoid all coloured foods for the next 24 hours to avoid creating new stains. She explained that because my teeth were now striped of their pellicle layer (a thin protective layer covering the enamel), coloured foods like chillies and tomatoes, and beverages like coffee and tea, are best avoided because they can stain teeth.

My teeth are now four shades whiter than they were. Dr. Wu told me that if I maintain proper oral care and avoid smoking and drinking too much coffee or tea, the results of my teeth whitening treatment could last up to two years.

I was happy. My teeth were white again and my self-esteem was restored. Until today, I still can’t help but flash my pearly whites every chance I get! I feel that I look more vibrant and healthy. It’s amazing how much of a difference something as simple as whiter teeth can make.

*Teeth whitening costs around RM900. Ask your dentist how!