The Price of Beauty

The other day I finally took the plunge and went for a BriteSmile teeth whitening at my dentist's office.

One of the sweet dental assistants at the office sat me down and using a flash card she took out of a pretty package of BriteSmile, she talked me through the hour and a half long procedure.

It all seemed pretty straight forward to me and my only concern was the blue plastic contraption they put inside your mouth, jarring your lips open for much longer than any lips would like to stay parted in that way. I asked her if there were any issues to be concerned about, and she said "No". "Some people may find their teeth slightly sensitive for a couple of hours afterwards". But I figured I would give it a try, as it was such a small price to pay for white teeth, like the ones on the big poster of red lips and white teeth I was staring at.

So the contraption was placed onto my mouth, my gums were sealed with a plasticy type material, my lips were drowned in lip balm, and bleach was applied on to my teeth. Finally a blue lamp was placed very very close to my face. The dental assistant then left the room for the next 20 minutes. Returned twice more in twenty minute intervals only to reapply the bleach and re-set the light.

As the last interval was starting to wrap up, I felt one of my teeth getting electrocuted. And then, boom, another one. And a few more followed.

When the dental assistant returned and removed everything, I told her that my teeth were feeling very uncomfortable. With a kind voice she said "Nothing that 2 Advils won't fix" which put my mind to rest. And then before leaving the room, she almost sang "That's the Price of Beaaauuuuutttyyyyyy", and right then I had an Oh Oh moment at the bottom of my gut.

As the hours wore on, I experienced mini bombs going off in every tooth in my mouth. And waves of pain started taking over my mouth, teeth, and gums, slowly creeping up into my head. Each breath would magnify the pain. Three Advils and two extra strength Tylonols did nothing for me. I called my dentist's office, but it appeared that the whole office had taken an impromptu vacation.

I explained to my girl that mommy has an owie in her teeth. And she tried to be nurturing and low maintenance for the rest of the day.

Incidentally, Mr. Urban was coming home late from work. And by the time he arrived, he found me almost on the verge of shock due to an unbelievable amount of pain. In no time he had called our MD for a prescription of heavy duty painkillers, picked them up from the pharmacist, put two in my mouth with a drink of lukewarm water, and tucked me under the sheets.

Had I known this particular quest for beauty would cost me any more than a charge to our Visa and an hour with a blue contraption in my mouth, I would have definitely passed on it.... especially on a day which I was alone with a toddler and without the right drugs for the amount of pain involved.

Come to think of it, I have always felt queasy whenever I have come face to face with the term "that's just the price of beauty". Those circumstances have generally not work out so beautifully for me..

Anyways, the teeth do look somewhat whiter but not quite as the poster with the red lips.... And although the pain has subsided my teeth are still sensitive (but improving).

And at the end of the day once again that Mr. Urban managed to endear himself to me. Not just by yet again running in and saving my life - which he certainly did, but also by telling me the next morning that although he didn't think I needed teeth whitening, he thinks that I somehow look a little cuter...

FORTY THREE YEARS, SEVEN MONTHS AND FORTY DAYS

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AnonymousOctober 21, 2010 at 2:22 PM
That sounds painful. I used the strips you can get at the drug store and they work amazingly well. It takes two weeks and they taste awful but they really did the trick for me and my sis! I am glad to hear that you are getting better though.
z
Urban GirlOctober 21, 2010 at 3:35 PM
Z, I should have done my research better... Dentists do so much up selling these days, and I believe them when they say, so & so procedure can make your smile perfect and its very easy....
AnonymousOctober 21, 2010 at 3:59 PM
Aaww that Mr. Urban is so nice.
I hope you are now pain-free. P.

An Urban Girl

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