Chompers

Day 27: Teeth Whitening

When the lovable Popeye said, "I am what I am and that's all that I am" I believe he was on to something.  I have never been one to worry much about what others think, or to bother myself with trivial self improvement tasks.  But, as I have learned quite well by now, there is a first time for everything.  Therefore tonight I would take a long hard look in the mirror, then attempt to change what I saw, starting with my teeth.

Truthfully, I just decided to add this activity to the list because I had a couple boxes of teeth whitening gel that had been sitting around for quite some time so I decided it was either now or never.  When I got the product as part of a promotional deal I had every intention of using it and brightening my already delightful smile.  But, as it has been said, "The road to [somewhere not so nice] is paved with good intentions."  Now was the time to pull my teeth from the theoretical fire and brimstone.

I was a little apprehensive at first.  Okay, I was a lot apprehensive at first.  I looked into it a little and discovered that while teeth whitening gel is safe to use on your teeth, it can have a tendency to severely burn your gums or cause pain to sensitive teeth.  Call me crazy, but that didn't exactly make me want to jump up and give it the ol' college try.  But I thought to myself, as I do with many other things, hundreds of other people do this every day and they are fine.  I'll be fine. So, out came the trays, in when the goop, and into my mouth it went.

Now I don't know the exact amount of time that the gel was supposed to stay on my teeth, but I'm pretty sure it's more than the five or so minutes that I kept it there.  At the first sign of my gums not feeling normal (which I'm sure was probably just my imagination running amok with my fears) I spit the stuff out and gave my teeth a thorough brushing.  What can I say, I chickened out.  I also wasn't a fan of sitting there with the mouth piece in and either swallowing the toxic goop or letting my mouth fill with minty flavored saliva.  So for the foreseeable future my pearly whites may not be very pearly or very white, but there mine and I love them none the less.