PEARLYS TEETH WHITENING, URBAN RETREAT HARRODS
Tested by Louise Emma Clarke
What it promises: The best, safest and most effective teeth whitening treatment combines the speed of in-spa ‘laser’ treatment (which lightens the teeth by an average of 8-12 shades) and the long-term maintenance of a customised tray homekit (fabricated from impressions of your teeth). The combination of treatments promises to give you the white, bright teeth you’ve always dreamt of – on a long-term basis.
What happens: I’m not a big fan of the dentist, so heading to a chic London spa for teeth whitening was the only way I was prepared to let somebody loose on my smile. As soon as I entered the stylish, whitewashed treatment room, my mind was put at ease – there’s little chance to feel scared when greeted by such a smiley, enthusiastic therapist! The procedure was explained clearly, so that nothing felt alien, before things were kicked off by impressions being taken of my teeth (used to make the bespoke trays for whitening at home). I was worried the gel would taste horrendous - but it was mess-free and tasted of strawberries. So far, so good! It was time to hop up onto the bed and have the cheek retractor put into my mouth to hold my lips and tongue away from teeth – this was the bit I was dreading as it looked like a torture instrument, but I’m pleased to report that it didn’t hurt at all. Whilst it wasn’t the most comfortable mouthwear, but I was able to forget about it after a few minutes. The therapist then applied a patented ‘desensitiser’ onto the top of my teeth to prevent heightened sensitivity, before applying a gel to protect my gums. Once this was hard (thanks to an ultra violet light), the first layer of whitening gel was applied. As I relaxed, a special light was shone onto my teeth for 8 minutes to activate the gel. After it was removed, the procedure was repeated twice more, first for 8 minutes and then for 12 minutes. Finally, the cheek retractor was removed and I was asked to swill my mouth out with water – and I was ready to go!
Results: I wasn’t expecting a big jump in tooth shades, as my teeth weren’t hugely discoloured to begin with, so I was elated to discover that they were now 12 shades lighter. To maintain the result, I was told to avoid coffee, tea, red wine, and dark-coloured food (basically anything that would stain a white T-shirt) for 48-hours – and I can honestly say that was the hardest part of the whole procedure! Just over a week later, my bespoke trays and syringes of whitening gel arrived in the post – so I was able to top up the result whenever I felt the need (I will aim to brighten my teeth every couple of months). Despite some sensitivity in the days that followed, it is definitely a treatment I will be recommending to my friends.
Price: Starting at £395.
Location: Pearlys Teeth Whitening at Urban Retreat, Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7XL. 0207 8938333. http://harrods.urbanretreat.co.uk. For more details about Pearlys, visit www.pearlys.co.uk/
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