Do teeth-whitening treatments actually work?
Each week, Sunday Lifes beauty director Stephanie Darling roadtests a different makeup or skincare trend to find out whether its worth your time. Ahead, teeth-whitening. As a precaution, its a good idea to take some painkillers an hour before you begin this treatment. Credit:iStock  Coffee and red wine have turned my teeth a shade of grey, so its off to the dentist for teeth-whitening. The lowdown I am with my oral hygienist, Christine, to embark on a Zoom session to get my teeth back to peak whiteness with a Philips Zoom WhiteSpeed treatment. This entails using a high-octane brightening gel and LED technology. The treatment is broken up into four 15-minute slots, interspersed with the application of fresh gel after each light dose. Christine places a dental guard into my mouth to jack it open, as well as gum protectors, and dries my teeth with a shot of air before applying the whitening gel to my exposed teeth. Next, she attaches the LED fitting to the dental guard and away we go. Pain factor Im one of the lucky ones who doesnt experience shooters  sharp nerve pain due to increased sensitivity. As a precaution, its a good idea to take some painkillers an hour before you begin this treatment.