A Whiter Wedding Smile

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, Colgate-Palmolive. All opinions are mine alone. #OpticSmiles #CollectiveBias.

As of today, our wedding is 38 days away. That's only 38 days to write out the rest of the menus, place cards, and seating chart. That's 38 days to submit final payments, go to my final dress alteration, make sure the flowers flowers flowers are all ordered, and come up with ceremony readings and vows and a schedule for the entire destination affair. That's also 38 days to look my best. And while I haven't been focused much on my body (my dress fits me like a glove, so I'm not messing with weird diets), I have been very concerned about my teeth.

I have never had a brilliant, white smile. My teeth were straight enough as a kid to not require $4,000 worth of orthodontia in the form of braces and retainers and I've always been pretty satisfied with them. But over time (15+ years of coffee drinking and about 5 years of wine-loving) they've lost their white luster. I've been offered whitening services, gels, trays, and tried every manner of whitening toothpaste, but my teeth are extremely sensitive and those were all too painful for me to use. Recently, I resigned myself to less-than-bright teeth and have been fretting about wedding photos (they're forever!). 

And then I had to chance to try Colgate® Optic White® Express White Toothpaste, a whitening toothpaste boasting a three-days-to-whiter-teeth claim just by brushing. Low effort is really up my alley these days and being able to just add a new toothpaste to my toothbrush is about the maximum commitment I can handle on top of everything else. This toothpaste has two times the recommended whitening ingredient and is faster acting than most whitening toothpastes (which, quite frankly, I've never seen results from). 

I've actually already seen results after using the toothpaste for only four days* (I brush two to three times a day for two minutes per brushing). And I still have 38 days to use it, to continue to whiten my teeth, and to gain some confidence about my smile for the wedding photos. Surprisingly, I also haven't felt the extreme sensitivity I have before and am looking forward to continuing to use this toothpaste, pain free. I've always looked longingly at actors with their shiny veneers that create big, straight teeth and felt like I should closed-mouth smile more often. But I think I may finally be on my way to brighter teeth and a happier open-mouthed grin!

Have you tried any whitening toothpastes before big events? Any success, tips, or tricks?

I picked up my toothpaste at Walmart this past weekend. Be sure to stop by a participating Walmart near you on 2/28 to see a demo and get a $1 off coupon for the Express White toothpaste!

*For best results, use as directed for 4 weeks