Despite being a diligent, dental hygiene obsessive, my decades long coffee habit has left my teeth less than pearly white. This is dishearteningly more obvious when I wear my favourite shade of nude lipstick.
I’ve used every kind of whitening toothpaste under the sun and invested in the best electronic toothbrushes. Not to mention, I’ve also dabbled in whitening strips, though I’ve never been able to complete the seven-day course due to the shooting pains they cause in my teeth. Nice.
Enter Dr. Michael Apa to save the day. This aesthetic dentist with a debonair charm splits his time between New York and Dubai and counts Hollywood A-listers, fashion designers and members of the Dubai royal family as patients and close friends.
Apa has finally launched his uber chic line of cosmetic dental products in the Middle East. Far from being your standard, lacklustre teeth maintenance products, this line brings dental care in to the beauty conversation. It includes a whitening pen/whitening strips combo, lip exfoliators, tooth gloss, and a blue-tinted lip-gloss, all in “ready to be gifted” sleek, white and gold boxes.
The White Duo (US $150) is an at-home kit that includes a brightening pen and ten whitening films that are designed to be used together for five consecutive days to obtain the best results. Whilst traditional whitening strips contain hydrogen peroxide as an active ingredient (which is what causes the sensitivity and pain), this range uses carbamide peroxide– equally as effective, yet far gentler on enamel and gums. First, I painted my teeth with the brightening gel and then applied the whitening strip over the top to lock the whitening agents in place and left the films on for the recommended 90 minutes. The films fit snugly on the teeth and are actually quite subtle, making them an ideal option for when you need to whiten-on-the-go.
The results were pleasantly surprising; I didn’t feel any sensitivity or tingling and my teeth were visibly brighter after the first application. Since completing all five sessions, I’ve had people ask me where I’ve had my teeth whitened. This is definitely a treatment that I would recommend adding to your beauty routine once or twice a year to maintain a sparkling smile.
