How I Whiten My Teeth and Keep Them That Way

Ever since I was a teenager—maybe younger—I've been whitening my teeth in some way, shape, or form. I've tried every home remedy in the book, and I've probably tried every inexpensive option out there. I know the feeling of burned gums from too much whitening gel in the dental teeth trays, and I've also tasted plenty of peroxide rinses. I've done it all! 
Thankfully I've never done anything to really damage my teeth, and I think I can speak with authority on products that work. So how do I whiten my teeth these days? I've got three tips/methods that have really made a difference for my teeth, and I attribute my smile to them.  1. LED light treatment at my dentist's office. Last spring my dentist's office was running a special on whitening treatments, so for Mother's Day I tried it out. It was around $100 on sale, and it took at least 1.5 hours. I expected to relax for those two hours, but it wasn't exactly that comfortable.  The basics are that the dental assistant painted a solution on my teeth and then attached a light to my mouth to set it. Then 30 minutes later, she painted it on again and put the light back on. It was much less comfortable than I expected (they hold your gums and mouth open the whole time), and my teeth did feel sensitive by the end of it. Thankfully I was able to watch TV throughout, but it definitely wasn't a trip to the spa or anything.  I didn't see a huge difference immediately, but my teeth continued to whiten over the next few hours. I do think it made a long-lasting change in my teeth color, and I've just had to maintain them since then. 2. 3D White Crest Whitestrips. This is my go-to quick fix for my teeth. I love the difference that one set of these makes within 30 minutes. I use them every few weeks, and they are my favorite thing I've found. They aren't too gooey, they don't taste terrible, and they stay on really well. I usually buy mine at Sam's Club or Amazon.  3. 3D Crest White Luxe mouthwash. Sometimes I worry that the strips are only getting my front teeth white, so I will also use this mouthwash to make sure the rest of my teeth are keeping up with them. There are other whitening mouthwashes out there, but apparently I'm loyal to Crest. ;) And that's about it. Those are the products I use. As far as other habits:

• I don't drink coffee and I don't drink soda very often, but I do drink Crystal Light daily. I try to use a straw whenever I can to minimize how much red liquid gets on my teeth. 
• I also "try" to keep up with regular brushing and flossing.
• AND I've found that using a self-tanner on your face can give the illusion of whiter teeth.
  PS: Whiter teeth also make you look more tan, so the two work together really well!

I hope that answers all of your teeth whitening questions! This isn't sponsored, but you can click affiliate links below to snag any of the products I've shared.