White

When I was 11, my best friend and I would examine how many teeth each person showed when they smiled. We made the executive decision that to have a beautiful smile, one must have at least 10 teeth showing. Unfortunately, I was stuck at 8, and I spent the summer manipulating my smile so I would show more teeth. This led to a rather painful looking grimace that is present in all my photos from Summer 2004. I soon learned that a genuine smile is a million times more beautiful than a forced one, no matter how many teeth you're showing! 

Although I can't change the number of teeth, I do have control over the whiteness of my smile. Crest Whitestrips has been my buddy for 3 years, and not only is it cheaper than professional whitening, it is just as effective--if not more.

Examine the creepy cropped photos of my teeth below, and you can see Crest Whitestrips really work! 

Thank you Crest Whitestrips

I order from Amazon and use this exact box: Crest Whitestrips Supreme Professional Strength. If you are a first timer, you will see VERY noticeable differences in shade by day 5. I use them on and off, mostly because of laziness. I've found that after around 12 days of no use, teeth start to look a little less white (especially if you drink a lot of Coke or coffee). When I bought my first pack, I used one pair of strips a day for 20 days. I was extremely satisfied with the results and stopped using them for a couple months. My teeth returned to a not so brilliant color, and I figured I would start back on the strips. I used them 5 days in a row, and my teeth were back to sparkling white.

To maintain, I find it most effective if you use a pair of strips at least once every week and a half. Not a huge difference if you go longer, but if you notice your teeth getting yellow it's a good idea to use again. I don't think it's necessary to constantly use them, especially if you are satisfied with your shade. Overuse isn't good for your enamel in the long run, so you definitely don't want to overdo it.

And just for fun.....

Count the teeth: 12! Holy moly, Julia Roberts you win