Tech

I tried the 'Uber of teeth whitening' and a dentist bleached my teeth in my living room — here's what it was like

Madison Malone Kircher

2015-08-27T20:14:00Z

uber teeth — Dr. Novison analyzing the color of my teeth after the treatment. Madison Malone Kircher/Tech Insider

I normally use my living room almost exclusively for watching Netflix and eating takeout.

But this week, it was turned into a dentist's office thanks to the Manhattan Whitening Company, an on-demand teeth whitening service.

Founded by Dr. Eric Novison, the Manhattan Whitening Company offers same treatment you could get at a traditional dentist's office. MWC's $600 per treatment price tag is comparable too, Dr. Novison told Tech Insider.

The company launched in July, and its client list includes stars like Aviva Drescher and Jill Zarin from "The Real Housewives of New York City."

If you're in the New York City area, you can order up a treatment on the MWC website and Dr. Novison or one of his associates will whiten your teeth anywhere that is convenient for you, even a living room in a tiny New York apartment.

Keep reading to find out what it's like to have your teeth whitened using MWC's on-demand service.

Meet Dr. Eric Novison, the founder of the Manhattan Whitening Company. Here he is unpacking his equipment after arriving in my apartment.

Dr. Novison brought the same tools and equipment you might have seen in your dentist's office.

He even brought a reclining chair, complete with an iPod and speakers so I could play D.J. during my treatment.

I made sure to ask all my questions before the procedure. It's a little hard to talk with a mouth full of dental equipment.

For reference, here's what my teeth looked like before the whitening treatment. The whole process took a little over an hour to complete.

First, Dr. Novison had me put on a stylish bib. Then he applied a layer of lip balm to my lips to avoid chafing from the equipment during the procedure.

Next, he inserted a plastic mouth expander to make it easier to see my teeth. It was a little uncomfortable at first, but I got used to it after a few minutes.

MWC's process can whiten your teeth up to five shades and lasts about a year, he said. Here, Dr. Novison used model teeth to show me the kinds of results I could expect to see.

Next, Dr. Novison applied a liquid resin to my gums so they would be protected during the whitening process.

He had me wear orange goggles to protect my eyes while he used a light to harden the resin, creating a temporary, plastic gum-guard in my mouth.

Here's what the resin looked like after it hardened on my top gums. See how my upper gums are white, but the lower ones are still pink?

Once Dr. Novison repeated the process on my lowers gums, I was ready to start the whitening process.

Dr. Novison applied a highly-concentrated hydrogen peroxide gel to lighten the color of my teeth.

Then he inserted a UV lighted mouthpiece into my mouth to activate the gel. As the gel heats up under the light, it breaks down stains on your teeth, Dr. Novison explained.

The gel and light process is repeated four times. Each process lasted about eight minutes. I was worried that it might hurt, but other than growing impatient, the process didn't cause me any real discomfort.

We even had time to take a selfie.

As my treatment finished, Dr. Novison explained that I should avoid dark foods and drinks for the next 24 to 48 hours. He also gave me a set of teeth whitening trays to use as a touch up over the next few months.

After the four light processes were completed, Dr. Novison wiped the remaining gel from my teeth and removed the resin from my gums. I was eager to see if my teeth looked any different.

In case you've forgotten, here's what my teeth looked like before the treatment.

And here's what they looked like after. While it it wasn't a drastic change, I definitely think my teeth look a little whiter.

Here's a side by side comparison.

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