There are things that stand up well to the test of time. The Grand Canyon, a well-built house, or your grandmother's recipe for Million Dollar Pie. Then there are things that the effect of time can be hard on, like fashionable wardrobes that pass with the season or your smile. Or your teeth! Pretty, white teeth are something that one just can't take for granted - over the years, daily factors like the food and drinks we consume can have a negative affect, and even with proper oral care, the results can be brutal! After almost 20 years of drinking soda, tea and coffee, and a nasty habit of smoking, my teeth weren't so pearly white...I found that as I've grown older, I show my teeth less often when I smile. Between small chips in my front teeth due to grinding and the gradual yellowing of my enamel, I just wasn't confident in my smile anymore!

On a recent trip, a friend snapped a pic of me where I was smiling naturally - she kind of caught me off guard and I didn't have time to think "I need to close my mouth!" - and I loved the photo...except for how yellow my teeth were. I decided that with everything going on in my life lately, it's time to make a change and let that natural smile shine through - only, I'm going to whiten it up!

Thanks to the Crest 3D White Brilliance Toothpaste System, it's not as difficult to do as it once was!

5 Tips To a Whiter Smile

Rinse your mouth. Most people advise staying away from coffee, wine or dark soda's but honestly, life is just too short to give up my favorite things. Rinsing your mouth after every meal can go a long way toward removing the sugars and acids that cause residue, staining and tooth decay.

Swap out your toothbrush regularly. Gettng a better clean and thus a whiter smile can be as simple as swapping out your toothbrush. It's recommended that you replace your toothbrush every three months - or sooner if you notice that your bristles are becoming bent or worn down.

Eat raw fruits and veggies. Not only are these great for your health, they're also great for the health of your teeth. Eating fruits, vegetables, and other crunchy foods help keep your teeth clean by removing surface stains and plaque that lead to cavities.

Rinse with apple cider vinegar. While it isn’t as effective as a teeth whitening system, it is a natural and organic way to maintain a healthy smile. It can be a great way to whiten along with a whitening system. Use two parts water and one part apple cider vinegar, and then swish for about 1 minute.

Use the Crest 3D White Brilliance Toothpaste System. I was recently challenged to use Crest 3D White Brilliance Toothpaste System twice daily for five days.

It's a two step system for a brighter, whiter smile. With this system, you can get a polished smile every day with whitening technologies so advanced they can’t be combined into a single tube! It's a pretty simple system, you just brush for one minute with the Deep Cleaning Toothpaste, then spit - do not rinse your mouth out - and then brush for an additional minute with the Whitening Finisher.

It's been shown that brushing with Crest 3D White Brilliance Toothpaste System twice daily keeps your smile up to 99% as white as a professional polish with daily use! (With a stain assessed 4 weeks after dental cleaning.)

It's too easy NOT to do it! So brighten your teeth and show off that toothy grin!