Editor-Tested: Microdentabrasion

Microdermabrasion packs major anti-aging benefits for your skin, so does microdentabrasion do the same for your teeth? The technique, which takes 15 to 20 minutes from start to finish, is an intense polishing method for removing below-the-surface stains your toothbrush can't quite reach. We sent InStyle.com Assistant Beauty Editor Marianne Mychaskiw to Dr. Lana Rozenberg's New York City office to try out the treatment, and report back on the results. Read on to find out what happened!

I'm kind of a serial coffee-drinker. Every morning, Associate Photo Editor Sarah Balch and I have this daily coffee-run ritual, and it's gotten to the point that, regardless where we go, the baristas remember our orders to a T. I knew my go-to joe was probably staining my teeth, but as long as I had my Sonicare toothbrush and broke out the Pearl whitening device every now and then, I thought I was in the clear.

Wrong. Things like tea, coffee, and red wine (a.k.a. all things that I love in excess) stain layers underneath the surface of your teeth, so even though the top level is white, the layers underneath can cause them to look somewhat dingy. All of this, and the fact that I hadn't had a proper cleaning at the dentist in a while made the microdentabrasion technique especially attractive.

So what is it? Basically, microdentabrasion is a fancy word for tooth polishing. At Dr. Lana Rozenberg's New York City office, a mixture of baking soda, Diamond Paste, and water is blasted at a high speed through a prophy-jet tool onto your teeth to remove stains hiding underneath the surface. Though it doesn't substitute for a regular cleaning, it's an alternative to the Crest Whitestrip that won't leave your teeth sensitive. "There's no downtime, and since it's not invasive, there isn't a limit on how often you can get it done," Dr. Rozenberg explained to me.

Unlike the Gummi peach rings currently stashed in my desk, I'm not going to sugar-coat this: the process was pretty intense. Between the baking soda mixture and water flying everywhere, things got a little messy, and my overly-sensitive gag reflex had me tearing up and streaking many Lauren Conrad mascara runs down the sides of my face. Was it worth it? Absolutely. The entire process took 20 minutes, and I can't remember the last time my teeth looked so white. I'd definitely get Microdentabraision again, but next time around, remind me to wear waterproof mascara.

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