Two things happened after I hit 40: My already poor eyesight took a turn for the worse and my pearly whites took a dive for the dingy.

Last year, I faced the former by getting several new pairs of glasses with a stronger prescription. This year, I became increasingly bothered by the latter. After decades of Diet Coke, red wine and coffee, my teeth were shot — stained, yellowed and dingy.

I remembered how thrilled I was when I got my braces off in seventh grade. I marveled at how smooth and white my teeth were. I was a dental hygiene fanatic, brushing and flossing multiple times a day. While I remained a dedicated brusher and flosser, the enamel was no match for the staining agents of coffee and cola.

Not long ago, I ran into Dr. Doug Booth, a general, family, cosmetic and implant dentist whom I had interviewed for a story in 2002 when I was still at WAAY-TV. He reminded me about Zoom!, a technology that produces whiter, brighter teeth in about an hour. I was intrigued, but not ready to commit. A few weeks later, after I saw my dingy teeth on our Christmas photo, I was ready for action.

Pictures don’t lie.

Zoom!, by Philips Oral Healthcare, is reportedly the number one patient-requested whitening option, and it is only available through dental professionals. There is a special contraption that goes inside your mouth to protect your tongue and mouth from the UV rays used to activate the peroxide-based whitening gel that goes on your teeth.

Patients typically go through three to four cycles under the special light. After each one, the old gel is cleaned off and fresh product is reapplied.

This photo shows my dingy, stained teeth before the Zoom! treatment.

This photo shows my whiter, brighter teeth after the Zoom! treatment.

The whitening part took just over an hour. If you have sensitive teeth like I do, you will find some discomfort in those areas. I have pretty significant recession on my lower gums. While I didn’t feel much during my Zoom! treatment, I was hurting at bedtime and needed to take something to relieve the pain.

My teeth got brighter after a Zoom! treatment from Dr. Doug Booth at the Cosmetic Dental Center.

But it was worth it. When I looked at my teeth following the procedure, I was ecstatic.  I could almost see the animated sparkles dancing on my teeth. Dental assistant and hygienist Jackie Sanford shared my excitement, no doubt thinking, “Another happy patient.”

At $499, it’s more expensive than at-home whitening treatments, but there’s a huge value in convenience and time saved, not to mention effectiveness. Plus, it was relaxing. I dozed off several times after Jackie stuck a comfy pillow under my neck.

Not only will this be a merry Christmas, it will be a white Christmas, for me at least, whether or not we get snow in Huntsville.

A huge thanks to Dr. Booth, Jackie and the entire team at Cosmetic Dental Center of Huntsville. It was just the lift I needed to brighten my spirits — and my smile.

Dr. Booth can be reached at 256-533-4770. The Cosmetic Dental Center is located at 2410 L&N Drive, just north of Parkway Place Mall. Besides Zoom!, Dr. Booth provides a wide array dental services, and even offers in-house crowns. Click here to see for yourself!