Feb 25, 2011

Something to Smile About

When I used to think of teeth whitening, I always imagined a complicated, painful and sloppy process – a mouth full of chemicals and peroxide, a plastic tray that shreds your cheeks and gums, exposure to funky gamma rays and results that made you question your investment. But a few Saturdays ago, SeoulStyle.com’s Creative Director, Kelly, and I braved the Apgujeong crowds and made our way to HusHu clinic for a consultation and a full-blown whitening. Kelly’s vice – coffee; mine – red wine. The effects of drinks such as coffee, black tea and red wine on the teeth are harsh (and let’s not forget cigarettes, which, thankfully neither of us smoke). While Kelly’s teeth were far from brown, there was evidence of staining. My teeth, on the other hand, have had the benefit of regular cleaning and scaling through my three-year journey through orthodontia in Korea. Regardless, they had a strange tinge to them that no doubt was the result of my love for the grape.
Upon walking in the door of HusHu, we were struck by the spaciousness of the place and the lack of a “clinical” feeling to it. Small café-style tables fill the room along with a few computers (free wifi), a pair of sofas, TV and a kitchen. The friendly staff at the front desk gave us clipboards with a basic information sheet to fill out and summoned Ellen Choi, HusHu’s marketing liason to talk to us. After a brief wait, we were led into Dr. Im Hyunggu’s office for a consultation. Im, 31, appears to be about 18 years old and has an easy-going (perfect) smile. He answers our questions with ease in perfect English and tells me his qualifications after I ask him his age. He’s been in the field for six years and practices general dentistry, cosmetic dentistry and also does implants. The HusHu book was presented to us explaining in easy terms what we were getting this day. We opted for the in-house whitening. This is a process that makes your teeth about two shades whiter, all in about 90 minutes or so, depending on your need for cleaning, scaling, etc. After the consult, Kelly and I were led to separate rooms and prepped for our 20 minutes under the blue light. Other processes available include Brite Smile and Zoom. Both of these require three sessions under the lamp and Zoom involves the use of UV light as well as blue light, requiring the patient to wear sunblock around the lips and mouth. These two choices are more expensive, but are the perfect choice for someone about to have wedding photos taken or getting ready to go to their high school reunion. The end result of these is closer to six shades whiter. For most people who brush regularly, that would be “Hollywood White.” This takes about 3 hours including consultation, cleaning, etc. The in-house whitening is ideal for someone who is too busy to spend all day in a dentist’s office – even one as comfortable as HusHu. This can be done during an extended lunch hour or on a Saturday afternoon. The process is painless and if you bring your iPod you might end up falling asleep (like me). The lightactivated gel is placed on the teeth, your eyes are covered (or you get cool shades like Kelly had) and on goes the blue light. The only potential side effect I was warned of was tooth sensitivity that might last for a few hours. Luckily, neither Kelly nor I had any problems to speak of. After it was over, Dr. Im showed me the before and after teeth colors, using a color chart consisting of about 16 or so little teeth in varying degrees of whiteness (or yellowness). I was blown away by the difference. I am not one who spends much time looking in the mirror, but I had a hard time putting it down this time. For 400,000 won, I find it worth the investment. Ten teeth on the top and 10 on the bottom were whiter than I could remember them being in 20 years. If you want the Hollywood-white, the price is around 800,000 won for Zoom and Brite Smile and you can maintain that look by going in for follow-up visits every six months or so for 150,000 won. When we left the office, we looked like two people who had hit the jackpot – our smiles were wide again and we both had that self-esteem boost that comes from treating yourself to something really nice (and completely selfish).
See you in a few months, Grace and Dr. Im.


Call Jeeyoung Kim or Sangwon Lee to set up an appointment or a consultation for
Hus'hu skin or dental at 02-519-8013, 8027
Email: international@hus-hu.com
Web: english.hus-hu.com
Hus'Hu Apgujeong clinic is located outside of exit 3 of Apgujeong Station,
on the third floor above Café Pascucci. 02-519-8013 call for more detail infomrations!!!
by Tracey Stark, Groove Korea Advertorial-May

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