Teeth Whitening – Just Another Commercially Created Assault?

I’ve had this kicking around in my head for a while, and realized that the Feministing community is pretty damn good at dissecting societal expectations of how we look. My question is, what in the world is up with the obsession with teeth whitening?
It seems like a while ago, the only place you’d have your teeth whitened was at the dentist’s office for a hefty sum. Over the last handful of years, suddenly I feel like I can’t get away from teeth whitening products – whitening toothpastes, trays, sticky strips.
I find myself falling prey to it – I stare at my teeth in the mirror and wonder if they’re gross and yellow, despite the fact that I brush twice a day and always floss in the mornings and visit the dentist regularly. Why am I feeling this way? Would it even cross my mind if it weren’t for the fact that the products now exist at the drugstore? Did this market exist prior to these products, or did the products create the market?
And I’ve been trying to keep an eye out – has anyone seen commercials or ads for these products that feature men? Since I started keeping tally, they’ve all featured women.
Several times, I’ve researched the prices and customer feedback of all the whitening strips, but I can never bring myself to actually spend the money since in the end, it seems so frivolous and unnecessary. Any thoughts?

Disclaimer: This post was written by a Feministing Community user and does not necessarily reflect the views of any Feministing columnist, editor, or executive director.

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