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How many Kenyans brush their teeth twice a day, floss daily or care to limit sugary or starchy foods? Your bet is as good as mine; very few.
Oral hygiene is key to a healthy lifestyle but certainly not a priority in many homes where priority is looking for bread and butter.
But experts warn that people who care less about their oral hygiene pay dearly to regain a bright smile.
For those already ‘affected’, a visit to Amazing Smile in Kilimani is guaranteed to bring back your smile, but at a cost of Sh8,000 per session.
According to Lisa Mutheu, the proprietor of Amazing Smiles, their core business is whitening teeth and they can do it up to three shades brighter.
The graduate of Business Information Systems from Intel University in Westlands adds that, “I toyed with the idea since November of 2014, but opened doors to hopeful clients in January this year. A friend sold the idea and business to me when she adopted a baby and needed more flexibility with her time.”
Speaking to CityBiz, Mutheu said the whitening machine and a few other equipment cost her Sh1.4 million. But she is not scared one bit of failing because this is Kenya, the place where nothing fails. “This is the home of Yego and M-Pesa, innovation and new ideas will always have a home here,” she said.
Mutheu, who is not a dentist and does not purport to be one, claims dentists in Europe and America use the new technology to give their clients faster, cheaper and more comfortable options.
The equipment she uses is a non-peroxide dental tray containing an enamel cleaning, patent-pending gel. When this gel is activated using BT Cool L E D ADVANCED light, it oxidises and comes off with the extrinsic stains on your teeth.
“There is no abrasion, no pain, no sensitivity and no peroxide involved with this product. It is comfortable,” she said.
What happens? You book your appointment through their Facebook page ‘Amazing Smile Kenya’. Ensure you’ve eaten about an hour before so you don’t get hungry for the next hour. You get hooked up to the equipment and it would be over in 20 to 40 minutes.
Mutheu feels that although whitening toothpaste is great, most staining occurs over an extended period of time.
“Toothpaste may not be enough to get to food, tea, coffee, smoke, wine and other food-colouring stains,” she said.
“This is just another innovation to make life simpler. It’s like a facial for your teeth - you don’t need it all the time, but it definitely helps,” added Mutheu.
Despite it taking time to pick up, Mutheu is sure that her services will attract customers.
“Like I said, Kenyans are quite chap chap and this is a great innovation,” she added.
