Toorak Archives - One Piece Left

This post is not the write up you would be generally used to as we normally shower you with food photos and share our culinary adventures. But recently I was invited by Smiles of Melbourne to experience an in-chair teeth whitening session and so I thought I would share my experience with you. All that eating and drinking can take a toll on our teeth and so I decided to check it out!

I’ve never done teeth whitening before so was quite curious to how it would work. Upon entering the Smiles of Melbourne clinic in Toorak, I was warmly greeted at reception and asked to fill out a form with my personal details on an iPad. I was also given a bottle of water with my name on it. Cool! Not long after, I was greeted by their principle dentist, Dr Georgy who took me into their treatment room.

Dr Georgy was quiet spoken, polite and very thorough when he talked me through the process. He was very patient with my questions and went through a list of things to ensure I understood the treatment. Then I sat back in the chair and a plastic apparatus was placed in my mouth to keep my front teeth exposed. They ensure to cover everything else such as my lips, gums, cheeks etc. and even placed some Vaseline on my lips to keep them from getting dry and chapped. They then put this gel on my teeth and place a light over it for two sets of 15 minutes.

I learnt that the whitening works by opening up the pores in the teeth and then it breaks down and takes out the stains on the teeth. So surprisingly it doesn’t artificially whiten or leave anything behind on the teeth or damage the enamel. For half an hour I pretty much lay there and had a bit of a nap. Someone came in every few minutes to check up on me and make sure I was fine. Before I knew it, the treatment was done. I was asked to rinse my mouth with water and was pre-warned that my teeth might feel quite dry at the start but that it would eventually go back to normal. For me personally, my teeth didn’t stay dry for very long at all and after a few hours it felt normal again.

When I first looked at them in the mirror I noticed some white patches on some of my teeth but was told that they would eventually disappear. They were right because about 24 hours after the treatment I could see they looked whiter and the patches were gone. I was also pleased that it didn’t look too artificially white and it looked very natural. I’m not sure if it’s quite clear in the photos but I’ve taken a before and after photo of my teeth (please excuse my natural crooked smile!).

What I also noticed was that it was quite visibly whiter after the 24 hours. It was hard for me to tell straight after the treatment and the photos probably don’t show it as well but Davin noticed it straight away when he saw me. They also explained that the whitening can last from about 6 – 12 months but of course it’s all about how much you look after your teeth, i.e. brushing it regularly and avoiding dark liquids such as coffee, tea and red wine particularly in the first 4 days after treatment.

I also got an email and a couple of follow up calls following my treatment to make sure everything was okay. I thought the whole experience and process went very smoothly. I felt really comfortable and their focus on customer service really shows with the thorough consultation and regular follow ups. I would certainly consider coming back if I ever want to have my teeth whitened again particularly for a special event.

Smiles of Melbourne
Address: 2/44 Ross St, Toorak VIC 3142
Phone: +61 3 9852 4561
Website: smilesofmelbourne.com.au

It was one of those weekends again where we thought we would go check out a new cafe in Toorak however it happened to be closed on that day so we walked along Toorak Rd and came across the Stocked Food Store. The delicious and healthy looking salads in their window certainly got our attention and so we walked right in without hesitation!

The place was buzzing! It is not a huge space so when you walk in, it is quite narrow, particularly as there are generally lots of people coming in and getting takeaway. On one side there is the deli which serves up a variety of gourmet cheeses, meats, dips, salads, soups and other pre-made meals on display which you can take home such as fish pies, quiches, lasagnes, salmon patties, meatballs, cauliflower cheese – the variety feels endless! All their food is freshly made in their store and there is an abundance of healthy dishes. On the other side, shelving covers the whole wall and is filled with jars of other goodies, crackers and all other packaged items.

Right at the end of the narrow store is just one communal table in which you can eat in. We’ve done this twice now and have always managed to get a couple of seats as most people pop in to buy takeaway and leave. On this occasion Davin ordered the salmon with a broccoli and green bean salad and I ordered the salmon pattie with a salad to eat in. Both dishes were delicious and were quite generous portions! I’ve also had their quiche and potato salad which was good too.

Because the food was so good we then decided to get some takeaway for dinner so we got the chicken and vegetable soup, a fish pie which was made with fresh prawns, salmon and rockling, the cauliflower cheese, one of their gourmet salads, some cold meats and this beautiful hard cheese washed in a balsamic vinegar. I also got a lemon tart – yes they do dessert and have a range of options too! The food was divine! It made having dinner at home just as good (if not, even better in some cases) as dining out. In fact all we could think about after the lunch was having dinner at home! If the store was closer to home we would definitely be popping in more often to grab food on our lazy days. You could even host a dinner party easily by ordering their pre-made dishes. Prices are more on the expensive end however you are paying for quality and fresh produce.

Highly recommend if you’re in the area to check out this food store. We’ll definitely be back!