New Year, New Smile With Smile Briliant

Disclosure:  This post is sponsored by Smile Brilliant.  I received a free professional tooth whitening tray creation kit.  However, all opinions expressed are 100% my own and do not necessarily reflect those of the brand.

One of my personal goals for this year that I got a jumpstart on last year was improving my self-care.   After all with the many hats I wear, it's easy to for self-neglect to set in. But alas, 2015 will be the year that I kick self-neglect to curb.  I mentioned to y'all that I was taking the plunge and trying out a teeth whitening tray creation kit from the awesome folks over at Smil Brilliant. (See post here).  And so far I don't have any complaints.

Creating My Whitening Trays

Lets talk about the process of getting my trays created first.  The first thing you want to do is floss and brush your teeth. So, in the kit pictured above you will notice there are six containers of paste- 3 white and 3 blue- plus two blue teeth trays that kind of resemble mouth guards.  You mix one container of the blue paste with the white paste and place it into one of the trays.  Now, you will want to be fast about mixing the paste because you don't want it to harden before you've made your imprints.  You'll have about 30 seconds to work with.

Once the paste is mixed well, place it into one of the trays and insert the tray onto either your upper or lower teeth.  DO NOT bite down on the tray or wiggle it.  Instead you will use your fingers to help press the tray and putty into your teeth. You'll want to hold the tray against your teeth for at least 2 minutes, then gently remove it and repeat the process from start to finish with your second tray.  Now I wasn't too gentle with removing the first tray from uppers and ended up having to use the spare containers paste to recreate it.

I did allow my trays to sit out overnight.  The next morning, I placed them in the prepaid envelope that comes with each kit and dropped it off in the mail. (Don't forget to place the information card that comes with the kit into the envelope as well.)  A few days later, I received email notification that my imprints had been received and were on their way to being made into whitening trays.  It didn't take long for the trays to ship back to me and I was ready to start my teeth whitening process.  

Check out the picture below of the plaster of my teeth they created using the imprint trays to create my whitening trays.  Pretty cool right?!  I may or may not have used these to play a prank on the kids.  Afterwards, Moo thought they were cool and asked if she could get a pair made.  Check out this article, Dental Impression Pointers, for more information and pictures on creating your imprints.

Whitening My Teeth

So, once I received my trays back the process of actually whitening my teeth was pretty simple.  Again, you want to make sure that you brush and floss beforehand.  It'll also help if you use a toothpaste that is designed for sensitive teeth because some people can experience some sensitivity when it comes to using teeth whitening products in general.  After teeth are brushed you can then squeeze a thin layer of the teeth whitening gel onto the front inner surface of your trays. 

More is not going to be best in this case.  So, please make sure you don't squeeze a lot into your trays.  You'll end up doing more harm than good.  Instructions do come with the kit and they do have a picture that shows you how much you should use if need a visual.  Then, you just insert your trays and carrying on about your business.  Trays should stay in for at least 15 minutes, but can be left for up to 3 hours at the MAXIMUM.  Again, longer session times will only do more harm than good to your teeth.

Once, you're ready to remove your trays, take them out, spit out any remaining gel and rinse both your mouth and trays thoroughly with water.  For the next step, you'll need your teeth to be as dry as possible.  I opted for sweeping mine with a cotton ball after I rinsed.  You'll then move on the phrase two which is applying the desensitizing gel.  This gel will help to protect your whiter smile that you have just worked hard to achieve.  (Ok, so we didn't work that hard, but you get the point).  It will also help strengthen your enamel and reduce your tooth sensitivity. 

Things To Keep In Mind

• More or longer is not better.  Follow the instructions to the letter when creating your molds and using the actual whitening system
• Be realistic in your teeth whitening results expectations.  As I mentioned in my first post, teeth whitening products are designed to get you close to your original tooth color.  If you didn't have perfectly white teeth as child, don't use this product with the expectation that they will get perfectly white.  Also, if you smoke, drink coffee or eat foods that stain, these all factor into how white your teeth will get as well.  Be sure to read Teeth Whitening Expectations for more info.
• Keep your trays clean.  Remember these go in your mouth. You don't want to pick up a ton of germs.  Rinse them after each use and make sure they dry before you store them back into your case.
• Keep gels and trays out of reach of children.  I know this is a no-brainer, but still... Don't leave these hanging around your bathroom counter because little fingers get into everything!
• Spread the word!  Chances are you're not the only one who's looking for a great teeth whitening system.  So, why not spread the word about Smile Brilliant if you like it?  I did!

My Results

I was thrilled to be able to see some results after my first use.  During my first treatment, I did experience brief discomfort for about 10 minutes (I timed it) and then it went away.  In my personal opinion, I think the discomfort came from my teeth and gums getting used to the tray because I only felt discomfort on two of my upper front teeth.  Even then it was more in the gum area between the teeth.

BEFORE

AFTER

With Lamp Light

\

With Natural Light

Smile Brilliant works folks!!  As you will see from the photos above, my teeth whitened a noticeable amount and are definitely pretty close to how naturally white my teeth were when I was a kid.

Thanks to Smile Brilliant, one of you awesome readers will get the chance to try out your own whitening kit.  They are offering a prize of a $139.95 gift card to their store.  However, you can order whatever you like.  So, maybe you already have the kit, but need to buy more of the whitening gel, you can totally use your $139.95 for that.  Please keep in mind that if you go over your $139.95 store gift card, you will be responsible for paying the difference.  Common sense I, but better safe than sorry. Head on over to this giveaway link to enter!  Giveaway ends February 10th.

I'm very impressed with my results and how easy the entire process has been.  Having a whiter and brighter smile has given me more confidence.  I'm not quite as self-conscious now taking pictures of myself and it is my hope that if any you of decide to give the teeth whitening creation kit a try that it will do the same for you!

Keep Smiling!