First of all – isn’t it crazy how white legs can get when it’s cold outside? I miss being tan already! Though I don’t miss shaving everyday! Guess that’s the only bonus! Ha! Now if only my teeth were as white as my legs…Success! I’ve figured out how to make that happen! How do you like my transition? Haha! 😉 Ok – I’ve got a good share for you today – plus a giveaway and coupon code by my after pics below (which I know you want to see)! My share today will give you a dazzling smile for the holidays, Winter wedding, anniversary, or whatever you have coming up that you want to look extra special for!
It’s no secret that I love coffee. It’s how I start my day. It’s what gives me that pick-me-up so I can keep up with my littles in the early morning. Many of my Instagram posts include coffee, because my life requires caffein! If only I could bottle my kids energy and use that instead! lol! Oh well…I digress. Back to my teeth! Coffee does not help my teeth stay white, so I have made it a point to try various whitening techniques. Whiter teeth makes me feel more confident! It makes me want to smile bigger and take on the day! It makes me feel more put together!
So many times in the past, I was disappointed when I looked a photos and saw that my smile was stained and not as white as I wanted it to be. They could have been worse, but I wasn’t happy with the color. I knew that I wanted a whiter smile, but I didn’t want to damage my teeth, and I didn’t have the money to spend on professional whitening at a dental office! Keep scrolling for my before pics which show my love for coffee and my effort to curb the stains.
To date, I’ve tried whitening toothpaste, whitening strips, teeth whitening charcoal powder…you name it! I tried to keep the products as natural as possible, vegan, and pick methods that wouldn’t wreck my enamel. Yup…tall order! I would say the solutions I tried worked well for short term results. But for longer term results and to really get those stubborn coffee, tea, and red wine stains…I needed something more professional. Again, cost was an issue. Do you know a lot of people who have an extra $600 – $1K laying around for teeth whitening at the dentist..? I don’t! Even if I did have the extra cash – I would love to spend that money on something else and still get a bright white smile and the confidence that comes with it!
Then I learned about Smile Brilliant and my whole view on teeth whitening changed! It’s super safe, it’s vegan (yes, I am a total animal lover and tree hugger), it’s custom, and it’s affordable! You order your system online, they send you a kit, their lab makes you professional trays for your teeth – and then you get to sit back, relax and whiten like a pro at home! Game changer!
Smile Brilliant is not only affordable, but it gives you options. If you have sensitive teeth (like me) – they’ve got you covered. Yes – you can whiten your teeth even if they are sensitive! These guys have totally figured it out! If your teeth aren’t sensitive – lucky you! 😉 They’ve got you covered as well! I chose a package that focused on sensitive teeth because I’ve tried whitening before and my teeth can get pretty sensitive because of dehydration. Smile Brilliant not only provided me with custom trays made for my teeth – but they provide the whitening gel AND desensitizing gel that helps to alleviate that sensitivity that many get from whitening.
They also have 3 levels to choose from depending on your whitening needs – light, average and heavy stains. I personally think the heavy stains package (T9 system) gives you the most bang for your buck! It’s the best value for those of you who drink coffee, tea or wine regularly and have some sensitivity (yup…I fit into to that category – lol)! You can see the packages by clicking HERE. I was super surprised at how affordable the packages are – and what kind of results you can actually get! You can check out their amazing reviews HERE – and I’m happy to share more about my experience as well! Don’t be shy – reach out!
Imagine sitting in the comfort of your own home, binge watching shows on Netflix in your comfies, while whitening your teeth. That’s basically what I do – with fuzzy slippers and my dogs on my lap. Haha! Truthfully, it sort of forces me to take some much needed me time. Sure, I can do dishes or laundry while I whiten my teeth at home (and sometimes I do) – but I like to make it a point to do this before bed as a nice relaxing me moment. We all deserve some pampering – so why not pamper yourself with some relaxation and teeth whitening!?! You know you want to!
Let me share my actual experience with you. Yes my actual, real, full disclosure experience! Let’s dive in! First, I picked a package online. It’s super easy to pick if you know your teeth (which you should since they are yours). I don’t use special toothpaste for sensitivity, but I do know from past experiences with whitening that I can have some sensitivity. I also drink coffee, tea and wine. Those factors made it easy for me to pick the package that was right for me.
The box arrived really quickly – which was a pleasant surprise! I was super excited and opened it up right away! There were two blue trays that I knew were for making the impressions of my teeth. There was also a weird blue and white putty (that you mix together) and then use to make the molds. I was super intimidated and didn’t want to mess it up! The good news is they lay it all out for you in easy to understand steps.
If you’re anything like me, read the instructions a couple of times to make sure you feel comfortable with the steps. It’s actually super easy, but I get nervous with new things like this. The key is not to over fill or under fill the trays – and to take an extra second or two to line up your teeth and bite down on the putty in the right spot. That’s it! Honestly – they came out great and I was nervous for nothing!
After that, I let them dry (they dry fast and timing is in the instructions), rinsed off my impressions and mailed them in! That was it! Easy peasy! The turnaround on these was super fast! I got my custom trays in 3-4 days after I shipped my impressions. I’m in the US so the turn time is super fast – but they do ship internationally as well – so click HERE to read more about international orders in the Q&A section.
As soon as the custom trays arrived, I wanted to give them a try! Because I have young kids, I waited until after I put them to bed to put in the trays. It’s hard to talk with them in, and I knew I wanted to relax while I was whitening. After getting the kids to bed, I flossed my teeth, brushed with water only (no toothpaste because fluoride slows down the whitening process), and got ready to whiten!
The first time I used the whitening gel, I wasn’t sure how much to use. Each syringe is 3ml and has enough for at least 3 applications. For me, the key was to put a thin line on the top and bottom trays, enough to spread on my teeth once the trays were in, but not so much that it would end up leaking out of the trays and all over my mouth. It’s less gel than you think and after your first application, you adjust and you’re sort of a pro!
I whitened for 45 minutes that first time, to sort of judge my comfort level. You can actually whiten for as long as 3 hours if you respond really well to the whitening process and aren’t super sensitive afterwards. I built up to that, adding time with each application. After that first 45 minute whitening session, I brushed my teeth again, with a non-whitening toothpaste, rinsed out my trays with cold water, and used the desensitizing gel for 20 minutes. I set the alarm on my phone for 20 minutes and once it went off, I removed the trays, spit out the extra gel, and did not rinse. You want a thin layer of that desensitizing gel to stay on your teeth.
The bonus of whitening before bed is that you can’t eat or drink for an hour after each session. If you’re going to sleep, you don’t have to worry about that, and you can let the whitening really take effect! I also like that while the whitening trays are in, I can’t snack on anything, which I tend to do at night when we watch TV. It’s like an added little diet bonus! Haha! 😉
That’s it! So now when people on Instagram or on my blog ask me how I get my teeth so white – I can tell them! Smile Brilliant!
Now for the FUN part! I’m doing a GIVEAWAY! Click HERE to enter (it’s super fast and easy) for a chance to win $149 credit and it is open to the USA, UK, Canada, and Australia. All you have to do it click HERE and enter your name and email address. SUPER simple! The winner will be contacted via email in 2 weeks – so make sure to enter now and please use an email that you actually check!
If you’re just too eager to get your dazzle on and want to purchase right away – you can get 15% off your order by using the coupon code: themommylexi
Keep scrolling for my after pics. I am so beyond happy with my results and hope you give this a try if you’ve been wanting whiter teeth!
I hope my experience and this information was helpful! When people ask me questions about fashion and beauty – I like to share – because sharing is caring (yup – I’m a toddler mom)! Check out Smile Brilliant and please reach out via comments or on my Instagram via DM with any questions. Smile Brilliant also has fantastic customer service so you should feel free to reach out to them as well! Enjoy and have a wonderful journey to a whiter smile! Muah!