My Teeth Whitening Experience with...Smile Brilliant (Coupon code included!)

A few weeks ago, I had "The Ugly Contest" going on over at the Kelley's Break Room Facebook page. You can see the 100+ hilarious pictures of pretty people turning UGLY here. The winner of the contest, determined by popular vote, was this lovely lady below.


There were some really, really good ones. I don't know how anyone could have one favorite. Jennifer definitely deserved the crown, though. Just look at that transformation.

The sponsor of that contest was Smile Brilliant. They agreed to give the winner custom-fitted trays plus 3 whitening gel syringes, which is valued at $119.95. (Jennifer, I'm still trying to hunt you down to get your address, girlfriend!) We all know teeth can really transform a face!



They also sent the trays to me. They sent two, actually. My husband is going to make use of the second set when I can get the dude to sit down for a second to make the impressions. The impressions aren't that hard to make, but they do supply you with three sets of the material needed to make the two impressions, just in case. I went through two sets before finally getting it right. I would either press down too hard and tear through the impression or make the impression too close to the front of the material so that it was too thin. Actually, now that I think about it, I went through four of the sets. The fourth set was the charm. Normally, you wouldn't have four sets, because they only send you three. You all look way smarter than me, though, so I am sure it won't be a problem. I'm praying that I can get my husband's right in two sets or else he won't get the luxurious teeth whitening experience.

I wanted to write this post when I had the before and after pictures ready, but I'm still in the process of whitening my teeth and I wanted to get this post out there today. So, I will start with the "before" picture and update with the "after" in a couple of weeks.


#nofilter (I just wanted the chance to use that hash tag at least once)

Now, here's sort of the crazy thing. I have had my teeth whitened professionally before. My husband had a Groupon for a whitening session in a dentist's office, so I went. That was probably close to two years ago. It took maybe an hour. The thing that I remember about it most was that I had a bunch of gauze in my mouth and tools to pry my mouth open for a while. I was quite offended that the first tool they pulled out was a car jack seeing as how I've got a large mouth and teeth. They discretely put it back and opted for the more traditional tools when they saw tears welling up in my eyes. When the teeth whitening was all over, I looked down to find that a small lake o' drool had gathered on my shirt. In fact, some ducks were coming in for a landing just as I stood up. So grateful that they didn't have a chance to land on my shirt!

(I'm actually surprised the ducks were still dealing with me after the tragic duck accident of 2012.)

Normally, that whitening session would have cost about $300-$500, I think. Ducks or no ducks.

So, although my teeth are maybe not as non-white as some of the "before" photos on the website, I think that they could stand to be a shade or two whiter. I also like the idea of maintaining what I've got, too. I like many features of this product with the first being that I don't have to sit inside a dentist office shelling out the big bucks while keeping my mouth pried open with a car jack with the Drool Waterfall coming down my chest.

 
All that you will need comes in this tidy little package with the instructions included in an easy-to-read format. The pictures are helpful. Hey, if I can understand it... If you are on the fence about teeth whitening, I think this is definitely a good time to try it. This is a relatively affordable way to do it, without all the hassle of going to a facility, paying lots of money and ducks.
 
Before I first had my teeth whitened, I would look at my friends' teeth. Two girls I used to work with had the whitest teeth. I was always envious of that. It just really stood out every time they smiled and just made their faces look brighter. Their teeth just looked so...clean.
 

 
The very first step on the whitening journey is to make your impressions. You mix the base paste and the catalyst paste together like you are playing with play dough. You fold it in half over and over, but not for too long. I am not going to give you the specific instructions here, but know that it's not difficult and it's actually a little bit of fun. You feel like you work in a dentist office for a second. After you make your impressions, you mail it back in this pre-stamped blue mailer. Once Smile Brilliant receives it, they will send you an e-mail letting you know they are working on your custom made trays.
 
(My mother-in-law is actually a dental hygienist. When she saw what I got in the mail, she said that this company was trying to put offices like hers out of business. I don't know about that, but I do know that this Smile Brilliant company is as "professional" as they come!)

 
When they mail it back, the custom made trays will arrive in this cute little box. It takes me back to my retainer days of 7th grade. This then takes me back to the time my best friend threw my retainer out into the crowd during a softball parade. We were in the back of a truck. I had bubble gum in my hat that I was throwing out. My retainer was in there, too. (Seventh graders are always making the wisest of choices.) She grabbed a handful of gum and then... Yeah, my mom wasn't happy.
 
 
 
When you are ready to start the whitening experience, you will need to brush and floss your teeth really well. You will then get your trays and squeeze a thin strand of desensitizing gel in it. You will keep that on your teeth for 20 minutes and then wait 60 minutes before you whiten your teeth. This ensures that your teeth will not become too sensitive to the whitening gel. This is a magical gel that seals the tiny holes in your enamel. Absolutely magical.
 

 
The last step is to actually whiten your teeth. You do the same thing you did before with the desensitizing gel. You put a thin strand of it in the custom made trays and then place it on your upper and lower teeth. You leave it there for 30 minutes to 3 hours, depending on how long you can tolerate wearing it. (I fell asleep in it one night and didn't experience any discomfort the next day. I am pretty sure you aren't supposed to do that, so let's keep this between us.)

That one syringe can last up to 3-4 uses. The $119.95 package includes 3 of them, so that could last from 9 to 12 sessions. I think you can get some mighty white teeth in 9-12 sessions.

If you'd like to try this teeth whitening system yourself, the first 25 people to use this coupon code can do so at a discount. All you need to do is type in kelleysbrkrm1 when you check out. It is for 10% off plus free shipping. I guess the only way to know if you are one of the first 25 is to try it out and see. You can go HERE to order the teeth whitening system.

I'll be back in a couple of weeks to show you my "after" picture! I'd LOVE to see yours, too.

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