Goodbye Coffee Stains: Our Teeth Whitening Journey (+a Giveaway!)
Since we both have stressful jobs that often require long work hours, our best friend is coffee. We usually have a cup or two in the morning and sometimes we require a mid-day pick me up. We enjoy heading to our favorite local coffee shops for a brew on the weekend and usually chug an espresso before going out for the night on the weekends. We’ve graduated from shower beer to shower coffee. #adults. While all this coffee is tasty and provides us with our daily caffeine intake, it hasn’t been great for our teeth.
We’ve been wanting to whiten our teeth for quite some time, but we were constantly running into obstacles. We wanted to do something before the wedding last year, but didn’t want to shell out the extra cash for a whitening system and also didn’t have the time to do research. Broad tried the whitening strips (for a short time) years ago, but they really bothered her sensitive teeth. She actually had such a bad experience with it that she thought she would never be able to use any sort of at-home whitening product.
This year, we really wanted to focus more on making ourselves better by working out more consistently, eating healthier and finally addressing some health issues. We also decided that trying this teeth whitening thing again would help us feel better on the outside. So when Smile Brilliant asked if we wanted to try their teeth whitening system, we jumped at the opportunity.
The System
We each received the T3 Sensitive System. This is great for lightly stained teeth and for people who have experienced sensitivity to whitening products in the past or who are naturally sensitive to cold food/drink (that’s Broad!). The kits included: the items needed to make the molds, whitening gel and desensitizing gel. They also included detailed instructions for every step of the process, so the whole thing is pretty much fool-proof!
Making Your Custom Trays
The first thing you do when you receive your kit is make your custom tray. You mix the catalyst paste and base paste until the colors are fully blended. You then press the paste into the tray and the tray goes onto your teeth for a few minutes. This is definitely hardest part. Broad was drooling everywhere. Prob a good idea to keep some paper towels nearby. After the few minutes are up, you remove the tray CAREFULLY so you don’t scrape your teeth or mess up any of the blue stuff. You then repeat with the other half of your mouth. You let the molds sit for 30 minutes, then ship them in the bubble mailer they provide. Once they receive the molds they give them a look to make sure you did it right and make your custom whitening tray. Provided there’s no issue, you’ll receive your trays in a week or so.
Using Your Custom Trays to Whiten
We started the whitening process a few days after we came home from vacation. The portable trays are super convenient and easy to carry with you if you do need to travel with them. The trays are the exact perfect fit for our mouths, it’s amazing how custom they feel! The coverage is a lot more than the basic whitening strips because they encompass all of your teeth individually, which is a plus.
You apply a thin layer of whitening gel in the tray (you can get about 3-4 applications per syringe, so you don’t need a lot). The syringes are so easy to use and you can really control the mount that comes out. Then you carefully push the tray against your teeth and wipe off any excess liquid that pops out on your gums with a q-tip. We actually used a little Vaseline on our gums to prevent any irritation (definitely a pro tip).
So here’s the tough part. You need to keep the trays in for 45 minutes to three hours to achieve maximum results. After whitening, you brush your teeth then use the desensitizing gel for 15-20 minutes. This is why you should do it at night, after dinner and before bed. We typically eat dinner early so we can be in bed by 8:30 so this wasn’t a huge issue for us. You want to avoid eating and drinking anything for AT LEAST 30 minutes after and ideally the whole night. Now sometimes we eat a little snack before bed or at least drink sleepy time tea and lots of water so that was really hard to do. But it was worth it to achieve our pearly whites!
The Results
Broad started off the first day with 30 minutes application and Beard did 45 minutes. Broad ended up keeping the trays in for about and hour and fifteen minutes tops and Beard worked up to an hour and a half. We missed a few days but we felt like we were consistent enough and our teeth have ended up significantly whiter (see the pics below)!
When researching the different teeth whitening products on the market we learned a lot. Like we said before, Broad has used the strips which were uncomfortable both in the application and after. Holy teeth sensitivity! We’ve also used charcoal both in toothpaste form and powder and while it’s convenient, it’s messy and apparently has the potential for long term enamel damage (it’s not FDA approved). Plus, a lot of whitening products provide temporary results. You can read more about these important teeth whitening facts here.
We were very impressed with the ease of use of the Smile Brilliant system. They provided all the necessary instructions and we had no problems understanding any of the steps. The custom trays fit comfortably in our mouths and we hardly noticed them. To be honest, the only con was the time frame you have to keep the trays in. But it really wasn’t an issue for us since we’re usually home during the week and we eat dinner early. We would actually put them in and then walk our dog to help pass some of the time. If you’re thinking about dipping your teeth into the whitening game, we definitely recommend this system!
SMILE BRILLIANT GIVEAWAY!
We’re GIVING AWAY a Smile Brilliant $149 credit for your own T3 Whitening System! The giveaway is open to all USA, UK, Australia and Canadian residents. The winner will be notified via email.
Head over to Smile Brilliant’s website to enter the giveaway!
Didn’t win? Use our Smile Brilliant discount code for 15% off: thebeardandbroad15 to save on any system, whitening gel, or desensitizing gel syringes.
*Disclosure: Smile Brilliant provided us with two complimentary teeth whitening systems, in exchange for our honest review. As always, all opinions are 100% our own.*
Ooo I want to try this! I have had the same issue with sensitivity after using at-home whitening kits.
Also, lol’d at this 🙂 “We’ve graduated from shower beer to shower coffee. #adults. “
Wow, your teeth look great!! I entered the giveaway – would love to win something like this
I was drooling alllll over the place when I was making my trays! I think it is about time for me to freshen up my teeth a bit too, so I’ll be posting up for 3 hours tonight haha
I could definitely use some whitener for the wedding coming up! Your teeth look great!
I tried the at home strips and oh my god my teeth hurt SO bad I am terrified to try anything again! I didn’t know these existed and I’m glad to see someone else with sensitive teeth felt comfortable doing this.. may have to give it a try!!
Love that the offer a product for sensitive teeth (although don’t have that issue myself). Also, had no idea that charcoal long term could erode enamel. You both look great – keep smiling!