As you probably know by now, after getting purposeful with my finances, I no longer waste a dime on anything that I don’t see adding value to my life. I don’t believe in over-spending, but I do believe in making wise investments. When I was younger I used to purchase the cheapest versions of drugstore teeth whitening strips that I could find. I saved money but I wound up having achy teeth, bleached gums and only half of my teeth whitened. Basically, I got what I paid for. Getting older, I was reluctant to try any of those less expensive methods again especially because my teeth are more sensitive than they used to be. I didn’t want pay less and get bad results, but I certainly wasn’t prepared to pay the high price of in house dental whitening procedures either! So glad to say, I learned about whitening teeth at home that’s professional and affordable!

*This is a sponsored post.

Why whitening?

I try to do everything cost effective and we spend very little money on anything besides paying off our debt. However, as our 10 year anniversary started creeping up on us, I decided to put a mini pause on our debt payoff so that we could renew our vows. Don’t worry, I still stuck to a budget and put extra money toward our debt.

Part of planning our vow renewals meant finding a reasonably priced dress ($12), inexpensive rings ($45), and a great location (free). It also meant I really wanted to look and feel my best for our big day. So I started getting intentional with my workouts, drinking lots of water and I started whitening my smile!

When I was younger I had naturally yellow teeth. My mom said she thinks it was from some medication I had to take. Who knows. All I know is it caused me a lot of insecurities.

I loved the benefits of whiter teeth when I was younger but I didn’t love a lot of the imperfections that came along with the easy grab whitening strips from the drug store. My dentists would comment on my beautiful smile until they took a closer look! There was definitely damage done by opting for this cheap, quick-fix teeth whitening method.

It has been over 10 years since I last used whitening strips and when Smile Brilliant reached out to me, I was a little apprehensive to try teeth whitening again.

The difference between whitening strips and Smile Brilliant

Before I decided to give Smile Brilliant’s professional whitening method a try, I wanted to make sure I knew as much about the company as possible.

Not only was Smile Brilliant teeth whitening system created by dentists, and backed by decades of research, but they have also managed to bring this professional procedure to people at a fraction of the cost of your typical professional whitening methods.

This is what makes Smile Brilliant’s method better:

• Custom-fitted molds designed specifically for your mouth
• Hand selected kits to fit your teeth’s unique needs
• Payment plans to get professional whitening without breaking the bank
• Desensitizing gel to help prevent any pain during the process
• Full teeth coverage (whitening strips generally only cover the front teeth)
• Backed by a quality guarantee!

The cost

When I started looking up the average cost of dental whitening procedures I was shocked to see that they can range up to $650!  Sure, I could use my sinking funds to save up for something like that, but I didn’t have the time or desire to spend that much on a cosmetic procedure.

Smile Brilliant is the perfect solution for getting professional whitening at an affordable cost. They offer the same custom-fitted whitening trays as cosmetic dentists for around $500 less than the prices I had been finding!

Whitening strips are definitely the most affordable way to go, but they are far from a wise investment. The science and experience behind Smile Brilliant will ensure that your teeth aren’t just whitened but that they are taken care of.

If you’re still on the fence and not quite sure if this process is worth your time or money, I want to share my personal experience with you and explain a little bit more exactly what you get for the price.

Making an impression

Before I started whitening I worked with the friendly staff at Smile Brilliant to figure out the perfect whitening combo for me. This was super important to me since I already have sensitive teeth and was currently experiencing heightened sensitivity due to a recent dental procedure.

I had no idea what to expect when I first received my kit.

As I said, all I had ever used previously were those flimsy whitening strips you find at most local stores.

I won’t lie, I was a little overwhelmed when I realized I was having to create my own dental impressions. There were directions that guided me through it step by step but I couldn’t shake the fear that I would permanently glue my mouth shut.

The kit came with 2 putties I needed to mix together, put into the impression trays, and then bite down. I’m proud to say that I succeeded and didn’t even need to use the back-up putty!

A few tips

• I was feeling extra “drooly” when making my impressions, so I simply stood over the kitchen sink.
• Follow the instructions and you will be just fine!

Afterward I mailed my impressions back to Smile Brilliant. It wasn’t long before I received an email stating that my impressions worked and my custom-fitted teeth whitening molds would be ready soon!

The whitening process

It didn’t take long before I received my custom fitted molds in the mail and I was able to get started whitening my teeth.

How to start whitening

Your kit comes with simple, easy to follow instructions on how to begin the teeth whitening process. You will get 2 sets of syringes (which sound way more intimidating than they are.) Most people would get started with the whitening syringe (I’ll share later why this was different for me.) You simply twist off the stopper at the end of the syringe and then slowly draw a rainbow shape across your custom fitted mold.

You should only be using about 1/3 of the whole syringe! This is awesome because you end up getting 3 whitening sessions out of one tube

Because I was already experiencing sensitivity, I really struggled with pain during the whitening process. I wound up removing the molds after only 10 minutes and reached out to get additional help from the Smile Brilliant staff.

What to do if you have sensitive teeth

I reached out to Smile Brilliant because I was having such a tough time with pain and they were extremely helpful in giving me different tips to reduce sensitivity:

• Apply desensitizing gel before and after whitening
• Don’t do long periods of whitening
• Skip days in between teeth whitening sessions

Continuing the process with this new advice, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my sensitivity was gone!

Not only was the pain from whitening gone but the previous sensitivity I had experienced was no longer present! Before starting this teeth whitening procedure I wasn’t able to chew on the left side of my mouth due to heightened sensitivity. After using this specific method, I am fully free of pain and I got a whiter smile as an added bonus!

Time investment

Just like I do my best to make the most of my money, I also want to always make good use of my time. Life is too short to spend time doing things that don’t add joy to your life. It’s my basic minimalist diet philosophy.

Compared to my previous whitening strips experience, the Smile Brilliant procedure called for a lot more of a time investment. Whitening gel required 45 minutes to 3 hours. The desensitizing gel called for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. On top of that, I wasn’t able to eat for an additional 30 minutes after whitening.

Because I am a work from home, homeschooling mom this time consumption was another thing that worried me. I don’t have a lot of spare time throughout the day as it is.

The teeth whitening process, however, didn’t really affect my day to day life. My molds prepped and ready for whitening only took a few seconds and then my time was mine.

Because the molds fit to my teeth, it was a breeze running around the house. I was able to do the dishes, teach the kiddos and even read a book and finish work.

The bad

Like anything in life, there were a few downsides to using this whitening method:

• My sensitive teeth took time to adjust
• Took extra time due to me having to do more desensitizing gel
• Couldn’t eat or drink afterward! –I am a big grazer…I eat all day long, so this was a definite challenge.

The good

• HUGE financial savings compared to other professional procedures
• Easy to use applications
• Professional equipment
• Improved over-all sensitivity of my teeth
• Didn’t really affect my day to day errands
• It whitened my teeth!

The final thoughts

If you are like me and believe in spending a little more to guarantee a quality product, then you really can’t get any better than Smile Brilliant. You will spend more in order to get better results and you save huge without having to compromise quality! It’s really a win/win.

Try it yourself!

Ready to start professionally whitening your teeth at home?  Use my coupon code: heartsoulwhole15 to get 15% off!

Tooth Whitening Gel

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