““A smile is the light into the window of your soul.””
Here's something you may not know about me: I've always been self-conscious about my smile.
When I was younger, my teeth were overcrowded. I didn't take care of them like I should have, so my enamel was weak, my teeth were super sensitive, and I had way more cavities than I'd care to admit [cringe].
When my husband proposed to me (waaaay back in 2009), he gifted me with something most people would think was an odd gift: braces. Yep, my man paid for me to get braces - haha. He did it knowing that it was something I was self-conscious about, and he wanted me to feel confident on our wedding day. (I just love him.)
So, I wore braces for a whole 3 months. That's right, it only took 3 months to correct most of my issues. I went every. two. weeks. and had those puppies tightened. If you're thinking "ouch", you'd be correct.
Once I got those off, I decided to whiten them using whitening gel provided by my dentist. I got dramatic results, but good lawd, did those treatments make my teeth even more s e n s i t i v e.
I didn't whiten my teeth any more because of this sensitivity. Even after having stains from drinking coffee for years, white teeth just wasn't worth the sensitivity I felt for months afterwards.
And theeeeen I found Smile Brilliant.
I had been stalking this company for a while on Instagram and liked the reviews I had read. What convinced me to try them? They include a DESENSITIZING GEL for you to use after the whitening gel to minimize sensitivity. Whaaaat?! Sign me up!
THE PROCESS:
I received my product and immediately went ahead and "made my trays". This may sound weird to do at home, but all it entails is pouring the blue gel into the molds, biting down on them, and leaving them in for about a minute or so until they harden. It couldn't be easier - and there are instructions for those of us who have trouble following the rules...haha.
Once I made my mold, I shipped it back to the company. I received my custom whitening trays a couple of weeks later, and (of course) they fit perfectly.
I started the whitening process by leaving the gel on for 30 minutes - just so my teeth could get use to it. I increased the time every few days until I could leave it on for an hour at a time. I did this for a total of 2 weeks.
THE RESULTS:
I believe in 100% transparency with you guys, so I'm gonna keep it real here.
I didn't see the same "dramatic" results I saw when I whitened before. BUT that could be because 1) the gel wasn't as strong (which is not a bad thing, because it can damage the enamel of your teeth if it's too strong), and 2) many of my front teeth have partial composite fillings, meaning the stains will never totally come off, no matter how much I whiten them.
What I DID see was an overall brighter smile that I could feel good about. I don't notice the coffee stains like I did before, and I feel like it made them "pop" a little. Let's be honest, a little "pop" is enough for me. I ain't looking for no Chiclet-white teeth. ;) AND I don't have the sensitivity I had before, which is faaaabulous!
I still use the gel from time to time (think once every other month) when I want a little boost, and it really does help to brighten my teeth up again - even after just an hour of wearing the trays.
The whole point of this is that - thanks to Smile Brilliant - I can feel confident in my smile again. Confidence is key, you guys! It doesn't matter if you have the whitest, straightest teeth in the world. It matters that you feel your BEST - and that your confidence shows.
So say "cheese", y'all!
[If you'd like to know more about Smile Brilliant, here are some links for you. And be sure to use the code "JAYME" for a little discount!]