When Smile Brilliant reached out regarding their teeth whitening system I was over the moon! I had used Tarte’s Pearly Girl Whitening pen for short term use but had not found a more permanent solution. Smile Brilliant offers several types of whitening systems for sensitive and non-sensitive teeth. I know I have sensitive teeth so I went with the sensitive system to try it out!
I figured what better way to really embrace the whole system than use it as a prompt for Science Sunday!! I want to go over each of the ingredients in the system to see what exactly they do to enhance teeth whitening.
Let’s start with my background with home teeth whitening systems. I’ve used strips before, whitening toothpaste, and like I said the whitening pen! All of which were great for the short term but never gave me the long term benefit I wanted. I needed something more with a little bit of oomph to make me stand out.
The process is really simple and I documented everything in video on my Instagram! It is saved in my stories! They send you a box filled with sample trays, two different kinds of paste, and cards that must be sent back to the company to be able to send you the final trays back There are instruction sheets as to how to make the sample trays. You mix the two pastes, put it into the sample tray, bite down for three minutes remove and send to Smile Brilliant. In a week or two they will send back the impression trays that can be used with the desensitization gel and the whitening gel.
When you have the impression trays, you take a small amount of the whitening gel and put it into the tray. You don’t want to have too much or it will spill over the top. You want just enough to coat your teeth. You keep the tray in anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours. The time depends on how long you can handle the system. I did 30 minutes every other day for about 4 weeks! You follow up the whitening gel with the desensitizing gel for 30 minutes! So in total, each session was about an hour. The best part is the fact that I can do other things while I wait! I attended my online lectures during the time so it fit perfectly into my nightly routine!
It is a super simple process that anyone can follow! Each syringe of gels gets up to three uses for top and bottom which is basically, 6 trays worth! There are refills of both gels available making it super easy to keep up with the whole process!
Price wise, the system I have is $150 which included getting custom trays, and three of each gel which has lasted me pretty long! If you are looking to invest in an at home whitening system that you can trust, this may be the one for you!
Now onto the science!
The whitening gels consist of: glycerin, carbamide peroxide, carbomer, menthol, and EDTA. The desensitizing gel consists of: glycerin, potassium nitrate, deionized water, sodium monofluorophosphate, sodium fluoride, carbopol, and menthol. Right away you can see some overlap between the two gels! From a research and development perspective (again I am not an expert, just stating my opinion), the similar ingredients lend themselves to making the gels feel and taste similar! But it is suggested that you don’t eat it lol
Glycerin: A sweet tasting, colorless, odorless compound that is non-toxic used as a sweetener in food products and for its antimicrobial and antiviral properties in pharmaceutical products. In at home whitening systems, it acts as a humectant meaning it holds on to water so the product doesn’t dry out. It is also used to control the flow of the gels so you get a proper gel.
Carbamide Peroxide: A disinfectant comprised of urea and hydrogen peroxide used to produce oxygen. In at home whitening systems, it penetrates the enamel and produces oxygen to remove stubborn stains. It is capable of staying active for up to 6 hours.
Carbomer and Carbopol: A polymer compound consisting of multiple bonded acrylic acid units. It is a synthetic polymer that is used to thicken formulations like the whitening gel. It also acts as an emulsifier keeping the water and oil from separating. In at home whitening systems, it helps to keep the gel in its preferred state.
Menthol: A naturally occurring (and sometimes synthetic) compound found in peppermint and spearmint that gives a cooling sensation. In at home whitening systems, it adds flavor to the gel.
EDTA (Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid): A chemical that binds and holds onto metals and minerals in the body. In at home whitening systems, it is responsible for removing surface proteins and getting the oxygenation process started.
Potassium Nitrate: Nitrogen containing compound that can reduce the pH of a formulation. In at home whitening systems, it allows for a better whitening experience and helps to prevent pain.
Deionized water: Water that has all ions and salts removed from it. In this home whitening system, it acts as a carrier and increases the permeability of the gel.
Sodium Monofluorophosphate and Sodium Fluoride: A salt primarily found in toothpastes. In the at home whitening system, it provides a fluoride barrier on the tooth’s surface.
All of these are non-toxic at the levels they are at in both the whitening gel and desensitizing gel. So it is perfectly safe to use this system!
My teeth have become so much whiter which makes it so nice to leave the house with a beaming smile. It has helped with my confidence and even inspired me to look for adult braces!! I love how these things organically happen!!
Now onto the exciting stuff!! I have a discount code and a giveaway for one of the Smile Brilliant at home teeth whitening systems! Good luck to all of you!!
Giveaway link: www.smilebrilliant.com/g/thechicchemist
15% off store wide code: thechicchemist15
Xox, Z
