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My smile has always been something I’ve been self conscious about. From having crooked teeth and getting braces to dealing with stains and discoloration; smiling has always been the last thing I want to do.

But now that I’m a mom, I have so many reasons to smile. And I want to show my girls that no matter their insecurities, they can let their confidence shine through.

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I had my first whitening experience when I was 14. I’d just gotten my braces taken off and my teeth were noticeably discolored. What made it worse was that I’d had two teeth built up using temporary crowns and they were much whiter than my natural teeth.

I used whitening strips a few times, but never noticed much of a difference, so I gave up. Fast forward about 8 years…..I went to a dentist who offered free whitening with custom whitening trays. I was so excited to try whitening again. My dentist gave me the custom trays and whitening gel and I began using them daily. Unfortunately, my teeth became extremely sensitive due to the frequent whitening, so again, I gave up.

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When Smile Brilliant contacted me about trying their product and doing a review, I was honestly hesitant. Knowing my history with whitening, I wasn’t sure I’d even be able to use the product. After speaking with them about my past experiences, I was reassured that with their desensitizing gel , I should have a great experience with their product. So, I decided to go for it!

When I got the package from Smile Brilliant, I was so excited!

The package includes:

• Teeth Whitening Gel
• Desensitizing Gel (if you are prone to sensitivity)
• Impression Trays
• 3 Sets of Impression Material
• 3-Way Postage (to return your impressions to the lab)

I made my impressions, sent them off, then waited for my custom trays to arrive. I received my custom fitted trays within a week and began to whiten.

Since I’d had sensitivity in the past, I started off slowly. I whitened once a week for 45 minutes right before bedtime. After a couple weeks, I began whitening twice a week, but still only whitened for 45 minutes each time. Once I began whitening twice a week, I noticed some redness on my gums along with some tooth sensitivity.

I contacted the Smile Brilliant team and they gave me these tips:

• Stop whitening and give your teeth a break and your gums a chance to recover
• Use warm salt water to ease your gums as they heal
• When you whiten again, coat your gums with Vaseline or Coconut Oil to reduce irritation
• Be sure to only apply a thin line of gel into the trays, as excess gel will ooze out and cause irritation
• After you place the trays on your teeth, wipe away any gel that may have gotten on your gums
• Space out future whitening sessions to reduce sensitivity and irritation

After my gums healed, I followed the recommendations and there were no further issues. I did, however, go back to only whitening once a week and kept my whitening sessions at 45 minutes max. The Smile Brilliant team advised me that this would make the whitening process longer, but I was okay with that.

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It’s been 8 weeks since I started whitening with the Smile Brilliant system and my results are amazing so far!

The biggest difference I’ve noticed is that my teeth finally match the crowns on my lateral incisors. I’ve also seen a huge change in the color of my canines, which had the darkest yellow tones before. I’m so pleased with my results and I can’t wait to see how my teeth look with continued use of the Smile Brilliant system!

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Want a more natural way to whiten your teeth? Check out this amazing post by Jen Reviews that lists 33 ways to make your teeth whiter using natural products!

How to Whiten Teeth Naturally by Jen Reviews