[Review] Smile Brilliant LED Teeth Whitening System

Disclaimer: Yes, I was sent this teeth whitening kit to try out, but opinions, etc are still mine.

Bryan (the Social Media Manager of Smile Brilliant) emailed to ask if I would like to try their LED Teeth Whitening kit, and I'm like, why not? I like drinks that (unfortunately) stain teeth like coffee, tea and soda... and we don't have products like Crest White Strips or those mall salon/kiosks for express teeth whitening in Malaysia (that I'm aware of, anyway).

Since the company claims to ship worldwide ($19.95 outside the US, which is a little steep when you don't earn first world money), the test begins by whether I'll get it at all, or even in one piece.

Shipping time: Received a tracking number and it arrived a couple of weeks later without incident. Phew. 

From the Smile Brilliant website (I'll let their copy speak for itself)

The LED teeth whitening system by Smile Brilliant is perfect for those who want great tooth whitening results but are on a budget. Our LED system is competitively priced when compared to popular whitening strips sold at your local grocer; however, it is far more effective due to its 22% carbamide peroxide tooth whitening gel and high strength LED light which accelerates the whitening process. With hundreds of reviews available on the internet and thousands of satisfied customers, our LED teeth whitening system is a superior alternative to over-the-counter whitening products.

High Intensity LED Accelerator Light: – Accelerates the teeth whitening process

Teeth Whitening Gel Pen – Convenient, 4ml whitening pen (brush-on applicator) with 22% professional stength whitening gel

Lip & Cheek Protector – Upper and lower protective tray (prevents gel mess)

Detailed Instructional Brochure – Guide to using your LED teeth whitening kit effectively

This LED teeth whitening package comes complete with our 4ml, 22% carbamide peroxide, teeth whitening gel pen. This compact and easy to use whitening pen releases the whitening gel into a smooth brush tip applicator. Simply crank the bottom of the pen to release an even amount of gel into the brush. Brush on, put in your cheek protector, turn on the light, and you are ready to go. See results in as little as 20 minutes a day!

So here's what was came in the mail...

First-use instructions

Didn't know what the little blue brush was for, so I had to email back to ask since it wasn't mentioned anywhere in the brochure (apparently you use it to spread the gel around instead of using straight from the gel pen, perhaps for hygiene reasons). It wasn't all that detailed when there's nothing about when to use it (before or after teeth brushing? After), and other Dummies-style FAQ section. 

So basically, you apply the gel (on clean teeth), insert the tray in your mouth and put in the LED Accelerator Light for at least 20 minutes a day (40 tops). The best time would be to do it at night (obviously), before bed. In my case, I would have to brush my teeth earlier than I normally would to use this. As I'm also a bit impatient, I find that to stop me obssessing about said 20 minutes, there's always the TV. 

• The gel pen itself is like some lipglosses where you need to crank it a bunch of times initially before any product comes out. Unfortunately for me I had the delayed product overspill and it came out a messy goop and too much for me to use that first time. Product dispensation did not improve with subsequent use as it seems to take forever for anything to come out, only to find a goopy mess the next time I use it. 
• The lip & cheek protector was a standard size. Since my teeth aren't straight (no orthodontia, but that's another story), I find myself with a load of drool to drain when you take the tray out (like you would when you're at the dentist, but without the benefit of the dental assistant with the drool suction thing). But if you have your own customised tray (which they also have, I just found out), you're welcome to use that too.
• You could put the LED Accelerator Light in your mouth (like I saw some of the fellow reviewers do it, because hello, multitasking?!). I don't know if it was the particular device I received but the "OFF" button doesn't seem to work as well as the "ON" button as it takes some effort to actually switch the thing off. 

Used it about half a dozen times over the last few weeks (at least) since I got it - few days consecutively (which made them a tad sensitive, which is why I would recommend only doing this at night and not eat or drink afterwards), with a gap day (or more) in between.

I've done my best to replicate the lighting, camera settings and all, so here's the before and after pictures (don't look if you're eating :P).

My teeth still seem pretty white even with the constant coffee-tea-soda intake while using this. If you're expecting the crazy white Hollywood smile, well.. you won't get there with this so quickly. But if you want to knock off a few shades and have not-so yellow teeth, then this is great. So for all intents and purposes, this works and gets a thumbs up from me. Thanks again to Bryan and the lovely people at Smile Brilliant for letting me try this out :)

If you want to give this a go, you can buy one here; if you're a blogger/vlogger, you're welcome to contact them here for review application.

Sekian, terima kasih.