Hello everyone!
I hardly share pictures of myself smiling broadly for the camera but when I do, I get compliments about my pearly white teeth. This is awkward but.. I have a confession to make. Those perfect set of choppers you see are simply another work of Photoshop. In fact, those who have questioned about my dazzling teeth in pictures won’t be surprised by this revelation because I’ve always been candid about it. Why conceal your flaws when you’re going to be upfront about it, you may ask. Well, that’s because I want your attention to be diverted from my dingy yellow teeth to the products (usually lipsticks) I’m reviewing 
While this approach seems to be working, the quest for a permanent solution for my tooth discolouration still goes on because I want to smile with confidence and not worry about showing my teeth ever again!
Drinking tea is my daily ritual – I need a cup of tea to restore my normality everyday. But this habit has sadly cost me my Hollywood smile as the tannic acids found in tea has caused deep stains in the enamel of my teeth. I consider myself rather courageous when it comes to dental visits. I’m not afraid of any pain whatsoever (I even looked forward to having my milk teeth extracted when I was in primary school – okay I’m weird) but due to time and financial constraints, the number of times I’ve visited a dentist in my entire life can be counted on the fingers of one hand. I just don’t think it’s ever necessary to spend $1000 on average to whiten my teeth each time which probably wouldn’t last over a year for me since I’m a pretty heavy tea drinker.
I LOVE TEA AND I CANNOT LIE
Moreover, being a blogger means I would occasionally be invited to events. Hence, I’m constantly looking for an affordable temporary fix for my dental woes just in case I inadvertently expose my teeth to the camera lens. If you foresee yourself in such predicament, be it in an upcoming college graduation or wedding photo shoot, then great news my fellow comrades! There is now a cost-effective way to remove those stubborn stains whenever you feel like it without having to break the bank!
Let nothing take away your smile!
Have you heard of Pop Smile? It is a new teeth whitening brand based in Australia offering a quick DIY smile makeover that is absolutely pain-free and safe on sensitive teeth – all at the comfort of your couch! It even claims to give comparable results to that of dentist-administered teeth whitening treatments so much so that you can simply skip dentist visits altogether! Well, this sounded too good to be true but you won’t know until you’ve tried it!
There are three types of teeth whitening kits listed on their website but the Ultimate Teeth Whitening Kit is the most value-for-money everything you need to achieve a dazzling white smile. Of course, there are also student-friendly options like the starter kit and besties value set which you can share the cost with your friend.
Now, let’s take a closer look at what the ultimate kit has in store for us! I’ve also added my own honest review along the way for those of you who’re interested 🙂
Reject if seal is broken!
Unlike some whitening toothpastes in the market that use harmful chemicals (most notably peroxide) that can damage your enamel, burn your gums and sensitise your teeth, Pop Smile relies on a deep cleansing process using a 99% natural formula made in the U.S. which includes naturally active ingredients like Organic Peppermint Oil, Cranberry Seed Oil, Aloe Vera and Chamomile Flower Extract. FDA approved, it is perfectly safe to use even on the most sensitive teeth!
Included in the Ultimate Teeth Whitening Kit – 1x smile goals card, 1x LED device, 2x customisable mouth guards, 3x 3ml syringes, 5x 0.2ml pre treatment swabs, 1x mouth guard case, 1x teeth whitening pen & 1x Pop Smile travel pouch
Neatly packed!
3 replacement plungers for the syringe!
Pre-treatment swabs and teeth whitening pen
Mouth guards/whitening trays wrapped up in plastic
Smile goals card with a white-o-meter at the top LOL
According to the Pop Smile website, their clinical study revealed teeth are up to 8 shades whiter after 9 daily uses, and 2 shades whiter from the first use. So, in other words, if my teeth are a 12 on the scale (which I feel is the case), they should become at least a 10 by the end of the programme. Wow, I can’t wait to find out for sure! 🙂
Each kit contains 9 applications (across 9 days). The whitening effect lasts up to 3 months but it can be maintained as long as you repeat the programme one after another. It is, however, not advisable to use the kit for more than 14 consecutive days without dentist supervision.
Do brush your teeth prior to the teeth whitening session because you certainly wouldn’t want any remnants of your lunch to impede your whitening progress!
Step 1:
Mould whitening trays to your teeth
All of us have differently shaped teeth so it is imperative to have customisable whitening trays to fit your teeth with precision for the best results. This kit comes with a pair of whitening trays (or mouth guards) which needs to be softened in order for them to mould to the teeth quickly. To do that, hold them by the handles and dip them in freshly boiled water for 5-7 seconds to melt the silicone slightly. When the shape starts to deform, that’s your cue to remove them from the water. Don’t panic if they stick to each other – they can be easily separated while still in semi-molten state. Allow them to cool for 2-3 seconds before placing them in your mouth because you don’t want to risk burning your gum!
If you make any mistakes in the process of moulding, just repeat the steps above. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!
The silicone sets and hardens rather fast so you would only need to keep it in the mouth for a few minutes. I bit down the mouth guard and push it from the front with my fingers (or just suck on the guard to create a vacuum) to ensure a more accurate mould of my teeth.
This is what my moulded mouth guard looks like
As you can see, my mold (especially the one on the right) is shaped rather irregularly. That’s because I have an extra tooth behind my canine tooth (it’s a well-concealed secret 😆 ) so non-customisable mouth guards will definitely not work as well for me.
Once you are satisfied with the mould, you may skip this step for future sessions as the mouth guard stays in shape of your teeth. Now that you have found a perfect fit for your teeth, you are ready to move on to the next step!
Step 2:
Prep your teeth with Pre-Treatment Swab
These patented Pre-Treatment Swabs are one of the many things that make Pop Smile so different from other whitening kits. They deeply cleanse the teeth and maximize the absorption of our Pop Smile Teeth Whitening Gel and are clinically proven to help halve your treatment time. Thus, you get whitening results 50% faster! It doesn’t leave an awful retched medicinal taste like mouthwashes do. Rather, they taste pretty much like regular toothpaste, minus the minty sensation. You know what? I kinda like the taste of these.
To utilise the swab, hold the dispenser at the collar in the middle, keeping the cotton swab upright and on top. With the other hand, grasp the mid-point of the lower hollow shaft and slide it up slowly and smoothly until the cotton swab becomes moistened with liquid. Then. lightly scrub the front surfaces of the teeth with the swab tip in circular motion to apply the liquid. Repeat this step for each tooth for 3-5 seconds.
Use one swab for every application during the first 5 days but refills are available for purchase here if you are addicted to their cleaning and refreshing action.
Step 3:
Apply peroxide-free whitening gel
Many teeth bleaching products use peroxide (carbide, hydrogen, etc.) as the main whitening agent (as well as some teeth whitening laser treatments performed by dentists) to enhance whitening effects but do you know that it causes mouth irritation and increased tooth sensitivity to temperature changes, albeit only temporarily? You won’t know the gravity of this issue until you sink your teeth into a scoop of ice cream. I will never forget the excruciating sharp pain… and how my friends had to wait for me to be done licking my ice cream when they had already finished theirs eons ago. How embarrassing!
You may even already be sensitive to peroxide, just that you haven’t realised it yet! So, does that mean you have to shun away from every teeth whitening product? Thankfully not! You can be rest assured with the peroxide-free whitening gel formulated by Pop Smile because they have added Sodium Bicarbonate to maintain a high PH level. Therefore, the gel is not acidic so there’s no risk of tooth sensitivity or damage to your enamel, making it safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women as well. In fact, if you’re still sceptical about it, the Pre-Treatment Swabs also help to minimise sensitivity. Now, does that sound like music to your ears? 🙂
Evil nurse in the making *ohohohoho*
The whitening gel is stored in syringes premarked with dosage units ranging from 0 ml to 3 ml for you to expel the correct amounts onto the whitening trays. You would only need 0.5 ml of the gel on each whitening tray, so each syringe should last for 3 applications (there are 3 syringes in each kit). Be mindful of your strength, though, because the syringe has very little plunger friction and you may accidentally expel too much if you’re not careful!
Don’t be like me and wonder why nothing is coming out from the syringe and then realise that I haven’t removed the cap. Don’t laugh. It WILL happen to you lol
Gently fill the area that will be touching the front surfaces of your teeth
Move the whitening trays around your teeth using the handle to distribute the gel evenly. Press down the trays and remove excess from the gums.
Cut off the handles and put the mouth guard back on!
The handles are there to actually help you grab your mouth guards while they mould to your teeth. You can already snip them off at this point to allow your LED device to sit comfortably in your mouth (as seen in the next step).
I’d have to, however, apologise to all you beauties and hunks with braces because results may be inconsistent on yours since Pop Smile products only whiten real teeth. Don’t worry, it won’t be too late to get Pop Smile when the day comes for you to remove your braces! Good things come to those who wait 😉
Likewise, refills are also available if you run out of your whitening gel!
Step 4:
Use LED light to accelerate whitening process
The LED light activates the Pop Smile formula for faster whitening and even brighter results. It does not whiten your teeth when used alone. Powered by two lithium batteries, it also has the most bulbs in the market, making results 5 times faster. While other brands require you to leave their LED device in your mouth for 20 to 40 minutes , this does its job in just 10 minutes!
If your LED device isn’t working, don’t panic! Chances are, you haven’t removed the plastic sheet at the bottom of the batteries
Press the white button to activate the light
Ba dum tss!
With the mouth guard still in your mouth, set your timer for 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can jut sit back and wait for the LED light to turn off on its own after the 10-minute mark
Sit back, relax and get ready for your bright, new Pop Smile! 10 minutes never passed so quickly before!
You will be ready for the camera with just a few more attempts!
Once you have completed the final step, rinse your mouth and clean your LED device with a cloth. Do not wash your device as it is not waterproof! You would need to get a new kit if it’s damaged because it is not sold individually. You have been warned!
And now… the results:
No photoshop (apart from the text), no filter!
At a quick glance, the results may not be as noticeable and significant as some claimed. But upon closer scrutiny, you would be able to see that the yellow stains – especially that nasty one between my two front teeth (which dentists I had consulted simply dismissed as a natural discolouration *pffffft*) – have become lighter and less obvious. When I checked my smile in the mirror, I noticed that my teeth have also more or less regained its radiance. Considering that I’m only into my second day of this 9-day programme (at point of writing), this is a fairly good progress I must say! Also, do note that I made no efforts to halt my tea drinking habits for this programme because, yeah, I really mean it when I say I love my tea. Can’t stop, won’t stop drinking tea 😆 *sips* Pop Smile, however, recommends users to stop taking in coffee, tea and wine for the duration of the treatment to maximise their results!
And you think that’s all there is to the kit? You can’t be more wrong! Your Ultimate Teeth Whitening Kit also comes with three additional items (including a mouth guard case) which you won’t be able to get anywhere else. Read on!
Bonus #1:
Teeth Whitening Pen
We are all busy people with appointments to keep and schedules to meet. That’s why we need a good and reliable teeth whitening pen for last-minute touch-ups and on-the-go whitening in our lives. Pop Smile’s Teeth Whitening Pen is for use between treatments or during emergencies such as when you had unwittingly chomped down a piece of chocolate chip cookie to appease your growling stomach before a date night. Go ahead and work that million-dollar smile!
Twist pen to dispense gel
Brush a thin layer of gel onto teeth, avoiding the gum line. Then, wait 60 seconds before rinsing your mouth with lukewarm water
Bonus #2:
Travel Pouch
There is absolutely no excuse for having yellow teeth in this day and age.. even if you’re always away from home. If you’re a frequent traveller, this complimentary zipper pouch is just about what you need to store all your Pop Smile teeth whitening tools.
A fashionable pouch that is able to fit EVERYTHING perfectly! A W E S O M E.
All packed and ready to go!
Earlier today, McDonald’s offered me a complimentary cup of Oreo McFlurry as service recovery for their unusually delayed delivery so I took the opportunity to do a quick sensitivity test and voila, NO PAIN AT ALL. I was relieved yet ecstatic at the same time! 😀
I’ve seen plenty of teeth whitening/stain removal kits for sale at our local drugstores and had personally bought one to try but was of little to no avail (only caused added sensitivity). I thought this product was gonna be another gimmick but clearly it has proven otherwise. You’ve got to try it! 🙂
Meet my new smile!
Thanks for reading! 🙂
The Pop Smile Ultimate Teeth Whitening Kit is available on their website with free worldwide delivery. For more information on shipping as well as the countries they deliver to, please refer to this page.
This post is brought to you by Pop Smile.
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