I was never really self-conscious about my teeth until I fell in love with orange lipsticks. The coral hues lend warmth to my pale skin, but they also highlight how yellow my teeth are! It’s just the natural color of my teeth, a dentist had told me previously, but I couldn’t help wishing for whiter teeth. I know that there’s a DIY hack involving baking soda and lemon juice, but the dentist warned me against doing it as the abrasive nature of both ingredients can strip the protective enamel from the teeth and make it more sensitive or prone to ngilo.

So, what to do? A popular makeup hack is to wear a blue-based red lipstick to cancel out the yellow undertone of the teeth. It really does work, but my objective is to be able to wear orange lipsticks without looking like I’ve been eating Cheetos. So when a teeth whitening gadget was sent over for our consideration, I decided to volunteer as a test subject.

My phone was literally connected to my mouth

To be honest, the MySmile Premium Teeth Whitening System (P3,500 from mysmile-official.com) looked kind of intimidating with a wired mouthpiece and a three-piece set of white tubes. I’ve only seen and tried whitening toothpastes and strips, both of which didn’t have lasting results. In contrast, this kit has a more professional feel but usage seems easy and straightforward.

To begin, I flossed and brushed my teeth to make sure they were clean. Using the shade guide included in the kit, I checked my tooth color. Unfortunately, Nine and I agreed that they looked to be an 11, which is quite yellow according to the scale. No wonder orange lipstick looks unflattering when I smile.

After carefully wiping the six upper front and six lower front teeth dry with a clean tissue, I applied the whitening gel inside the Comfort-Twist Pen Applicators. The applicator has a nylon brush tip that reminded me of the twist-up lip glosses from the 90s - you just twist and the gel gets dispensed out the brush end. Simply paint the mint-flavored clear gel on each tooth. This is a fairly easy process but admittedly, it was difficult to keep my teeth dry and saliva-free. I recommend keeping a lot of tissue close by so you can wipe off saliva and any gel that gets on your lips or gums. Try not to let saliva mix with the gel as this can weaken its effectiveness.

Once all front teeth are covered in the gel, I put the whitening tray into my mouth and gently bit it into place. I connected the cable to my phone using one of the included adaptors, and turned on the LED light strip that’s supposed to help activate the whitening gel. What I found really cool about this is that it comes with a built-in timer! You’re supposed to use the light therapy for 16 minutes, and the device just automatically turns off so you don’t need to keep a separate timer. It might turn off if the power source is low battery though, so if that happens, just connect it to a better power source and activate the light again.

Because the mouthpiece uses LED, the light doesn’t get warm, but biting into the tray can feel a little uncomfortable after a while. Your lips should wrap around it but I found it a bit challenging as I have a small mouth. I was also able to use my phone normally while the tray was plugged in but if you prefer not to drain your battery, connecting to a power bank also works.

After the 16 minute treatment, I rinsed my mouth well with water and cleaned the tray. How quickly the treatment takes effect varies from person to person, but most see improvements after 3 days. According to the brand, you can do the treatment for a maximum of 14 days straight.

What’s behind that smile?

Before I agreed to do this treatment, I first did a bit of research to know if it’s actually safe to use. I was concerned because none of the packaging indicated the ingredients and the included user manual didn’t have much information, so I messaged them on Instagram. I was told that the whitening gel contains Carbamide peroxide, so it’s not for those with a peroxide allergy. They also assured me that the kits are manufactured in the US, and are approved by both the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and ADA (American Dental Association).

I was also fascinated to learn that the company is actually founded and managed by two Filipinas! It was founded by Chiara Echiverri, who has a degree in Dental Hygiene, and Janina Manipol, a film director. Both are passionate about helping children with cleft lips and cleft palates, and have set up non-profits to help the children get access to free corrective surgeries. In fact, a portion of each kit sale is donated towards this cause.

Something to smile about

After 7 days of use, I had Nine take an After photo because I felt that my color had improved already. And it really did! She rated my (new?) teeth color as 8 or 9 on the scale, which I feel is quite an improvement already from the original grade of 11. Sure, it’s still far from ideal, but I’m happy with how my smile looks brighter after just 7 treatments.

To test how long the effect would last, I haven’t done any treatments in a month, but my teeth have retained the same brighter shade. Their website says that the effect can last for up to three months, then you can touch up once a week afterwards.

As promised by MySmile, I didn’t experience teeth sensitivity after doing the treatments. The system was carefully designed for users to encounter little to no sensitivity, but there may be some exceptions. If your teeth begin to feel sensitive, wipe off the gel from your teeth and rinse well. Take a break for two days before resuming treatment.

According to the site, the MySmile Premium Teeth Whitening System can be used by anyone over the age of 12, except when pregnant or breastfeeding. Veneers, crowns, and other dental work also cannot be whitened, and they recommend for those with braces to wait until they are removed before doing a whitening treatment.

Wearing Tom Ford’s Boys Lipstick in *Roberto*

I’m pretty impressed with the results I got from MySmile, and plan to resume using the treatments again, now that I have a better idea of how long they last on me. I wish this had existed when I was getting married as it would be a great addition for bridal beauty preps! The treatment also works for teeth discolorations caused by smoking or drinking coffee, but not for darkened teeth caused by medical conditions.

I don’t think that using MySmile will ever get me to a grade of 1, and that’s okay! I know I don’t need whiter teeth to enjoy my favorite coral lipsticks, but just as I don’t need to be wearing any kind of makeup at all, I like how MySmile has improved how my teeth look and how it’s helped me feel more confident about my smile.

Which teeth whitening treatments have you tried? Let us know in the comments!

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