This post was most recently updated on July 9th, 2019
There are so many reasons to travel joyfully. Traveling opens doors and exposes you to new cultures, beautiful vistas, and different languages. You’ll meet new people and even make some new friends along the way. Traveling can also be inspiring — it’ll help you grow in ways you didn’t know you could — like being more confident and sure of yourself. And be sure to smile! People will see your joy and it will be contagious.
While I do travel joyfully, I’m not as good at remembering to smile. I’ve always been a little self-conscious of having my photo taken. And the infamous selfie? Well, I avoid those like the plague! I certainly have many reasons to smile, and every once in a while you’ll catch me smiling because…well, travel experiences are so amazing! How can you not smile? My husband captured these joyful moments for us.
I’m usually the photographer during most of my travels. So I have used that excuse to keep from being in front of a camera myself. But truth be told, I didn’t think I had a nice smile. My teeth have always been discolored, and I didn’t like that. I’d like to be able to travel joyfully and have it show in my smile! Others are more comfortable around you too, when you smile.
A Solution?
Enter Smile Brilliant with a timely proposal: try our custom teeth-whitening program and see if it works for you. I had my doubts. At least one dentist told me my discoloration might be the cause of medication my mother used when she was pregnant with me. It was possible that anything other than “painting my teeth” with porcelain wouldn’t work. And that is super expensive! But why not give Smile Brilliant a try? What could I lose? And I would have so much to gain, right?
This post may include affiliate links.
Just Jump In!
I was actually pretty ignorant about teeth-whitening programs, having never tried one before. I had heard of teeth-whitening strips, and I couldn’t imagine fitting in time to have paper strips on my teeth with my fast-paced travel style. Plus, I’m kind of vain. I couldn’t be in public or tied down to my hotel room to whiten my teeth. Then I learned Smile Brilliant doesn’t use those paper strips.
But then the whole idea of using a special material to create my own custom molds sounded “gaggy”. Yes, I’m being completely honest here — I was afraid I couldn’t do it. But at what time do you get over your fears and just jump in? This was the time for me. So Smile Brilliant sent me my own teeth-whitening kit — everything I needed to create my mold and send it to the lab, plus the whitening and desensitizing gels I would need.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary teeth whitening kit from Smile Brilliant for the purpose of demonstrating how easy it is to use. This review is based on my experience and is an honest depiction. All photos are untouched.
Whiten Your Teeth While Traveling?
Smile Brilliant seems to have found the best process for teeth whitening. No unsightly paper strips and no expensive trips to the dentist that leave your teeth super sensitive, either.
It was actually very simple to follow the instructions and create a mold for my trays.(And I didn’t gag at all!) I did that in between a trip to visit my brother and another trip to visit my Dad. I sent the molds off to the lab in the included envelope. When I received my custom trays only a week later, I was impressed with how well they fit my teeth. Like a glove! They’re also clear, so it would be difficult for someone else to see them.
I was getting ready to leave on a cruise for a week, and I decided not to start whitening until I returned. Mainly because I didn’t know what to expect. It is possible to develop some sensitivity, and I didn’t want to deal with that on a cruise. I know now, I could have taken it with me. When I returned from my cruise, I ended up leaving again for a family funeral. Not wanting to delay any longer, I packed my teeth whitening kit and resolved to use it while traveling. And you don’t have to worry about whether it will go through airport screening in a carry-on — it will!
This is all I need for a week’s worth of whitening — so easy to take with me wherever I’m going!
Can You Travel Joyfully and Whiten Your Teeth?
Yes! You can! It’s way easier than I thought. Once I put the trays on my teeth, I hardly remembered they were there. I stayed up late with my aunt one night and talked all night. We watched movies, went for a walk, even went shopping!
When I returned, I continued whitening at home. So easy to keep up with my blogging and photo editing while whitening my teeth. I spent time on the phone talking to my mother and planned more upcoming trips with my husband. We’d even snuggle on the couch in the evening and watch TV together. Teeth whitening didn’t ruin our time together at all.
My point is, anyone can whiten their teeth, no matter what their life requires of them. Whether you’re traveling, working, or just hanging out at home. Visiting family or packing to travel again.
After two weeks, I felt ready to take “after” photos. (You know how I hated taking selfies!)Â And you can be the judge of whether or not it worked…
Here’s my before (top) and after (bottom) pics!
I was pretty pleased, since I wasn’t sure my teeth could even be whitened at all. Gone are the gray areas on my bottom teeth. Yay! There was another benefit too — an unexpected one. The entire time I was using the whitening process, I had zero problems with plaque build-up.
I did not have any teeth sensitivity at all, until the end of the two weeks. And that resolved itself right away because I was no longer whitening.
Now I can smile fearlessly!
I’m seriously going to take a bunch more selfies now when I travel. Why not show off my smile?
Â
I’m so excited to be able to offer a GIVEAWAY!
GIVEAWAY is now CLOSED but you can still purchase your own Smile Brilliant kit at a discounted price of 15% off. Just use the CODE: postcardsandpassports15 at Smile Brilliant.
Congratulations to @susansmoaks for her winning entry — enjoy your brighter smile, Susan!
Smile Brilliant and Postcards & Passports have partnered to give away a $149 Smile Brilliant credit. This will cover the cost of one custom teeth-whitening kit with 9 applications of top and bottom (9 days). What have you got to lose? All you have to do to enter is click on the YES! box below and complete the exclusive entry form: (this link has been disabled)
I drink coffee and would love to win this to help whiten my teeth. Thanks for the chance.
It’ll definitely help! Make sure you click on the blue box and fill out the exclusive entry form!
I have dentures so I don’t think it will help me. But my husband had his teeth whitened!
It’s a simple thing to do that can really make one feel better about their smile!
I’ve tried whitening strips in the past. They are uncomfortable, and I never remembered to do it each day. With the strips you really need to be home (or in your hotel room) because they are noticeable. The Smile Brilliant whitening kit seems like it would fit better into my lifestyle, so I entered the giveaway!
Awesome! I was surprised at how easy it was to fit in teeth whitening into my normal schedule… (and teeth whitening wasn’t high on my list of things to do)
Your teeth look great, you must be delighted with the result. I have similar bespoke moulds and they work very well
I totally know what you mean since I’m usually the one behind the camera too! Also, what amazing results! Congratulations 🙂
Ha, I had no idea this post was about teeth whitening when I saw the headline, but it makes sense and you probably touch the nerve of many of us! Hope you’ve found a lucky winner and keep up the pretty smile! 🙂
Thanks, Julia! It’s not my typical travel post, that’s for sure. But I really do appreciate having whiter teeth I’m not embarrassed about when taking my travel selfies. ‘Cause I do have to prove I visited the places I’ve been to, right?! Perhaps there are other travelers that feel the same?