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I’m obsessed with teeth whitening products—everything from toothpaste and instant whitening treatments you can DIY to the ones only a dentist can do for you. I’ve tried all of these because I drink too much coffee, soda, and red wine—my teeth are constantly stained and will only get worse without such treatments and products.

I once tried a teeth whitening product you apply directly on your teeth—it made my teeth really sensitive. Then a few years back, I also had a legit teeth whitening procedure done at by a dentist. The procedure took forever and wasn’t exactly comfortable, and I remember how sensitive my teeth felt after—I literally grimaced and cried out in pain each time I spoke or smiled when cold air would hit my teeth within the first 24 hours. I couldn’t stand to eat or drink anything cold for days, and I was on a white food diet for a week too—meaning I couldn’t eat or drink anything with color, especially not coffee, wine, soda, or even anything with red sauce.

Reception area

I wanted to get the same procedure again before I got married, but it was too expensive. The cost was just something I couldn’t afford to add to my long list of wedding expenses last year. Which is why for the sake of brides-to-be who want to get their teeth whitened for their big day at a more affordable price, I’m writing about this affordable on-the-go teeth whitening treatment offered by The Smile Bar that I wish I knew about before my wedding.

What makes The Smile Bar teeth whitening different

The technology brought by The Smile Bar will help you have a brighter smile that’s two to nine shades lighter in just 20 minutes (or more, if you want it whiter).

Launched in 2017 in Manila, The Smile Bar offers safe, sophisticated, and effective teeth whitening services with products and technology from one of today’s largest names in the Swedish teeth whitening market, Brilliant Smile. The LED Plasma Light technology used in The Smile Bar’s teeth whitening treatment is truly effective, producing better and faster results compared to other teeth whitening methods.

The LED Plasma Light technology activates the whitening gel applied on my teeth

The Smile Bar pairs modern state-of-the-art equipment and an inviting and comfortable atmosphere to provide an enjoyable teeth-whitening experience—a complete relief after the uncomfortable experience I once went through. It involves the use of a very effective tooth whitening gel with a revolutionary formula and a sophisticated whitening lamp for immediate visible effects. Depending on your dental hygiene and lifestyle (i.e. if, like me, you regularly consume coffee, tea, red wine; or worse, if you smoke cigarettes), the whitening effect can last from a few weeks up to six months (if you really avoid everything that stain teeth).

You’ll get your whitening procedure done in one of these cute and comfy egg chairs

It’s considered more cosmetic-based than a clinical dental procedure, so think of it as like a facial or slimming treatment you need to do on a regular basis to maintain results. In this case, to maintain your pearly white smile, they recommend you redo the whitening treatment on a quarterly basis. It’s a quick and painless service that The Smile Bar goes the extra mile to make a pleasurable experience for you. In fact, they consider themselves a “dental salon”—much like a nail salon is to your tips and toes.

For one, instead of the typical reclining chair at the dentist’s, The Smile Bar has egg chairs that make you feel more comfortable. Then, they even provide you a bottle of water and a tablet with headphones where you can listen to music or watch movies during the procedure. I was distracted and relaxed throughout the whole procedure, I barely noticed the time—or even how bitter the blue-tinted whitening gel tasted (everything’s safe to swallow, however, I’m told).

But what truly sets The Smile Bar apart from other whitening treatments I’ve tried is its use of NanoSeal Total+ technology (P1,299), which re-mineralizes the enamel and seals the whiteness on your teeth—allowing you to eat or drink anything after your treatment, without risking new discoloration and waiting for the recommended 72-hour absorption window. As with your face, this means no downtime for your teeth—you can “skip the waiting and jump right back to your life,” they promised. This really took away the discomfort I associate with a fresh teeth whitening procedure (no sensitivity when my teeth were exposed to cold drinks, food, or even air unlike with that procedure I had years ago), and I was even able to eat a proper dinner and enjoy some cocktails a couple of hours after the procedure (although I still decided to avoid red wine and food with dark sauces).

Process and costs

Teeth whitening services start at P2,999 for Single Whitening (20 minutes of direct whitening, with a total of 30 minutes for the entire procedure) and can go for as much as P6,499 for Triple Whitening (three 20-minute sessions, which is the maximum number of sessions you can do in a day, with a total of 90 minutes for the entire procedure). If you like the results and would like to do this regularly, you can get a year’s worth of whitening services for only P24,999 (12 20-minute sessions).

I got Double Whitening for P4,999 (two 20-minute sessions with a total of 60 minutes for the entire procedure) with Nano Seal Total+.

Step 1: Initial Assessment. The first step is checking the shade of your teeth using a teeth shade guide. It’s done in this room that looks like it belongs more in a beauty salon than a dental clinic, what with a lighted Hollywood-style vanity mirror at the center of it all.

The whitening specialist—none of their staff are dentists, but they’re supposedly trained to administer the procedure by dental experts—assessed the shade of my fangs, and showed me my teeth shade was Shade 18.

Step 2: Pre-Whitening Treatment. Then she made me rinse with the pre-treatment Brilliant Smile WhiteningEvo Mouthrinse for one minute so that the toothpaste which I will brush with after—not before, like usual—will be more effective as it already helped loosen surface stains on teeth, especially spots that are harder for a toothbrush to reach, making them easier to brush off. Then I had to brush my teeth for two minutes using the Brilliant Smile WhiteningEvo Toothpaste, which also helps whiten teeth without damaging the teeth enamel and protects them from sensitivity. Doing this before the treatment ensures even lightening of the teeth, as they affect the perception of the tooth’s shade—a tooth with a whiter center with yellower edges will appear yellow. An oral cleansing activator was then applied to my teeth as primer.

Step 3: Whitening. I did two 20-minute whitening sessions while seated on a cozy egg chair. The specialist applied the teeth whitening gel formula after I wiped my teeth dry so the gel will adhere better and effectively remove discoloration and stains from the enamel.

I had to wipe my teeth dry with this so the whitening gel will adhere better when applied

Then I had to bite onto a mouthpiece attached to their UV-free LED Plasma Light technology, which activates the whitening gel. I wore protective glasses the whole time my teeth were exposed to the light. This first session is meant to remove surface stains, making my teeth instantly brighter and even shinier. See how my teeth looked below:

My teeth are lighter after the first 20-minute session of teeth whitening. Can I just say their lighted vanity mirror is so selfie-friendly?

After rinsing it out and brushing out the residue, the specialist did the whole process again for my second 20-minute session, which allows the gel to go deeper, now that surface stains are out of the way.

Application of NanoSeal Total+

The NanoSeal Total+ is an optional but recommended addition to every whitening procedure at The Smile Bar. The specialist used a small brush to apply a liquid solution on my teeth after the whitening procedure, then I had to let it sit for a minute before I spit it out (it was supposedly safe to swallow since it’s made of calcium, but it tastes and smells like plastic balloon, haha, so no, it had to go). It gave parts of my teeth and tongue a sort of rough texture for a few days, though—I guess that’s what coated my teeth. But in just one hour, this allowed me to freely eat and drink what I please—yes even coffee, cola, and red wine; supposedly, this removed any smoking restrictions for smokers, too.

How my teeth looked after two 20-minute whitening sessions with NanoSeal Total+

Step 4: Post-treatment Assessment. The specialist checked the shade of my teeth and gave me tips on how to maintain my bright new smile. She encouraged me to maintain a white food diet for three days, since that’s the amount of time before the tubules in my teeth that opened to allow the whitening ingredients in will close. This means I can only drink water, milk, and white wine (whew), and eat white meat, rice, potatoes, bread, dairy, apples, banana, etc. While I’m technically exempt from the 72-hour restriction because of the NanoSeal, she still recommended I avoid coffee, red wine, soda, chocolates, food with coloring, red meat, carrots, berries, and acidic food like anything with tomatoes, vinegar, soy sauce, citrus, and chili sauce. Still, I wasn’t able to resist drinking coffee the very next morning and the succeeding days after that, so thank goodness for NanoSeal.

Results

I like how The Smile Bar offers instantly visible teeth whitening on the go—it was something I just squeezed into my schedule on a whim. After the procedure, the specialist checked my teeth shade again: From Shade 18, it became Shade 12—6 shades lighter! I was amazed and even I found it hard to believe, but I have the photos to prove it:

Top: Pre-treatment; middle: after one session; bottom: after two sessions of teeth whitening
(Photos taken by the whitening specialist; lighting may have played a factor, too)

I went to get a cavity filled immediately after my visit to The Smile Bar, and even the dentist mentioned that normally, whitening treatments can only make teeth a maximum of five shades lighter in one session, so he was a bit dubious about the effect. (Doc, it could also have been the lighting.) The specialist also mentioned that my scheduling of treatments was recommended: I was right to do teeth whitening first, so that the dentist could match the color of the filling to my now lighter pearly whites.

I felt a slight tingle immediately after the procedure which lasted for a few hours, but not as bad when I first had my teeth lightened.

The whitening effect lasted for a few weeks and began to fade, no thanks to my love of black coffee and red wine. However, I noticed that my teeth became more sensitive to cold food and drinks and anything acidic. My teeth still occasionally feel some sensitivity up to now. I’m not sure if this is the general side effect for everyone who tried it, but this was what I experienced. I advice you to consult your own dentist before you try this procedure.

Overall, I still think it’s worth getting this teeth whitening treatment for special occasions, like your wedding (I really wish I got this before my wedding last December!), prenup shoot, or any event where you need to give your pearly whites an extra brightening boost to easily achieve that brilliant, confident smile. Get a consultation with them to see if this is for you.

Mother’s Day Promo

Put a smile on Mom’s face on her special day with The Smile Bar’s Mother’s Day promo. Brides-to-be should definitely take advantage of this promo with their moms!

Book a double or triple whitening service now until May 12 to get a gift pack of your choice—either the WhiteningBoost or WhiteningEvo Toothpaste worth P649 and P849 respectively, including carrying case.

Brilliant Smiles’ original daily toothpaste that dissolves surface stains gently.

An intense gel-based toothpaste to be used for 2 weeks for extra freshness.

Then on May 13, get 20% off on The Smile Bar’s single, double, and triple teeth whitening services. You may also share 12 sessions of teeth whitening services (equivalent to 12 20-minute sessions) with one family member or friend, all for P24,999 (save as much as 30%).

Make your and your mom’s smiles shine brightly inside and out by booking your appointments this week!

The Smile Bar is located at the 2F Cluster 2, Uptown Parade (above Valkyrie) in Uptown Bonifacio, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Book your teeth whitening appointment online at the-smile-bar.ph.

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