This post is creative content. I strive to bring my personal experiences and evidence based practices to you in a fun, creative way. That said, none of this is meant to cure, prevent, or treat any nutrition or health conditions.

This post has been brewing for a long time. Speaking of brewing, did you know that coffee and other foods can stain your teeth? Yes even the nutritious food and bev can bring your pearly whites down a shade or two (or more!). That’s why I’m excited to tell you all about Smile Brilliant a teeth whitening kit that I tried. The results are noticeable, especially in person. But I have before and after photos for you to see. Keep reading!

What Foods Stain Your Teeth?

Coffee


Tea

Tea
Berries

Berries
Beets

Berries
Citrus Fruits & Drinking Lemon Water

Wine

Wine
Why Do They Stain Your Teeth?

The pigments in foods are responsible for staining our teeth. They are known as ‘chromogens’ which is basically an umbrella term to describe any chemical in a food that has color. Many of these chromogens are ‘polyphenolic compounds’ which are known to stimulate physiological effects in our bodies , some of them beneficial!

The same compounds that are in the foods that may have a physiological benefit are what add discoloring to our teeth. I don’t know about you, but I am a coffee in the morning kinda girl! Lately it’s decaf, but the tannins in coffee (in tea too) are still present and definitely discolored my teeth. I used to drink lemon water, but stopped doing that because it was also wearing on my enamel. Fun Fact! Cheese can improve your teeth because the act of physically biting into a piece of cheese protects the enamel.

So should we stop eating healthy foods in order to have white teeth? Absolutely not! There is finally an affordable way to professionally whiten our teeth without having to go to the dentist. Just pop in the custom trays in the comfort of your own home! That’s where Smile Brilliant comes in.

Smile Brilliant offered me a free full kit in exchange for an honest review of their product. I tried it out and was so impressed with how simple it was to take impressions of my very own teeth and get custom designed trays. I used my professional whitening kit at night after dinner since that’s what was recommended. Not only did it help whiten my teeth but it helped me limit my night time snacking , haha! So that was an unexpected benefit to this whitening kit as well.

The whitening gel glides out of the tube and into the custom tray which makes it whiten more evenly than those basic strips at the store. The results will vary from person to person because everyone has a different natural tooth shade of white, and everyone acquires different stains throughout their life.

Are Nutrition And Oral Health Linked?

Can you eat without teeth? Yes, but it’s difficult. Imagine chowing down on that crunchy, creamy avocado toast of yours without a strong set of teeth to help cut through it. Having a strong set of teeth make digestion a lot easier for our bodies. When you are without teeth, you have to eat pureed foods which are not as palatable as chewing. Thinki blended pizza…. Not that appetizing, huh? Even though the flavor is there that physical act of biting adds to the pleasure we get from eating.

Okay, But How Does The Whiteness Of Your Teeth Impact Nutrition?

Whiteness of your teeth is determined by surface stains and enamel. Enamel softens and appears dull making stains more likely. A soft enamel increases the sensitivity of your teeth and its ability to form cavities. This leads to dental work you probably don’t want and can lead to tooth sensitivity to temperatures or even textures. Weakened enamel makes enjoying ice cream or hot cocoa pretty difficult. So protecting the enamel on your teeth will keep your teeth whiter and stronger.

If YOU want to win a full Smile Brilliant teeth whitening kit, I have a giveaway for you! Not interested in the competition but want a discount code? I have that for you too!