Last December, my friend Celine visited the Smile Bar and she said she loved their service. Back then, I didn’t avail of the service myself – I just stayed with her and accompanied her throughout the procedure and I personally saw how her teeth lightened several shades in one session! I was super busy at the time but I knew at that point I wanted to try it out myself. Luckily, I finally found the time so I went back.
Having white teeth has always been a dream of mine. I mean, I grind my teeth, apparently. And there was even a time I got so stressed of its yellowing I kept bullying my teeth and brushing hard with a toothbrush to rid of the staining – which my dentist told me I actually shouldn’t do. Thus, I’ve been wanting to try out a teeth whitening procedure for a while now but I was always worried about tooth sensitivity and the side effects. But since Celine personally attests to it and I did see the results myself, I decided to give it a go.
What is Smile Bar
The Smile Bar is a dental whitening center which has its origins in Hong Kong and has recently expanded to other locations in the Southeast Asian region such as franchises in the Philippines and Thailand. They offer a safe way to obtain a brighter smile in just a single session using the most effective whitening products and technology available in the market today, primarily their LED Plasma Light Technology from one of the most acclaimed companies in Sweden, Brilliant Smile. Aside from the expert oral care and whitening, Smile Bar also offers a luxurious and comfortable experience for its guests with big soft egg chairs and entertainment to keep you busy and as relaxed as possible during the procedure. Depending on your eating and drinking habits, the whitening effect can last as long as 6 months if you aren’t an avid wine, coffee, and tea drinker.
Steps for Teeth Whitening
Step 1: Initial Assessment and Briefing
Here, you’re told all about the teeth whitening procedure, what it entails, the longevity of the whiteness, etc., Then, you sign up and fill out their provided form.
Step 2: Assessment of teeth color
Afterwards, they will assess your tooth color depending on its shade – they have a sample of all the tooth shades on their R-20 Bleaching Shade Guide ranging from the whitest at S2 to the most yellow at S40. After matching your present tooth color to its respective shade, they will also take a “before” picture of your teeth so you can see the improvement once the procedure is done. My shade was S20.
Step 3: Cleaning and Oral Care
You will be asked to prepare for the actual treatment by brushing your teeth with their Brilliant Smile dental products. Rinse first with the Brilliant Smile mouthrinse, then brush with their soft toothbrush and toothpaste. Afterwards you have to put on a dry pad, called the Oral Cleansing activator, around your finger in order to dry your teeth – this enables the gel to stick onto the enamel of your teeth better, resulting in a more obvious whitening effect.
Step 4: Application of Gel and Plasma Light for 20 minutes
They led me over to the comfy round egg chair to finally start the actual whitening procedure. The secret to their amazing whitening effect is primarily the teeth whitening gel that they use, which is then activated by the LED Plasma Light Technology. After you’ve finished drying your teeth with their Oral Cleansing activator, you’re made to bite down on a mouth guard which has the gel already applied. The gel is purple, interestingly enough. This is actually because the LED Plasma Light reacts better to darker colors, resulting in a faster, more effective whitening result than if you used a lighter-colored gel. And without the LED Plasma Light, it would actually take hours upon hours for the gel to dissolve!
Once the light is turned on, protective glasses are placed over your eyes and you wait a total of 20 minutes for the procedure to finish. You’re provided with noise-cancelling headphones and an iPad for entertainment while you wait, coupled with their super fast wifi. Be sure not to move around too much, however, because the slightest movements can cause the light to shift away and not dissolve the gel fully. The helpful attendants constantly check to make sure that the light is hitting the teeth properly, thankfully.
You can even have this procedure repeated if you want whiter results, depending on the whitening package you choose.
Step 5: Gargle
Gargle out the dissolved solution, then check out your current teeth situation. If you are doing the double or triple whitening treatment, then repeat step 4 till you get your desired result.
Final Steps
After the procedure is all over and done with, they apply the Nano Seal Total+ which seals the new whiteness of the teeth and adds an extra layer of strength and reinforcement of the tooth enamel which is a very important step. Why? Without it you can’t eat or drink and colored food and beverages for 3 days! With the Nano Seal, you only have to wait an hour or so before consuming colored foods and drinks. The way it’s applied is very stringently, with a layer over every single tooth using a small brush to ensure all of the spots are covered and sealed properly. You can choose to go without it but given the 3-day downtime con, it’s really much better that you undergo the Nano Seal.
If you choose to forego the treatment, however, these are the steps you have to take in order to ensure the whitening effect remains on your teeth for as long as possible:
- Avoid smoking
- Avoid coffee, tea, and wine as well as other drinks that stain
- Avoid candy and chocolate, and other foods which implement food coloring
- Avoid acidic food as this causes sensitivity
Takeaway
Smile Bar whitens your teeth to its natural white, unlike other treatments which whiten the teeth to an extent where it seems overly done and fake, with the added con of sensitivity and discomfort. A session at the Smile Bar brings out the natural white of your teeth, minimizing the negative effects that other procedures might have. Do be sure to manage your expectations because your teeth might not come out looking as blinding white as the movie stars – they can look fake if they’re too white, after all. For most customers, they get 5 shades whiter teeth however this can still vary. The whitening effect can also last as long as 6 months, depending on your eating and drinking habits, as mentioned before. It’s more of a cosmetic procedure than a dental one so results won’t be permanent – but for the longevity and results you get, it’s really quite worth it.
The Smile Bar Rates for Teeth Whitening
Single Whitening Treatment: PHP 2999
Double Whitening Treatment: PHP 4999
Triple Whitening Treatment: PHP 6999
Nano Seal Total+: PHP 1299
Brilliant Smile WhiteningEvo Toothpaste: PHP 849
Brilliant Smile WhiteningBoost Toothpaste: PHP 649
Brilliant Smile WhiteningEvo Mouthrinse: PHP 999
How to Book your Smile Bar appointment
To book your own Smile Bar teeth whitening appointment, you can contact them during office hours at (0917) 148 5659 and (02) 541 2853. If they have available slots, they also accept walk-ins. You can visit Smile Bar at the 2nd Floor, Cluster 2, Uptown Parade, BGC, Taguig City
For more information, you can check out Smile Bar’s social media handles:
