Custom At-Home Teeth Whitening For Less Than $10 (That Actually Works!)

(These aren't my teeth- http://www.glenwoodvillagedentistry.com/- but's it the closest picture I could find to my results)

I am a firm believer in the power of bright, white teeth.  Nothing drastic like:

Incisors that glow in the dark

Or having a mouth full of Chiclets...

But a naturally bright smile can make you look younger and refreshed.  With my slight obsession with iced tea and coffee, my smile needed a little uplift.

I've tried numerous whitening products that always either left my teeth or my wallet hurting.  Insert the $10 miracle whitening that I've been using for the last few months.  My teeth are not the least bit sensitive, and they've honestly never looked better! 

To begin, buy two rubber mouth guards used for sports. 

I got mine at Wal-Mart in the sports section by the helmets and basketballs.  They were $1.97 each, and can come with the helmet strap attached (like the pic on the left) or without.  If your store only has those with the strap, no biggie, just snip it off with a pair of scissors.  

There are directions on the package for how to fit them to your mouth.  You submerge them in very hot water and then press them around your teeth.  If done correctly (and it's not very hard at all), you'll have a custom set of teeth whitening trays in a matter of minutes. 

Once you have your trays, you'll need this: 

I also found this at Wal-Mart for $4.97, but I've also seen it at Walgreens and numerous stores online.  This stuff is amazing!!  You get quite a bit of product, so I feel like the $5 goes a long, long way.

I've tried two methods to whiten my teeth: 1. Squirt the gel into the trays and then pop them in my mouth and 2. "paint" the gel on my teeth with a q-tip and then pop the trays in.  Both ways are effective, but I feel like preloading the trays works a little better, because more product gets onto the teeth.  Be careful not to put too much in there...I did and it oozed out of the tray from all sides, and let's just say it was gag inducing.  The taste isn't one that you'll want lingering in my mouth for a while.  

The package states it's a 5 minute whitening bleach, but you can leave it on for up to 15 minutes a day. I usually put them in while I'm getting into the shower or drying my hair.  It's next to impossible to talk (or sing) with both the trays in, and I think my husband thoroughly enjoys not having to listen to me try to sound like Adele while I'm sudsing my hair.  It keeps the dogs from howling along too...  :)