Does your day usually include one too many cups of coffee? Or perhaps a glass of red with dinner a few nights a week? You might have noticed these little joys are leaving a mark on your teeth.
Whether it’s due to beverage choices, genetics, or aging, most people will experience teeth yellowing at some point. The good news is we don’t have to accept it if we don’t want to. At-home teeth whitening kits put the power in our hands, and HiSmile is one such product that is getting a lot of hype. In this review, we’ll outline the pros and cons of the HiSmile VIO405 teeth whitening kit to help you decide if it’s the right solution for you.
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HiSmile at a Glance
HiSmile launched their first teeth whitening kit in 2014. While they have since introduced a full line of whitening products, including strips and a color-correcting serum, their VIO405 LED whitening kit is their core product. Over the years, they’ve generated a lot of hype for their whitening kit, sending it to hundreds of people around the world before its launch and maintaining strong influencer partnerships. To date, they’ve whitened over three million smiles.
What makes HiSmile so special? It mostly comes down to how their products whiten the teeth. Instead of using the typical peroxide-based formula, they use Phthalimidoperoxycaproicacid — or PAP+ for those of us not up for that tongue twister. It whitens the teeth gently, skipping the potential damage and sensitivity of harsher chemicals. HiSmile’s goal is to create at-home teeth whitening treatments that are just as effective as peroxide-backed ones, and they’re confident they’ve hit the mark.
As of right now, US based customers can only purchase the VIO405 through the HiSmile website.
Pros & Cons of HiSmile
Like millions around the globe, we think HiSmile is pretty great. It’s effective, great for sensitive teeth, and very convenient to use. But is it perfect? Like all other whitening kits, it isn’t quite there, but we think the pros outweigh the cons.
Pros of HiSmile
- The HiSmile whitening kit is peroxide-free, making it a gentler whitening option than most kits on the market today.
- Sessions take just ten minutes and you only need two to achieve maximum results.
- You can reduce your costs over time by purchasing the refills of their gel pods.
- Between skipping the peroxide and including hydroxyapatite, the formula isn’t known to cause tooth sensitivity.
Cons of HiSmile
- At $149, the HiSmile whitening kit is one of the most expensive direct-to-consumer whitening kits on the market.
- HiSmile customer reviews are pretty mixed.
Should You Buy the HiSmile Whitening Kit?
If you have sensitive teeth and don’t mind a pricier kit, go for it. HiSmile avoids peroxide, which can cause sensitivity, but maintains its teeth-whitening power, so it’s a great choice for anyone who wants a treatment that’s both effective and gentle.
Effectiveness
There are many things you want your whitening kit to be — affordable, convenient, and comfortable, to name a few — but the most important feature is effectiveness. If it doesn’t brighten your smile, it’s not a good investment.
According to HiSmile, their LED whitening kit is clinically proven to deliver instant whitening results.
That sounds like a bold claim, but it is backed by research — both their own in the HiSmile Research Centre in Australia and independent studies. In one, which was a double-blind study conducted by an independent dentist, 61.9% of patients found their smiles were brightened by three shades or more after a single ten-minute application, with 100% of them seeing at least a single shade difference.
But do the online reviews back that up? Most video testimonials are overwhelmingly positive, which is a good sign. However, most of those reviewers received the kit for free and even if the company didn’t pressure them, they might have felt like they needed to give things a positive spin. In other reviews, things are a bit more mixed. Though plenty of customers still swear by their products, others found the results lackluster.
The active whitening ingredient is PAP+ (short for phthalimidoperoxycaproicacid).
PAP+ whitens the teeth by oxidizing tooth stains — not unlike peroxide. However, it doesn’t release free radicals as it works. This means there is no risk of damage to or erosion of the enamel. In fact, studies have shown that it’s a safe and effective alternative to hydrogen and carbamide peroxide.
Some customers notice initial results after the first ten-minute session, and a full course of treatment includes just two. The company does suggest daily maintenance with their other whitening products, though, and they don’t state how long results last, so keep this in mind.
Overall, the HiSmile LED whitening kit appears to be an effective whitening treatment, though not everyone will see the same results.
Affordability
A big draw for at-home whitening kits is their price — even with the pricier products, you’ll save hundreds when compared to in-office treatments. Still, you want something that works with your budget.
The HiSmile VIO405 whitening kit comes with a sticker price of $149, making it one of the most expensive at-home whitening kits on the market.
For this price, you get an LED light, a mouthpiece, charging cable, PAP+ primer, travel case and six whitening gel pods. Most people see the best results between 1–2 uses, so once you’ve achieved your desired results you can save your leftover gel pods for smile touch-ups down the line. Although there are more affordable options out there, this kit could last you a long time.
If the sticker price is too much to tackle all at once, you can opt to finance your whitening kit through AfterPay. This allows you to break the total cost into four interest-free installments, making the price tag more approachable.
The LED light is reusable, and you can purchase gel refills, lowering your cost in the future.
Instead of buying a whole new kit when you finish your initial gel pods, you can purchase additional whitening gel. HiSmile sells sets of six gel pods for $49, so future treatments will be more affordable.
If you are committed to whitening without peroxide and want fast results, the trade-off of a higher price could make HiSmile worth it for you.
Quality of Ingredients
With any product that goes inside your mouth, you need to feel assured the ingredients are high quality and safe. Great news! Using scientifically-backed ingredients is at the core of HiSmile’s mission.
The star of the show is PAP+, as we noted above. It’s a peroxide alternative that is considered to be safer for the teeth.
It oxidizes tooth stains, including those set into the enamel. So far, there PAP+ hasn’t shown any negative effects. It doesn’t harm the enamel and it doesn’t cause tooth sensitivity. It was actually developed to lift stains out of clothing without bleaching them, so it’s all about restoring color.
With that said, it isn’t used in many teeth whitening products. While there are other kits that avoid peroxide, they usually use things like coconut oil and charcoal. Phthalimidoperoxycaproicacid is one of the rarer alternatives to peroxide.
This whitening agent is backed by other quality ingredients, all of which come together to make the whitening gel more pleasant and effective. These include:
- Glycerin
- Water
- PVP
- Potassium Citrate
- Hydroxyapatite
- Sodium Phosphate
- Peppermint Oil
- Disodium Phosphate
- Potassium Hydroxide
- Sodium Saccharin
- Sodium Gluconate
- t-Butyl Alcohol
- PVM/MA Copolymer
- Xanthan Gum
- C12-15 Pareth-3
- Monosodium Citrate
- Titanium Dioxide
- Mica
- Tin Oxide
That’s a pretty long list, and there are a few that give us pause, though not due to safety concerns. That’s the mica, titanium dioxide, and tin oxide. These ingredients stay on the teeth for hours after whitening and make the teeth appear whiter (whether stains have been lifted out or not). It makes us wonder how much of those instant results from their studies aren’t authentic whitening, but rather how we interpret those temporary changes.
HiSmile’s ingredients should brighten your smile without causing damage or sensitivity, but how big of a difference they’ll make is debatable.
Convenience
You’re a busy adult; life is complicated. You don’t want to use a whitening treatment that will intrude on your schedule much. Luckily, HiSmile is one of the fastest and easiest to use whitening kits on the market today.
You start with the standard teeth whitening prep — brush with a fluoride-free toothpaste and floss your teeth.
HiSmile suggests you whiten before bed for the best results, so this fits right into your usual nighttime routine. Once your teeth are nice and clean, you need to dry them with a cloth or by sucking air in through your teeth.
Before putting in your trays, apply the PAP+ primer to each tooth. Next, attach the tray to the light and add the gel to the mouthpiece. Each pod has enough gel for one treatment, so put half the pod on the top of the tray and the other half on the bottom. Compared to other kits where you have to carefully measure out the gel, this is simple as can be.
The light times your whitening session, and you don’t need to worry about reapplying the gel or restarting the light.
You just pop the tray in, turn on the light, and wait until it turns off 10 minutes later. And yes, 10 minutes is all it takes. Compare that to products that take 30–60 minutes per whitening session and it is clear that HiSmile was designed with convenience in mind.
On top of this, it only takes two sessions to achieve maximum results. The industry standard is 7–14 days, so this saves you a lot of time.
Afterward, just rinse your mouth and spit out the excess gel. For best results, you should avoid eating and drinking anything other than water after your treatment. Since HiSmile suggests whitening before bed, this shouldn’t be too challenging.
HiSmile is designed to make whitening easy on you and is easily one of the most convenient LED kits on the market.
Comfort
We believe in total honesty, and the truth is that whitening your teeth is pretty much always a bit awkward. Whether it’s from gooey strips on your teeth or clunky trays, things can be a little weird. HiSmile avoids many of the common comfort pitfalls, but it isn’t perfect.
HiSmile avoids the tooth sensitivity commonly associated with whitening products.
The major culprit behind this sensitivity is peroxide due to the way it opens the pores of the enamel, letting things irritate the nerves inside the teeth. PAP+ still opens those pores to oxidize the stains, just not to the same degree. On top of this, the formula includes hydroxyapatite. A form of calcium apatite, it remineralizes and strengthens the teeth.
It also has an overall pleasant taste — if you like peppermint, at least. While some of the ingredients have a chemical taste, it isn’t as powerful as peroxide-based formulas and the peppermint oil goes a long way to cover it.
The LED light is hands-free and lets you go about your life while whitening.
Some LED whitening kits are too heavy to hold in place with your lips and teeth but HiSmile is lightweight. You just hold your mouth closed in its natural position and let your teeth anchor it. The tray is a universal mouthpiece, so it fits the majority of people, but those with wide or narrow arches might find it uncomfortable.
It’s battery-operated, so you aren’t tethered to a power source. The one downside is that the batteries are just large button batteries, not a rechargeable system, so you will need to replace them eventually.
By skipping peroxide and making their kit hands-free, HiSmile offers a comfortable whitening experience.
What Are Customers Saying?
HiSmile customers are happy with their whitening experience — in most cases. Like any whitening kit, you’re not going to find 100% satisfaction amongst customers, but reviews indicate you’re going to get results.
One of the biggest praises it gets is being excellent for sensitive teeth. Time and time again, customers note that they have skipped teeth whitening because of the pain it causes only to come across HiSmile and finally find a solution that works for them.
Other aspects people love are the flavor and the lack of peroxide. But not every review is positive. About 67% of reviewers on TrustPilot give it five stars. But about 15% have some bones to pick. People would like to get a customizable mouth tray or at least have multiple options for better fits. There are also quite a few complaints about slow service, both in terms of shipping and customer support.
Final Thoughts
HiSmile might be pricier than most whitening kits, but for the price, you get quality peroxide-free whitening. Their VIO405 kit, and all their whitening products, are backed by extensive research and designed to prevent sensitivity.
But is HiSmile right for you? To know for sure, you have to check out the competition. Check out our review of the 5 best at-home teeth whitening products to compare your options.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the primary advantages of using LED whitening kits?
LED light may help accelerate the whitening process. Now, the data on this is mixed, with some research backing these claims and others finding no difference between whitening with or without LED lights. We suggest doing some additional research and deciding if LED lights are essential to your teeth whitening.
Are there any tricks for keeping my lips from chapping?
Since the whitening sessions are very short, you might not deal with any lip chapping like you would with other LED kits. However, a thicker lip balm should offer all the protection you need.
Can it really be safe to whiten your teeth at home?
-home teeth whitening has been commonplace for over 20 years and millions of people brighten their smiles at home every year. Just consult your dentist first and take the following precautions:
- Buy authentic products from official websites or official stores on third-party sites.
- Whiten according to the instructions in the kit — don’t whiten for longer or more frequently than the directions state.
- Read the full ingredients list and make sure there isn’t anything you are allergic to.
Are all HiSmile products equally effective?
No, most of their whitening products are designed for maintaining the whitening from the VIO405 system and cannot achieve the same results on their own.
My teeth used to be sparkling white. What happened?
Don’t feel bad — this doesn’t mean your teeth are bad or dirty. Everyone’s teeth change color with time, but certain habits, such as drinking coffee or smoking, can yellow the teeth faster than age alone will. Also, genetics play a role, so there isn’t always much you can do to prevent it from happening even if you can reverse the stains.
Can I whiten my teeth if I have braces?
It won’t likely damage the braces but it generally isn’t a good idea. Because your whitening kit can only whiten the surfaces not covered by brackets, you’ll end up with uneven results once your braces are removed.
Is it OK to use whitening pens when pregnant or breastfeeding?
There’s limited research on this, so we don’t have a definitive answer. Talk to your OBGYN or pediatrician and follow their guidance.
Can whitening kits get rid of stains on cosmetic and restorative dentistry?
Whitening kits cannot change the actual color of restorative dentistry; they only eliminate surface stains. Plus, some whitening kits can actually damage the materials used in restorative and cosmetic dentistry. If you have veneers, crowns, bridges, and the like, really research products before using them.
Is it dangerous to use a whitening kit more often than indicated on the instructions?
It can be. This is riskiest with kits that contain peroxide since it opens the pores of the enamel significantly, which if done too much can weaken the teeth.
