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If you're searching for the best teeth whitening products, whether that's whitening strips, whitening toothpaste, or otherwise looking to get more sparkly teeth, we've got you covered. Because no matter how thorough your basic brushing and flossing regimen is, that alone won't get you pearly white teeth. It’d be a hell of a lot easier if things like coffee, tea, red wine, dark cola, and tomato sauce weren’t staining the teeth every day, but alas. None of us is going to give up any of those, so instead we’ve got to pick up a consistent teeth-whitening program if we want a brighter smile.
Whitening the teeth is something that can be done in short, targeted sessions, and discoloration can be abetted by incorporating specific anti-staining products into your existing oral-care regimen. The biggest step of proactively whitening the teeth is something that some people will only do with a dentist, since it involves removing enamel, exposing the tiny pores on the surface of the teeth, and effectively bleaching them. Other people, however, are content doing this from home. And if you’re one of those people, then you need to invest in products that won’t compromise the long term health of your pearly whites, just for the sake of a few years’ vanity.
To get an electric-white set of teeth on par with The Rock's, you've got to build out your arsenal with the right whitening products, from the classic strips to lights, gels, and teched-out toothpastes. Luckily, we've tried 'em all. And with that, here are the best products to help you whiten your teeth quickly, effectively, and safely.
1. Best Whitening Strips
Moon dissolving white strips
It's tough to compete with Crest's pedigree in the dental hygiene arena, but upstart Moon is ready for the challenge. The brand's fully dissolvable, peppermint-scented strips are designed for on-the-go use. It's a worthy contender for the crown.
Of course, the year Crest relinquishes this spot is the year hell freezes over. (That 20,000-voice chorus of Amazon reviews can't be wrong.) Their 3D Whitestrips are one of the gentler, more affordable routes in the DIY-whitening game. This single kit includes enough strips for 20 whitening sessions, which are intended to be used daily, for 30 minutes, until you’re through with the pack. As a bonus, you also get 2 express whitening pairs, which brighten teeth significantly in a single hour. (Consider saving those for a re-up whitening session every 3-6 months down the road, before restocking the whole supply each year.) In all the kit promises to remove up to 14 years of stains in under 20 days, when used as directed.
2. Best Teeth-Whitening Gel
Bite whitening gel
Bite's vegan gel is the centerpiece of the brand's entirely plastic-free whitening system. Simply dip the (compostable!) applicator into the serum, apply a healthy dollop onto each tooth, and hold that smile for two minutes while it works its magic. Run through the routine twice a day for two weeks and your pearly whites will be back to looking that way in no time at all.
GLO Science’s tiny squeezable whitening vials go a long way, providing up to 28 gel applications with their hydrogen-peroxide formula. These are engineered to safely and significantly brighten your teeth in a week’s time. After applying gel onto both rows of teeth, turn on your activating LED light and pop it into your mouth, for an extra fresh-looking finish.
3. Best Teeth-Whitening Toothpaste
vVardis "Edelweiss" whitening toothpaste
vVardis’s high-tech toothpaste won a Grooming Award this year for good reason. It's cutting-edge, patented formula promises to whiten teeth in two weeks flat.
Spry’s all-natural paste uses xylitol to safely and gently whiten teeth over time, thanks to small amounts of calcium peroxide in the recipe. (Xylitol, for the uninitiated, is like stevia in that is a natural sugar. It is extracted from birch trees and is safely used as a sweetener. Many other whitening pastes are made from corn syrup or sugar.) This toothpaste, like any great one, leaves your breath and gums fresh, but it scores highest marks for leaving behind whiter teeth.
4. Best Teeth-Whitening Trays
These soft thermoform trays are specially made to fit the shape of your mouth. Dip them in water to mold them to your chompers, and then use them in tandem with the brand's gel to whiten your teeth, sans the usual sensitivity.
If standalone gel isn’t your thing, or if you’d rather not use the LED-whitening trays, then consider Opalescence. These one-time-use trays come pre-loaded with whitening gel and go in like a mouth guard to cover all of your teeth, molar to molar. They instantly adjust to fit snugly and securely. Leave them on from 15 minutes to an hour, depending on the potency (10 percent or 15 percent hydrogen peroxide concentration). Both concentrations contain potassium nitrate and fluoride, which help minimize sensitivity while improving the "micro-hardness" of your enamel. All of this ensures professional-level, consistent results at home, and really whitens all your chompers (not just the front few, like some other techniques). Bonus: Because the gel surrounds the entire tooth, these even work if you have braces.
5. Best Teeth-Whitening Pen
Go Smile's waterproof whitening pen is pricey, but it means business. Use it twice a day to reduce signs of stainage in as little as a week.
If you've bleached your hair before, then you know that in order to keep the blond from going all yellow and brassy, you've got to use a purple toner. Well, Popwhite uses that same logic for your teeth. The purple pigment in this toothpaste-and-mouthwash duo will instantly make yellowy teeth appear whiter through simple color theory—the purple hue cancels out hints of yellow. Over time, using this combo whenever you brush—twice a day, people, no excuses—will lighten stains with all-natural xylitol and coconut oil, options that are friendly to just about everyone's teeth. It's peroxide-free, fluoride-free, cruelty-free, and vegetarian-friendly.
6. Best Teeth-Whitening Powder
The drugstore mainstay balances its teeth-whitening charcoal blend with an added splash of coconut.
Activated charcoal is a common ingredient in grooming, since it extracts impurities from the skin and teeth. When it comes to your smile, this means it pulls away staining agents (and can even steadily remove existing stains). Simply brush Laguna Moon's powder into your mouth like toothpaste (some people even combine it with their paste) and it gives you a doubly effective cleaning.
7. Best Teeth-Whitening Kit
CO. by Colgate SuperNova rechargeable whitening kit
Colgate’s 10-day LED kit is a gradual but effective approach to a whiter smile, free of sensitivity and pain throughout the process. You can also buy a refill of the whitening wand for $25, for whenever you need to refresh the brightness. (That’s about once a year for you coffee, cola, and wine drinkers.)
Crest whitening emulsions kit
Crest’s Whitening Emulsions kit has been one of our favorites since it was released in 2020, but this year the brand added an LED light to the mix taking the whole thing to the next level. It's still as easy as ever to use, but now you've got the benefit of a high-powered blue light at your beck and call, too.
8. Best Teeth-Whitening Toothpaste for Sensitive Teeth
Davids' Grooming Award-winning option combines a hippie-approved fluoride- and sulfate-free formula with an innovative treatment for tooth sensitivity.
While no toothpaste will single-handedly whiten your teeth, you can supplement your efforts with one that proactively helps those other tactics. Sensodyne is devised for people with gum or tooth sensitivity—which is anyone who, in the pursuit of brightness, must strip their own enamel and bleach their teeth. (So, that's all of us reading this article.) Plus, it protects and fortifies tooth enamel, has fluoride to thwart cavities, and gently boosts the brightening process while freshening your smile.
9. Best Charcoal-Activated Floss
Prefer to floss with a handy-dandy pick? Oral-B's charcoal-infused packs make navigating the crevices of your mouth easier than ever.
The truth is, any floss is going to prevent discoloration by removing the food that stains teeth. But Hello takes it a step further by infusing activated charcoal into their floss to improve stain prevention and pull away the plaque and impurities that coat and color our teeth.
10. Best Budget LED Teeth-Whitening Kit
SmileDirectClub teeth whitening LED accelerator light
SDC's portable LED contraption is made using the same technology your dentist relies on, and syncs up seamlessly with your phone or USB. It's not as thorough as it's pricier counterparts, but at a little over 20 bucks, you can afford to double-up.
If you need to get rid of surface stains but don't want to remove too much cash from your checking account, then invest smartly in this LED-powered mouth tray from AuraGlow. It delivers visible, lasting results after a single whitening treatment. Deploy it for just 30 minutes a day to safely remove plaque and discoloration. Don't only take our word for it: check out the 20,000+ reviews on Amazon, complete with plenty of before-and-after pictures showcasing people's results.
Make your dentist proud this year.
