
Byrdie / Jenna Igneri / Abby Mercer / Leigh Weingus
Everyone wants A bright smile—but teeth yellowing can atomic number 4 well-nigh impossible to avoid. Whether it’s redness wine, coffee, or evening eating highly pigmented fruits, things you do daily tin can dim your smile and cause surface stains. That’s why we’re sol gladiola that there’s a wide variety of teeth whitening products that you tin use atomic number 85 home—you don’t even rich person to make AN appointment with your dentist. “Teeth whitening ware work past breaking down feather discoloration on the enamel with active ingredient the likes of hydrogen peroxide or urea peroxide, which lead to a visibly whiter smile,” says board-certified cosmetic dentist Dr. Kevin Sands.
We spend hours testing the best teeth whitening product atomic number 85 place and in our NYC-based Lab, appraise picks ground on their active ingredients, practical application methods, and how apace they could noticeably whiten teeth. We also confer with quatern dentists, WHO share the teeth bleaching agent they advocate to their client for at-home use. after combine their insights with our research and first-hand testing, we landed on these top teeth blanching agent and kits.
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Can remove years of staining
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Most recommended by dentists
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Safe for spiritualist teeth and gums
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Strips can slide off easily
Type:Strips |Session Duration:45 proceedings |Key Ingredients:Hydrogen peroxide, sodium hydroxide
Recommended past dentists and beauty editors similar (and eventide influencers ), it’s no surprise that the crest Professional upshot Whitestrips came out on top. “This be among the most effective over-the-counter whitening products,” says Dr. Sands. “It’s know for providing noticeable results, making information technology angstrom go-to pick for many patient WHO want to lighten their smile without a visit to the dentist.” It’s develop with angstrom unit 10% atomic number 1 peroxide-based formula, which is the ingredient that dentists recommend and use in-office for teeth bleach and whitening treatments, and IT can make the dentition up to 23 degree whiter inch just 24 days.
The strip include can conniption all dentition sizes and shapes, and you sole have to use them one time angstrom day for forty-five minutes. This kit also seminal fluid with IV one-hour express mail treatments to see results even quicker. The best part be that it’s gentle on your enamel and won’t cause any damage with proceed usage while whitening. “The strips bash not cause major sensitivity, and they work well for stain on the outside of teeth,” says Dr. Joshua Perlman, DMD.
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PHOTO: Byrdie / candy Tierno Baker -
PHOTO: Byrdie / Candy Tierno Baker
Jenna, tester:“My grin looked slightly bright by the third utilization and go along to lighten up more over the remain week. By the end of the testing period, my smile was noticeably whiter.”
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Gives full upshot in X days
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Keep the teeth Caucasian for months
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Straightforward and easy to use
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LED tray be bulky
Type:Strips, light|Session Duration:60 minutes |Key Ingredients:Hydrogen peroxide, Na hydroxide
If you have an upcoming event and deprivation white teeth fast, you’ll love these Whitestrips with LED visible light for speedy results. IT ejaculate with sole 10 treatments—so you’ll see full results in 10 days. The blue light tin weaken the discoloration on your teeth, fashioning it easy for the hydrogen peroxide to lift them and whiten. “The inclusion of light engineering can heighten the event by accelerating the whitening process,” says Dr. Sands, and helium notes that it’s apply by many of his patients World Health Organization want to whiten astatine home.
They’re simple to use—apply the strip to the teeth, leave them on for sixty minutes, and then shine the light for Little Phoebe minutes (it has an auto-shutoff, so there’s no need to set a timer). IT can remove years of stains, and the results can last for calendar month astatine A time. When victimisation an LED whitening treatment, Dr. littoral zone say to continue with caution and follow the instructions exactly. “It’s important for patients to usage it right to avoid potential sensitiveness OR gum irritation,” helium explains.
While testing, we love that the strips had a nice clutch that stayed in place, and we say a noticeable brightness after about Little Phoebe days. After 10, we found that any surface discoloration had faded significantly and our smile was much whiter.
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PHOTO: Byrdie / Jenna Igneri -
PHOTO: Byrdie / Jenna Igneri
Jenna, tester:“They’re effective, they’re affordable, and they’re way stronger than the average whitening toothpaste.”
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Pre-filled tray with hydrogen peroxide gel
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Has a comfortable fit that doesn’t slip patch using
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Used in-office by dentists
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Unpleasant taste
Type:Gel, tray |Session Duration:20 minutes|Key Ingredients:Hydrogen peroxide, xylitol
Extrinsic discolouration tin beryllium found on the exterior of the teeth and are normally caused by food or beverages. Intrinsic stains are set deep in the teeth, unremarkably rump the enamel. “Intrinsic discoloration are A spot more challenging and need a more intensive system of whitening to reach optimal results,” say Dr. Perlman. “Whitening gels need to penetrate into teeth and break up discolouration molecule deep interior the structure of teeth. In our office, we employment the Opalescence turn 15% kit for these cases.”
This powerful whitening kit includes pre-filled trays with 15% H hydrogen peroxide gel, which Dr. Sands say be effective but conciliate on your enamel. He recommends IT for patient quest A professional-grade lightening experience astatine home. It’s as well easy to use—all you need to brawl be put the tray on the teeth firmly, suck for 2 seconds, and then remove the outer green tray. after XV to XX minutes, remove and then brush your teeth. We love that information technology has a comfortable fit that doesn’t cause any discomfort, and the mickle smell leaf your breath fresh.
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PHOTO: Byrdie / Jhett Thompson -
PHOTO: Byrdie / Jhett Thompson
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Has a lower concentration of hydrogen peroxide for less irritation
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Shows event in angstrom week
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Can atomic number 4 apply on crowns and veneers
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Application process be tiresome
Type:Gel, light|Session Duration:32 minutes|Key Ingredients:Hydrogen peroxide, atomic number 11 hydroxide
Whitening treatments are usually out of the question for sensitive dentition since the chemicals used to lift stains tin be harsh and irritating. If you’re look for angstrom unit way to lighten up your teeth and remove surface discolouration without the pain, we recommend this LED device kit. information technology only has astir 6% hydrogen hydrogen peroxide (a lower berth concentration than any other option on this list) to reduce irritation and sensitivity. But that doesn’t mean it’s less effective.
“This be a well-engineered, at-home whitening system that combines heat and visible radiation to enhance the whitening process, offering results that approach what patient power expect from an in-office treatment,” say Dr. Sands. “It’s a solid option for those seeking Sir Thomas More move on at-home care.” Dr. Irina Kessler, DDS, be as well a fan of this kit—she frequently furnish these for patients to use at home, and information technology hour angle A powerful formula that plant well in coincidence with office bleaching. The combination of LED and heat makes the active ingredient work better and quicker—with a lower concentration. During testing, we found that the application process WA drawn-out than other products on this list, only our teeth got brighter and bright with each use. We also loved that it’s portable, sol it’s a great choice while traveling.
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PHOTO: Byrdie / Ashley Rebecca -
PHOTO: Byrdie / Ashley Rebecca
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Comes with whitening gel pen, LED visible radiation tray, and hygienize case
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Can too mend enamel and cut down gum sensitivity
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Wireless and hands-free
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Tray doesn’t fit very well
Type:Gel, light|Session Duration:9-30 minutes|Key Ingredients:Carbamide,hydrogen peroxide
Kits are a great choice to preclude Beaver State treat yellowing without AN office visit, As they normally come with everything you need to whiten your teeth effectively. This ace from snowfall diamond include a whitening colloidal gel pen, an light-emitting diode light device, and a bear down case as well As a dentition shade guide to help track your progress and take note of results. after brushing, apply the gel straight to the teeth, and then you can utilisation the mouthpiece to add LED light for up to XXX minutes (but information technology tin be efficacious in just Nina from Carolina transactions a day.)
Dr. Sands say this choice is a favorite for his patient when whitening at home. “This is popular for its ability to deliver results patch minimize sensitivity, which be frequently a concern with nonprescription products.” If you’re already dealing with medium dentition or gums, don’t worry—this won’t exacerbate information technology (the gel can also fixing and rebuild the enamel for stronger teeth).
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PHOTO: Byrdie / Leigh Weingus -
PHOTO: Byrdie / Leigh Weingus
Leigh, tester:“I noticed a alteration inch my teeth colour right after the number one use, when I had the device in my rima oris for about ten minutes. iodine would say my teeth became about one to two shades lighter—it WA in spades noticeable.”
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Can glucinium use throughout the day to instantly whiten without devising a mess
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Protects the teeth from futurity stains
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Made without preservatives, dyes, OR additives
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Doesn’t contain actual whitening agents
Type:Gel|Session Duration:n/a|Key Ingredients:Coconut oil, dead sea salt
Want to rapidly white your teeth before eating to guard against stains? The Lumineux Dual Action pen Energy Department just that. “This pen be especially utile for quick touch-ups and maintaining a bright smile between more comprehensive whitening treatments,” says Dr. Sands. “It’s easy to use and angstrom good option for patient looking for angstrom simple, on-the-go solution.” This pen does not contain actual bleaching ingredients like hydrogen peroxide, but coconut oil (a popular ingredient for the Ayurvedic practice of oil pulling) and dead sea salt instead—which hour angle been exhibit to bring down bacteria and plaque in the mouth.
Dr. Adrianne Koster, DDS, advocate using this as a stain repellent before consuming food Oregon beverages that are known to yellow the teeth, like red wine and coffee. Since it isn’t made without the measure whitening chemical substance that can Be harsh on the teeth and gums, we also love this for those with super medium mouths who can’t tolerate hydrogen peroxide. Our tester can manifest to this, as she hour angle extremely sensitive teeth and Evergreen State able to usage mundane during the testing period. She have got observably whiter teeth after less than a week and found the pen easy to use multiple times throughout the day. IT won’t be able to lighten old Beaver State deeper stains, but it’s great for those WHO have elusive surface discolouration they want to eliminate.
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PHOTO: Byrdie / Jhett Thompson -
PHOTO: Byrdie / Jhett Thompson
Virginia, tester:“I love that the pen HA dual functionality and can actually glucinium utilize on-the-go, multiple times a day. I’d apply the ware ahead of breakfast and sometimes lunch for stain repelling capabilities, and right after brush my teeth earlier bed for whitening capabilities. It dries down fairly chop-chop and doesn’t feel thick on the teeth.”
What to Look for in a Teeth lightening Product
- Active Ingredients:When buying a dentition whitening product, there are two ingredient that you’ll privation to aspect out for. “Hydrogen hydrogen peroxide and carbamide hydrogen peroxide are the primary ingredients in most effectual lightening products,” says Dr. Sands. “Their effectiveness and safety profile make them the standard in professional person and over-the-counter lightening solutions.” These ingredient tin bleach the teeth and eliminate discolouration without causing damage to the enamel (when used properly).
- Application Method:There ar many different teeth-whitening options available, from pens to strips. While angstrom product’s effectiveness is for the most part based on the pct of hydrogen peroxide in the formula, certain option have pros. Dr. Sands prefer gels and strips, as colloidal gel can penetrate deeper into the enamel, and strips are easy to usage and tin can stay procure to the teeth for better results. He also recommends ones with visible light devices to enhance the results.

Byrdie / Alison Czinkota
Meet Our Experts
While research dentition lightening products, we consulted quaternity expert to learn Sir Thomas More about lightening and what to expression for in at-home options.
- Dr. Kevin Sands, DDS, is angstrom unit board-certified cosmetic dentist ground in Beverly Hills, California. He narrow down in restorative dental tending and porcelain veneers, and his clients include Penelope Cruz, Matthew McConaughey, and torus Spelling.
- Dr. Irina Kessler, DDS, is angstrom cosmetic dentist based in New York City. She received her doc of Dental Surgery degree inch 1995 and is A member of the American dental consonant Association.
- Dr. Adrianne Koster, DDS, is an award-winning dentist based inch Long Island, new York.
- Dr. Joshua Perlman, DMD, be A dentist atomic number 85 NYC grin Spa on the upper berth East Side. He specializes in teeth whitening, veneers, and other restorative dental work.
Why Trust Byrdie
Shannon Stubbs is Associate in Nursing experienced beauty writer and editor with over six years of experience. She’s been angstrom unit writer atomic number 85 Byrdie since 2022 and has hold positions at various publications. To write this article, she consulted research and survey to determine what makes AN efficacious teeth-whitening product, and she looked through hundred of customer testimonials and editor in chief recommendations. She also consulted experts to finalise her picks.