6 best teeth whitening solutions (that actually work)
By Team BEAUTYcrew
June 18 2024
Pearly whites coming right up.
By Team BEAUTYcrew
June 18 2024
While a slick of a blue-based red lipstick can create the illusion of whiter teeth, there are still stronger ways to permanently brighten your smile at home or through a professional treatment.
But first up… how do our teeth get stained in the first place?
“Staining can be either extrinsic (outside the tooth) or intrinsic (inside the tooth),” says Maria Lucas, oral health therapist and dental hygienist. “Extrinsic staining can be from coffee, red wine, herbal tea and green juices, while intrinsic staining can be from genetic, traumatic or pharmaceutical causes like antibiotics taken as an infant.”
So, what's the best way to whiten your teeth?
While staining can differ from person to person (Lucas tells us that a lot of patients just need a good hygiene clean and polish to reveal whiter teeth!), these teeth whitening solutions may be able to help. But as always, consult a dentist or specialist to see if each product is right for you.
The best teeth whitening solutions...
1
Try a teeth whitening toothpaste
To remove surface stains, try a toothpaste packed with teeth whitening abilities both day and night. Colgate Optic White High Impact White Toothpaste (was $11.99, now $10.49) at Chemist Warehouse features hydrogen peroxide in its formula to whiten teeth up to four shades. Talk about a bathroom essential.
2
Try a whitening pen
This old school method is still one of the best. The Smilie on-the-go Whitening Pen ($29 at Smilie) has been formulated with a dentist-grade formula. A few clicks of the easy to apply pen will see stains lifted in just 10-30 minutes. Be sure to apply the formula liberally and give it a good rinse off after and ta da! Whitened teeth in a matter of minutes.
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3
Try whitening strips
Whitening strips are also a good at-home option to visibly brighten your smile. Oral-B 3D White Whitestrips ($28.25 at Amazon) are thin plastic sheets coated in hydrogen peroxide that wrap around your top and bottom teeth, and can remove stains in as little as 14 days if used for 30 minutes, twice a day.
4
Try mouthwash
A whitening product you may not have thought of but will definitely want to add to cart/your stash? Mouthwash, in particular this snazzy Hismile PAP+ Mouthwash (was $59, now $40 at Myer). Designed to be used after your evening brush, it features a trio of fancy whitening ingredients that'll leave your pearly whites looking as fresh as your breath smells post-rinse (spoiler alert: very fresh).
5
Try a teeth whitening kit
Another way to whiten teeth is with a teeth whitening kit, of course. The Alviun Pro Teeth Whitening Kit V2 ($179 at Alviun) uses violet light technology to powerfully activate its titanium white formula, delivering superior whitening results and annihilating bad-breath causing bacteria all in one go. It enhances the experience by combining the effectiveness of the traditional blue and red lights used in most whitening kits into one potent violet light. This ensures a higher LED count for stronger activation of the gel, promising an even more whitening outcome. Teeth tech at its finest.
6
Try a professional teeth whitening treatment
If you’re looking for more dramatic results, a professional treatment may be better suited to you. The Philips Zoom Teeth Whitening Treatment starts off with a coating of peroxide gel over teeth, then a blue LED light is shone onto the teeth to activate the formula. For best results, this is performed four times (and it takes about an hour to complete the entire process). Incredibly, it can whiten up to eight shades in one visit. Pricing varies per dentist.
Main image credit: Getty Images
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