Say No When You Need To: Most at-home teeth whitening products are recommended for adolescents and adults who are 12 years of age or older. If you are younger than 12 years, pregnant, or if you have unfilled cavities, gum disease, or other dental problems, see a dentist before exploring tooth whitening options. Your busy schedule need not prevent you from enjoying the confidence that comes from white teeth. Keep these points in mind to help you maintain your newly white teeth: If used correctly, at-home kits will certainly lighten your teeth by a few shades. You might want to pop to the dentist for at least a thorough dental clean before starting your treatment, as plaque and tartar on the teeth can stop the bleaching agents penetrating stains, so getting everything scrubbed clean first is bound to boost results. What else will help my teeth stay white? Some people might not get the results they want with at-home whitening strips, which may not have dramatic effects. A person may have to do several sessions to get noticeable results.

As you can see, whitening is easier than ever and doesn’t require a complicated tooth whitening process. Your best bet is to get started so you can enjoy a brighter smile as soon as possible. As the bleach used is at a weaker concentration than your dentist can supply, most at-home whitening methods take around two weeks to yield results. Expect results to last for around 12 months. Whitening rinses. Rinse your teeth for 60 seconds twice a day with these products, which contain hydrogen peroxide, to make your teeth look slightly whiter. If you are not happy with the results, speak to the dental professional who carried out your treatment to ask for advice. Those with sensitive teeth know just how painful trying to whiten them can be—for some, the burning and sensitivity are so strong that they’re unable to finish the whitening process. However, these strips claim to cause “zero sensitivity,” and according to one of our testers with extremely sensitive teeth, the claim is accurate—these were the first whitening strips ever that she could use for the allotted time frame. She was able to use them for the directed 30 minutes a day for seven consecutive days.READ NEXT: The best toothpaste to buy Will I get the same results at home as I would at the dentist? Throughout the testing, we considered whether we were able to apply the product and go about our day as usual, how much whiter our teeth were from start to finish, whether we experienced any sensitivity, and if we thought the kit was an overall good value based on its retail price and the results it delivered. Similar to the possible risks of carbamide and hydrogen peroxide, it is important to apply caution if using certain products that people sometimes recommend, such as fruit juices, vinegar, or scrubs. These may instead cause damage to the teeth or make staining even worse. Whitening chewing gums. You chew these to help prevent stains after you use substances that can stain your teeth, such as tobacco, coffee, and tea. Hold Steady: Follow the instructions on teeth whitening products and you'll have a safe tooth whitening experience. Use the products as directed, for the recommended duration.

Your dentist will advise you whether whitening is right for you. It may be that teeth whitening isn't suitable, for example if you have gum disease or crowns. Intrinsic, or internal, discoloration happens inside the tooth. Things that can cause this type of discoloration include aging, tooth injuries, some health conditions, and certain medications. You have tooth discoloration when your teeth are stained or darkened. It might affect the whole tooth or look like lines or spots on the tooth's surface. There are two basic types of tooth discoloration: To help you narrow down the list of whitening kits that will meet your needs, we tested the best options on the market. We tried out dozens of whitening kits, following each brand's specific instructions. Throughout the test, we paid close attention to how easy it was to use the product, whether we experienced any discomfort or teeth sensitivity, and how effective the product was in whitening our teeth. We then took careful notes on the appearance of our teeth before, during, and after the whitening process.An orthodontist from our Medical Expert Board reviewed the contents of this article for medical accuracy surrounding dental hygiene and the efficacy of active whitening ingredients.

The best teeth whitening strips you can buy in 2023

Number of Daily Applications: Be sure to take note of how many times a day you should wear the strips. This will vary by product and should be clearly stated in the teeth whitening instructions—some require one application, while others are meant to be worn twice a day. When done correctly, teeth whitening is generally safe. But it can come with risks, depending on what you use to whiten your teeth and how often and how long you use it. The risks of overly aggressive teeth whitening include: