Whitening toothpaste can appear to whiten teeth slightly by removing surface stains, such as those caused by drinking coffee or smoking. However, whitening toothpastes can't change the natural color of your teeth or lighten a stain that goes deeper than a tooth's surface.
Out of the best teeth whitening products, time-honored Colgate comes out on top with its Optic White formula. However, the effects of peroxide may be too irritating or erosive for you. In this case, Crest 3D White or HiSmile might be a better choice.
What Can Be Done to Whiten Yellow Teeth? If you're looking for a radical change in the coloring of your teeth, you need professional-grade whitening to get the job done. Your cosmetic dentist can provide treatment that penetrates deep into the enamel and removes years of stains with a powerful bleaching agent.
Most tooth whiteners use one of two chemical agents: carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide (the same stuff that will bleach your hair). When used in the mouth, carbamide peroxide breaks down into hydrogen peroxide and urea, with hydrogen peroxide being the active whitening ingredient.
Hydrogen peroxide is an inexpensive household product you probably have on hand right now. When used carefully, it can be an effective way to whiten your teeth. But if used incorrectly — in concentrations that are too high or if used too often — it can cause serious and sometimes expensive tooth damage.
Try Crest Pro-Health Advanced Extra White Toothpaste for the highest level of Crest Pro-Health's Advanced whitening ingredient to remove surface stains*.
If you want to know the truth, yes, Crest Whitestrips do work. They can make your teeth look whiter because of a gel that is spread along the strip and placed onto the surface of your teeth. This substance contains hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide and works to penetrate the tooth enamel to remove stains.
Some improvement may be seen after only 3 days. Final results are visible after 10 to 20 days, depending on the specific Crest whitening-strip product used.
The quickest, most dramatic way to whiten is to get an in-office bleaching at a dentist's office. Using professional-strength hydrogen peroxide and special lights or lasers, your dentist can remove even deep stains in about an hour. It'll cost you, though—probably between $500 and $1,200.
Best Overall: SmileDirectClub Teeth Whitening Kit
After testing 21 different teeth whiteners, SmileDirectClub's whitening kit was an easy pick as our best overall—our tester's teeth visibly whitened in just a week without causing or exacerbating any sensitivity.
If you are looking for an all-around toothpaste that will strengthen the teeth while removing stubborn stains from the surface, then we recommend the Crest 3D White Toothpaste. It should not only whiten the teeth but also improve your oral hygiene.
Whitening toothpaste is generally safe for daily use: The safest and most effective whitening toothpaste and other whitening products will have the ADA Seal of Acceptance. According to the ADA, you should brush your teeth twice daily for two minutes.
Crest Pro-Health
One of the only toothpastes accepted by the ADA in six categories, Crest Pro-Health, does it all. In addition to whitening teeth, it reduces sensitivity, prevents cavities, fights plaque, prevents gingivitis, and combats bad breath.
For the safest and most effective at-home teeth whitening method, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) recommends you use custom-fitted trays supplied by your dentist. Ill-fitting teeth whitening trays can cause the gel to ooze out and irritate your gums.
Whitening Mouthwashes
All Crest 3D White mouthwashes can give a whiter smile, by removing surface stains, in just 7 days. Crest 3D White Diamond Strong Mouthwash whitens by removing surface stains, while helping strengthen weakened tooth enamel and killing bad breath germs.
Generally at this concentration you would need to have your teeth in contact with the 3% hydrogen peroxide for about 5 hours a day for about 2-3 weeks to have meaningful tooth whitening, which is very difficult to do with a watery liquid.
Because baking soda removes discoloration from the surface of your teeth, it won't remove deeper stains. According to the Mayo Clinic, toothpaste containing baking soda can help coffee and smoking stains, and it could take between two to six weeks for you to notice a difference.
Baking soda is good for teeth whitening because it is a very mild abrasive, which helps remove stains from the surface of your teeth. In addition, baking soda is alkaline and salty, which helps lighten acid-based food stains – such as those from coffee, tea, and red wine – on teeth.
Crest Whitestrips is the #1 dentist-recommended teeth whitening brand in the U.S. And every Crest Whitestrips teeth whitening system is guaranteed to provide you with beautiful, visibly whiter teeth. If you are not satisfied with your results, Crest Whitestrips will refund your purchase.
Porcelain Veneers
These are very popular amongst celebrities because of their incredible results. Veneers are thin, strong shells that are custom-made from dental porcelain to cover the front surface of your teeth. They can fix small cracks, chips, gaps, and discoloration all at once.
Consuming Certain Foods and Drinks
“Certain foods that are high in tannins, such as red wine, are potential causes of yellow teeth,” notes Crest. Other teeth-staining foods include coffee, citrus fruits and juices, soft drinks, teas, berries, tomato-based sauces, curry, balsamic vinegar, and soy sauce.
If your teeth have biofilm or plaque buildup, this can prevent the bleaching agent from reaching the target stains. Before considering any teeth whitening treatment, it is a good idea to schedule an appointment for a dental cleaning. These cleanings remove all signs of biofilm and plaque on the surface of your teeth.