Between your daily coffee and a glass of red wine here and there, maintaining a sparkly, shiny, and blindingly white smile isn’t all too easy. While there are dozens of teeth whitening products on the market (strips, professional-grade treatments, veneers, and more), using one of the best whitening toothpastes can be an easy way to reduce the look of stains, get rid of yellow tints, and, obviously, keep your breath fresh.
That in mind, it’s important to manage your expectations—whitening toothpastes can help lift, bleach, or manually scrub surface stains thanks to ingredients like peroxide and calcium carbonate, but they’re not going to completely change the color of your teeth. You’ll also need to be consistent with your whitening toothpaste if you want to see results. “If you drink coffee and tea, smoke, and do other things that stain your teeth, you won’t see results for eight or 10 weeks,” explains cosmetic dentist Dr. Daniel Rubinshtein. “If you stay away from those while you’re using whitening toothpaste, you may see some results after three or four weeks.”
While whitening toothpastes can offer a short-term fix, Dr. Rubinshtein warns against long-term use as it can cause damage to the enamel and increased sensitivity. But with new-to-market launches, natural formulations, and tried and true favorites, there’s a handful of whitening toothpastes worth considering if you’re gearing up for a big event. So without further ado, read ahead for our guide to the best whitening toothpastes.