The 9 Very Best Teeth-Whitening Toothpastes and Kits (2024)

$84

Active ingredient: 15 percent hydrogen peroxide | Method: Gel trays | Ease of use: Easy

Gels are one of the most effective forms of at-home whitening. It’s a similar experience to an in-office or prescription-strength whitening session, which typically involves a high percentage of hydrogen peroxide and a custom-fit bleaching tray. In those cases, you’re usually given a syringe of whitening gel that you can pump into the tray, but this Opalescence Go kit has trays that are pre-loaded with gel to streamline the process even more. When I tested the trays for myself, the process was mess-free and fast. The trays aren’t custom fit, but they’re labeled U for upper and L for lower. I placed them in my mouth, bit down for a couple of seconds, and took off the green outer trays. The application itself took about a minute, if that, and I could carry on doing stuff around my apartment while I waited for the recommended 15 minutes to pass. Afterward, I simply brushed my teeth to remove any leftover gel.

The trays can be used for up to an hour and come with varying concentrations of hydrogen peroxide — 10 percent, 15 percent, 20 percent, and 35 percent — which you can purchase based on your desired results and tooth sensitivity. As for how effective they are, cosmetic dentist Dr. Edward A. Alvarez and Winters both recommend this kit to their patients as a more affordable alternative to custom bleaching trays. One thing to note: Unlike custom-made bleaching trays that you can use indefinitely, Opalescence Go trays are disposable, so you’ll have to buy a new kit once you run out of trays. If you already wear a retainer, though, Winter suggests using it to create a DIY whitening tray every now and then by using just the Opalescence syringe-gel refills: “Put a little stream of whitening gel into the retainer and wear it at night.”

$24

Active ingredient: 36 percent carbamide peroxide | Method: Gel | Ease of use: Messy

Bite’s whitening gel cuts out the need for the tray, as you can brush the gel directly on to your teeth. Compared to the Opalescence Go Kit, this one is a little messier and labor-intensive to use. I followed the instructions by drying my teeth with a washcloth, dipping the tiny brush into the gel, and painting each tooth. (A small amount of the gel dripped onto my bathroom counter in the process, but it wasn’t a significant amount.) Once the gel was applied, I set a timer on my phone, held a smile for two minutes while the gel bubbled up on my teeth, and spit out the excess formula. The entire process took about five minutes, but I was hovering over my sink the entire time. Per the instructions, I also didn’t eat or drink anything for half an hour after the application. This option, while somewhat messy, is plastic-free and offers a similar-strength formula to the Opalescence Go kit. It contains 36 percent carbamide peroxide, which is the equivalent of approximately 12.6 percent hydrogen peroxide. It has aloe vera in it, too, which Dr. Sharon Huang, the founder of Les Belles NYC, says is soothing to teeth.

$20

Active ingredient: 35 percent carbamide peroxide | Method: Gel pen | Ease of use: Easy

If you want a paint-it-on option that’s a bit easier to manage than Bite’s kit, a whitening pen might be your best bet. Auraglow’s whitening gel dispenses with the click of a button on the bottom of the pen, so you don’t have to dip a brush repeatedly. The rest of the process is similar to Bite’s application: You apply a thin layer of gel to your teeth and hold a wide smile for one minute. The time difference compared to Bite’s two-minute recommendation was much less strenuous for me. There also weren’t any instructions to refrain from food and drink for 30 minutes afterward. It contains 35 percent carbamide peroxide —just one percent less than Bite’s formula — which is enough to be effective in between in-office whitening treatments, says Dr. Richard Lipari of NY Great Smiles. Note, though, that this method isn’t plastic-free and the formula doesn’t contain aloe vera like Bite’s does.

$46

Active ingredient: Hydrogen Peroxide | Method: Strips | Ease of use: Easy

Crest’s 3D Whitening Strips are probably the most recognizable teeth whitening method on this list, and with good reason. The brand stands out as the No. 1 recommendation in this category, with dentists telling me their patients get good results within a week or two of using the strips every day. Plus, unlike the other methods mentioned so far, they have the ADA seal of acceptance, meaning they’ve been evaluated for their safety and efficacy. Crest uses hydrogen peroxide as the whitening agent in its strips, but according to a public-relations representative for the brand, it does not disclose ingredient percentages, which is proprietary information. However, a 2004 study did indicate that the Crest Professional Whitestrips have a 6.5 percent level of hydrogen peroxide.

I found the strips slightly easier to use than the trays and the brush-on options above, since I simply had to peel them off of the plastic backing, press them onto my teeth, and wait the recommended 30 minutes. They do take longer than the other methods, but I was able to carry on with my workday without any issues. And while whitening strips sometimes get a bad rap for not being super-adhesive, I found that these gripped my teeth and didn’t slide around. I also appreciated that they were thin enough for me to talk while wearing them, unlike Opalescence’s somewhat bulky trays.

$20

Active ingredient: 6 percent hydrogen peroxide and coconut oil | Method: Strips | Ease of use: Easy

Burst’s whitening strips have about the same amount of hydrogen peroxide as Crest’s are estimated to have (6 percent) and are slightly less expensive. The strips also contain coconut oil, which brightens teeth naturally and has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, according to Huang, as well as vitamins A, D, E, and K. Huang notes she hasn’t seen sensitivity with this product in her patients. I haven’t yet had a chance to try these for myself, but they’re meant to be worn for 15 minutes a day (half the time as Crest’s strips) for two weeks to see results.

$23

Active ingredient: Coconut oil | Method: Strips | Ease of use: Easy

If you want a completely chemical-free whitening experience, Lumineux’s whitening strips use coconut oil as its active ingredient instead of hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. These strips also come recommended by Huang, who notes that they shouldn’t cause any irritation for the most sensitive teeth. The brand recommends wearing the strips for 30 minutes daily (similar to Crest’s strips) for seven days consecutively for best results.

$13 for 3

Active ingredient: 2 percent hydrogen peroxide | Method: Toothpaste | Ease of use: Easy

Switching to a whitening toothpaste is by far the easiest method on this list. The downside is that whitening toothpastes contain lower percentages of hydrogen peroxide, if they contain any at all, so you might not see results when used alone. That’s why Dr. Mandy Kouroshnia of New York’s Cityzen Dental typically recommends using one in conjunction with other whitening solutions. Alvarez recommends this Colgate toothpaste in particular because it’s one of the few that actually uses a chemical whitener — it contains 2 percent hydrogen peroxide — where others rely on physical tooth polishers like silica or calcium carbonate, which can dull the surface of the enamel over time. Though it has a smaller concentration of hydrogen peroxide than other tooth whiteners on this list, it will still work to actually whiten or bleach your tooth enamel, resulting in a true color change. Dr. Elisa Mello of NYC Smile notes that it’s best used once a week instead of replacing regular toothpaste to avoid causing sensitivity.

$7 for 4

Active ingredient: Hydrogen peroxide | Method: Toothpaste | Ease of use: Easy

If you’re looking for a whitening toothpaste you can use daily without as much risk of causing sensitivity, Mello recommends Arm & Hammer’s Advance White Toothpaste. It ranks much lower than the Colgate Optic White toothpaste on the toothpaste-abrasiveness scale, which can help more in the long run with both teeth sensitivity and the likelihood of future staining. “The problem with whitening toothpastes is that they’re very abrasive, and while being abrasive can remove superficial stains on the surface of your teeth, it also can remove enamel or scratch your teeth,” says Mello. “In the short term, you’re seeing a great result, but in the long term, you may have a scratch on the surface that’s easier to stain, and that’s a problem.”

$6

Active ingredient: Coconut oil | Method: Toothpaste | Ease of use: Easy

If you’re looking for a whitening toothpaste with very few additives (like foaming agents, sweeteners, or artificial colors), Hello is an excellent alternative. It’s our top pick for natural toothpastes and recommended by two dentists, Dr. Inna Chern of New York General Dentistry and Dr. Jonathan B. Levine of JBL NYC. As an alternative to hydrogen peroxide or other chemicals, this toothpaste contains coconut oil as a natural whitener. And while it is a more natural product, it’s made with fluoride, so it’s ADA approved.