The best teeth-whitening toothpaste in 2022 (2024)

Amanda Capritto

Years of Experience

Hands-on Product Reviewers

Sq. Feet of Lab Space

Size 5 oz

Active Whitening Agent Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)

$8 at Amazon

Spry All Natural Whitening Toothpaste

Best overall whitening toothpaste

I tested a lot of teeth-whitening toothpastes. In my opinion, none of them were awful, but none were nearly as great as .

Remember, I was only judging on taste, texture, ingredients, residue and general mouthfeel, so I'm not speaking to the long-term results of Spry's whitening toothpaste (the brand claims it removes surface stains from coffee, tea and soda) -- but to me, a toothpaste that feels and tastes good is going to give you the best results because you'll actually use it consistently.

As for product specs, Spry All Natural Whitening toothpaste contains sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) as its main teeth-whitening ingredient. Many brands use this, and many use hydrogen peroxide to whiten teeth, which is harsher, but may produce better results -- but my opinion is that toothpastes with hydrogen peroxide don't taste good.

Spry uses both xylitol and erythritol, two sugar alcohols, as sweeteners. It also contains stevia. This combination of sweeteners may be one reason why Spry whitening toothpaste tastes better than its competitors.

Again, to be fair, none of the other toothpastes I tested were strikingly bad -- onward with the runner-ups.

Size 4.2 oz

Active Whitening Agent Dicalcium phosphate, sodium bicarbonate, and titanium dioxide

Relative Dentin Abrasivity (RDA) 65

Results In As soon as 5 days

Level of Whitening 6

$21 at Amazon

Supersmile Professional Teeth Whitening Toothpaste

Runner-up best whitening toothpaste

I can confidently say that this toothpaste gave Spry a run for its place as best overall. It was just as great in most ways, but didn't taste quite as good. Of course, you and I don't have the same taste buds, so maybe you'll like Supersmile better than Spry.

As for whitening power, Supersmile whitening toothpaste contains dicalcium phosphate, sodium bicarbonate and titanium dioxide, all of which contribute to pearly whiteness when used regularly. It's sweetened with sorbitol, a sugar alcohol, only.

The Supersmile whitening toothpaste didn't leave any grainy or otherwise weird textures or aftertastes in my mouth. It also didn't cause any sensitivity to my teeth after twice-daily use for nearly two weeks. All in all, I feel comfortable recommending this whitening toothpaste as one of the best.

Size 4.1 oz

Active Whitening Agent Hydrated Silica

$9.99 at Target

Native Whitening Wild Mint & Peppermint Oil Fluoride Toothpaste

Best natural whitening toothpaste

To be 100% honest, this Native toothpaste reminded me of attempts to make healthy versions of classic desserts. They always turn out crumbly and never taste as good as the real deal. (I feel this same way about natural deodorants, too, despite my attempts to incorporate more au naturel products into my life. Crumbly and just not as fun or good).

However, I must give credit where credit is due. Native makes use of hydrated silica in this toothpaste, which apparently is a natural and abundant compound that triples as a mildly abrasive cleaner, a thickener and a whitening agent depending on the exact formulation. Native also uses titanium dioxide for whitening in this toothpaste.

The ingredients list claims the toothpaste is flavored with peppermint oil and sweetened with xylitol and stevia, but my experience tells me the toothpaste contains minimal amounts of all of those things. The mint flavor is very mild -- barely there compared to the others on this list -- and the sweetness is subtle, too.

This would be a good choice for anyone who prioritizes sustainably and responsibly sourced ingredients over taste and texture.

Size 5 oz

Active Whitening Agent Hydrogen peroxide

Relative Dentin Abrasivity (RDA) 100

Results In As soon as 1 week; 4 weeks for maximum results

Level of Whitening 3 shades

See at Amazon

Colgate Optic White Whitening Toothpaste

Best heavy-duty whitening toothpaste

This whitening toothpaste is not for me -- it felt too strong in every way -- but I would recommend it to someone who's looking for a heavy-duty whitening toothpaste and doesn't have sensitive teeth or gums.

Colgate Optic White toothpaste gave me the opposite experience to Native: Instead of tasting too natural or healthified, it tasted chemical. It is 3% hydrogen peroxide, so perhaps that's the culprit.

Hydrogen peroxide is the strongest whitening agent for teeth other than bleach, so this toothpaste will definitely get the job done. It might be worth it if you don't care much about taste.

In terms of texture, Colgate Optic White is phenomenal. It's not grainy; not too thick and not too liquidy; and it doesn't leave residue on your tongue or gums.