Dr Hanna Kinsella, cosmetic dentist and founder of Icy Bear Dental, explains: "Hydrogen peroxide is a weak acid with strong oxidising properties, meaning it steals the electrons that hold the staining molecules together, causing them to fall apart. It will change the colour of your teeth, rather than simply removing surface stains. Carbamide peroxide is another similar ingredient." Finally, we were surprised how much brighter our teeth became in testing this product—we felt the kit more than earns its place on our list and is well worth its cost. We even think it may have been more effective than previous whitening treatments we've done in the past at the dentist's office. For true whitening success, you need to know what type of whitening kit to use and whether or not whitening products are safe for you. Experts recommend avoiding whitening products altogether if you have gum or mouth disease, untreated tooth decay, or significantly worn enamel. If a specialist has given you the green light to begin using at-home whitening products, you can select the right product based on ingredients and price. In addition to having effective ingredients like carbamide peroxide and hydrogen peroxide, the best product for you will fit into your routine and budget. If you aren't sure about Spotlight Oral Care's Teeth Whitening System some alternatives that are available to try are Crest, Hismile and Snow. Teeth whitening products aim to remove surface stains on the tooth and penetrate the enamel, to break down the discoloured molecules within. This leaves teeth looking whiter overall. The solutions often contain active bleaching agents such as hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide, which remove the deeper stains from your teeth.

Similarly, UltaBeauty.com has awarded the Sonic Toothbrush an average of 4.9/5 stars by 214 customers. Customers who love this toothbrush are quite ecstatic about the clean feeling it leaves behind: Per Dr. Kalasho, common whitening ingredients that work well for at-home use are carbamide peroxide and hydrogen peroxide. For carbamide peroxide, look for a percent of around 35 percent; for hydrogen peroxide, you’ll want something with a 10 to 15 percent concentration.

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The Teeth Whitening Pen was also awarded 4.9/5 stars from 29 customers on SpotlightOralCare.com. One user was skeptical at first, but is now a dedicated convert: I mean wooooooooow!! This is my first electric toothbrush and it’s amazing. I used the ‘sensitive’ setting for a week to get used to it, and I just switched to the ‘clean’ setting. My teeth literally feel the cleanest they ever have, and look much whiter!” When compiling our list, we also consulted three dental professionals to learn exactly how teeth whiteners work and get their advice on how to use them. These experts included: As with most things in life, everything in moderation. Never use an at-home kit more often than recommended in its instructions and they should only be used as a one-off treatment, rather than a form of daily maintenance.

If you’re nervous to start a course of whitening treatments, always talk to your dentist first to see if it’s suitable for you. The only downside was that the strips only cover the front six to eight of your teeth, so if you were hoping for sparkling molars, this won’t get you there. Still, you get 21 treatments, which we thought was a great value considering you’ll be seeing results in just three days. We also appreciated that this is an alternative to more chemical-based kits, which makes it a little friendlier for people with sensitive teeth. Her overall thoughts are that Spotlight Whitening Strips work and that they definitely lightened her teeth over time. However, if you already have streaky enamel, then you may end up with patchy teeth.And now, a word about my personal grooming habits to give you some additional context. If I had to choose one word to describe my beauty behavior that word would be “intermittent.” As in, the only thing I can remember to do daily is brush my teeth, and that’s thanks to childhood indoctrination. GLO Brilliant® White Smile At Home Teeth Whitening Device: Our teeth were much brighter after using this kit in testing, but the 24 minutes we had to spend walking around with an awkward device in our mouth make this a fairly inconvenient option, especially compared to less bulky competitor trays. We used the products for the first time in our Verywell Testing Laband continued to use them at home according to manufacturer instructions. In the Lab and at home, we took note of how easy it was to set up and apply the product or treatment, as well as how our teeth felt before and after the treatment (e.g., if there was any sensitivity or discomfort from the appliance or device itself).

She does feel that an hour is an unreasonable amount of time to wear the strips. This is why she didn’t actually use the strips every day, in fact, it was closer to every other day. Ready for a brighter smile? Scroll down for the best DIY whitening kits and tools to add to your basket now. Are whitening kits bad for your teeth? In testing, this gel was easy to put on and caused no discomfort during or after application (including for those of us with sensitive teeth). The mouthpiece fit well and stayed in place, thanks to the fact that it’s soft and flexible, not rigid. We also loved that the tray could be plugged into our smartphones, so we could get up and move around the house while we waited out the whitening time. Many whitening products can leave you with a sloppy mess on your hands (and teeth!), but we found the iSmile Teeth Whitening Kit to be a tidier and more effective alternative to some of the other kits we tested. As we tested, we realized you can apply the gel to the mouthpiece before inserting it, which aids in making sure you’ve got the right amount and that all the whitening solution really covers your teeth.

Pharmacy product

Crest 3D White Whitestrips: We found these strips to be affordable and convenient, but they definitely made our teeth more sensitive—so much so, in fact, that we had to discontinue testing early.

Our panel of 318 testers tried 21 teeth whitening kits to find the ones that really deliver. They reviewed how easy each one was to use, treatment time, and how teeth looked and felt after use. You shouldn’t head into a whitening toothpaste expecting the same results as whitening strips or a kit with gels and trays. But a whitening toothpaste like this one from Opalescence can help whiten teeth or help maintain a whiter smile over time. We rated it high for convenience and comfort, mostly because it functioned like normal toothpaste. We liked that there was no learning curve to the application process; it was easy to work into our daily routine, and it didn’t cause any initial discomfort. Rya finishes the review by talking about the whitening toothpaste, which she loved and felt worked very well in conjunction with the strips. Alternative teeth whitening strips

Make an appointment with your dentist" says Dr Kinsella. "In-clinic whitening will give you the best results every time, because we can legally use stronger products with higher concentrations of bleach. These DIY alternatives can still be effective, but they're usually much weaker and best used as a top-up." How often should you whiten your teeth? Now that you know a little more about the brand, this Spotlight Oral Care review will move on to its pros and cons. Pros A variety of oral care products that are free from many harmful ingredients including BPA, sulfates, and gluten Crest 3D White strips are the most searched for brand of teeth whitening strips in the UK. They have a hydrogen peroxide level higher than that allowed in the UK, which is why you cant buy them over the counter. Even though I’d seen people get instant results using the pen on TikTok, I assumed it was some sort of camera manipulation. I was also apprehensive about trying anything that had enough bleaching agent in it to produce fast results. You see, years before, I used teeth whitening strips, which left my teeth permanently sensitive to temperatures. And besides, it wasn’t like I had a big toothy grin to show off anyway…so what’s the big deal if my teeth were a little coffee-stained?