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Who doesn’t like perfectly bright and white teeth? Unfortunately, keeping your teeth that way can be quite the task. It’s natural for teeth to get a bit discolored over time. Of course, brushing your teeth regularly will help, but just having the best electric toothbrush won’t be enough. Folks often opt for professional whitening treatments, but they’re usually expensive and time-consuming. A good teeth-whitening toothpaste can help you get brighter teeth on a budget. Although the results aren’t as dramatic, using one of these brightening toothpastes consistently can whiten your teeth. To find the best whitening toothpaste for your smile, we spoke with dentists about their recommendations. We’ve listed our top picks below, starting with our top pick, the Colgate Optic White Pro Series.
Best whitening toothpaste with hydrogen peroxide – Colgate Optic White Pro Series
Colgate Optic White Pro Series toothpaste is one whitening toothpaste that Dr. Fatima Khan, a dentist in Houston, Texas, recommends. Some of her reasons for recommending it include its trusted brand name and its 5% hydrogen peroxide whitening agent. Unlike other whitening agents that work by removing stains on the surface of the tooth, hydrogen peroxide can get inside the tooth so it whitens intrinsically as well as extrinsically.
According to Khan, one downside to this toothpaste is that it contains sodium lauryl sulfate, or SLS, which may cause irritation, such as canker sores. Other popular whitening toothpaste may also contain SLS, so it’s important to look at the ingredients before you buy a product if you’re sensitive to it.
Most affordable whitening toothpaste – Crest Pro-Health Advanced Extra Whitening toothpaste
Crest Pro-Health Advanced Extra Whitening toothpaste is recommended by Dr. Elizabeth Himel, owner of Aspen Dental. This toothpaste whitens through hydrated silica, a mild abrasive. Crest is also a well-known brand with many products (quite a few of them marketed toward whitening), making this an approachable choice for many.
Best whitening toothpaste for sensitive teeth – Sensodyne Pronamel Gentle Whitening
Sensodyne Pronamel Gentle Whitening toothpaste was recommended by Khan, given its low level of abrasiveness compared to other products.
Sensodyne is a brand many people with sensitive teeth may be familiar with. This particular whitening toothpaste is free from sodium lauryl sulfate, which can irritate many people’s mouths.
Best natural whitening toothpaste – Boka Ela Mint n-Ha toothpaste
This toothpaste isn’t as heavily marketed toward whitening as other products on this list, but it was highlighted by Kahn because it’s a good fluoride-free option for those looking for one, and it uses nano-hydroxyapatite to remineralize the teeth, which may brighten them as it works to help rebuild enamel.