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Getting a bright, über-white smile may sound like an elusive feat for those with yellow, stained teeth, or at least one that would require a costly visit to a dental professional, but that’s simply not the case. These days, there are more at-home teeth whitening kits to choose from than ever before. Though not all have been created equally, a wide array of options can indeed deliver professional-grade results.
According to a 2017 market research report, the global teeth whitening market had reached a value of $3.2 billion as of 2016. That number is only expected to increase, with projections for a whopping $3.8 billion by 2021. Needless to say, those figures have plenty of brands clamoring to introduce DIY whitening options for consumers to try. But how do you choose the right solution for you?
Before buying a kit, however, there are some key pointers to key in mind. As the experts over at Crest recommend, it’s always a good idea to consult with a dental professional before getting started. You’ll also want to be sure to carefully read and follow any instructions that accompany your teeth whitening kit of choice.
If you’re allergic to peroxide (a key ingredient in many at-home devices), have extra-sensitive teeth, fillings, crowns, or wear braces, you may want to avoid whitening your teeth at home.
For those that are ready to proceed with the first step to getting a picture-perfect smile without breaking the bank, however, we’ve done the bulk of the homework for you by rounding up the kits that will get you the most bang for your buck. Keep reading for FIRST for Women’s top picks for the 10 best teeth whitening kits on the market today.
We write about products we think our readers will like. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the supplier.
Combining its signature teeth whitening strips with blue light technology, Crest has created a kit that brings together the best of both worlds. Its hand-held light device emits the blue light onto brand's beloved enamel-safe Crest Whitestrips ($29.99), ultimately boosting their whitening power to target yellow stains and speed up the process,
Simply apply the strips, which are coated with a dentist-approved whitening gel, and hold up the water-resistant device. You’ll want to keep the strips on for 60 minutes (Advanced Seal technology ensures the whitening gel doesn’t seep out and irritate your gums), but you'll only have to hold the lightweight machine up for 10 (it will shut off automatically once your treatment time is up). Crest promises you’ll see results in just 10 days that will last you up to 36 months!
Novashine’s all-encompassing bundle comes with a whitening kit, a gel refill, and a whitening pen for on-the-go touch-ups. Inside the kit, you'll find an LED mouthpiece that has a whopping16 built-in bulbs to harness the power of blue light and speed your whitening experience up to five times faster. It also comes with three adapters (for iPhone, USB and Android phones), so no batteries are needed, a handy bag to take it along on your travels, and a tooth shade guide to help track your progress.
As for the gel, it includes 6 percent hydrogen peroxide — a dentist-approved whitening agent that’s safe for enamel — and “quickly releases oxygen molecules which eliminate stains in your teeth.” It's also also full of sensitivity reducers, making each session pain-free and comfortable experience. Use it for just 15 minutes per day or go up to 30 minutes per session for max results.
This kit from iSmile promises to whiten “like a $500 professional-level treatment” and leave you with a smile that’s up to eight shades whiter in just seven days. What’s more, you'll only need a 10-minute session each day to banish stains from coffee, wine, soda, smoking, and more.
iSmile uses a FDA-approved 35 percent carbamide peroxide formula (a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and urea, a colorless crystalline compound) as its mint-flavored gel, which comes in three syringes of 3 milliliters. This mixture was designed by a team of dental professionals and is safe on enamel.
You'll also get a desensitizing gel, a snug-fitting mouth tray made from medical-grade silicone to prevent you from getting the solution on your gums and causing irritation, and an LED activation light (complete with batteries).
The light easily attaches to the mouth tray and uses five LED bulbs to speed up the whitening process. It also comes with a built-in 10-minute timer and alarm to let you know when you’re done. Wrote one reviewer: "Saves money and saves time from going to the dentist for whiting your teeth, BEST KIT EVER!!!"
Charcoal is often used as a natural teeth whitening solution and Power Swabs has combined its power with that of a traditional teeth whitening kit. This 7-day intensive system will put you on the fast-track to a brighter smile — without strips or trays —and requires just five minutes of commitment per day.
First, use the Stain-Out swab (there are seven in the kit) to remove stains below the surface and rehydrate your enamel, then follow it up with an UltraWhite swab, seven of which can be found in the kit, to whiten the tooth's surface. Once you’ve completed this simple two-step process, brush your teeth with the provided charcoal toothpaste to remove surface stains and plaque and promote healthy teeth and gums. As an added bonus, the Power Swabs 7-Day Ultra White Kit also comes with an on-the-go Stain-Out stick for immediate whitening.
You can expect to see your teeth become an average of two shades whiter after the very first use and six shades whiter once the week-long treatment is completed.
If you don’t like the idea of having to deal with gel application, Snow Teeth’s kit offers an alternative: pen-based application! This brand has been endorsed by everyone from world championship boxer Floyd Mayweather to Elle magazine, and has sold more than 550,000 units worldwide. Amazon shoppers, meanwhile, who noted that it's also a good pick for sensitive teeth, gave it a four-star rating overall.
The company invested $3 million into research and development for this whitening solution, which both brightens and prevents future stains with its enamal-safe, vegan, and cruelty-free formula.
Its all-in-one assemblage includes three whitening wands full of whitening serum, one extra-strength wand, a lip treatment, a natural desensitizing serum, and a mouthguard with a LED accelerating light that can be plugged right into your phone. Also included are a travel bag and progress tracker, all of which will be backed by a five-year warranty. Better still? When you purchase a whitening kit from Snow Teeth, the company will use part of its proceeds to help provide dental care to a child in need.
GLO’s complete teeth whitening system promises pain-free, long-lasting results by combining LED light technology with a heat accelerator. Dreamed up by celebrity dentist Dr. Jonathan B. Levine, who has worked with Christie Brinkley, this kit, which comes in white, black, or pink, includes a patented device that “combines gentle warming heat and light" with a specially-formulated hydrogen peroxide gel to get your pearly whites up to five shades brighter in just five days.
To start, hang the GLO control panel around your neck using the provided lanyard, then plug the mouthpiece into the control. Apply the included chapstick to your lips, then take one of 10 whitening vials (enough for 40+ applications), and squeeze out a small bead of gel the size of half a pea onto the brush tip. Apply the gel across the front of your top and bottom teeth, press the "on" button on the control display to light up the mouthpiece, then place it into your mouth and wear it for eight minutes.
For optimal results, reapply the gel and repeat for a total of four back-to-back applications of eight minutes each for five days in a row.
While most teeth whitening kits rely solely on blue light, this option from iSmile, which was created especially for those sensitive teeth, uses both blue light, (which serves to “activate the teeth whitening gel to enhance its whitening effect_,” and red light that has the added effect of reducing tooth sensitivity during the whitening treatment. Using the kit for just 15 minutes a day is enough to brighten your smile by up to 10 shades, and, if you don’t totally love the outcome, iSmile promises to give you your money back, no questions asked. Although, with a 93 percent five-star rating on Amazon, we'd be willing to bed that's not likely to happen.
"I have the most sensitive teeth in the world and this did not hurt or effect them in a bad way at all, It’s already showing results and it hasn’t even been a week!" wrote one happy shopper.
Order this kit and you’ll receive three whitening pens with gel containing 35 percent carbamide peroxide, as well as one professional-grade tooth desensitizing pen containing a different gel that’s designed to “remineralize and protect your teeth during the whitening treatment.”
If you’re searching for an ultra-affordable, entry-level teeth whitening kit, you've met your match in this kit from DrDent. It has a 4.5 star rating on Amazon and a price tag of just under $25, making it a solid introduction to the world of brighter smiles.
Each one includes two syringes of gentle, enamel-safe whitening gel, a mouth tray, a LED light that emits blue light from five bulbs, and a shade guide to help you keep proper track of your progress. DrDent’s whitening formula promises to keep your enamel safe and deliver visible results from the very first treatment and comes with a full money-back guarantee.
Shoppers praise its ease of use and quick results, with one gushing, "Love how easy this kit is! There isn't a lot of prep work, everything's pretty much ready to go out of the box!!" and another writing, "I am a smoker and drink coffee, so I have teeth that are a little dingy. This helped with a lot of my stains."
Using GLO’s signature whitening gel, this particular kit offers an on-the-go alternative to the classic mouthpiece and LED light combo, as it comes ready-to-use with 10 whitening GLO vials that can be applied individually to remove stains and whiten with or without its accompanying tray. Each vial has enough gel for a full 10-day treatment, and come in pocket-sized and portable packaging.
To use, apply the included GLO Lip Care chapstick to your lips, take a vial and squeeze a small bead of gel onto the brush applicator (the bead should be about the size of half a pea), then brush it on the front of all of your teeth. The hydrogen peroxide whitening gel will work its magic and evaporate, with no rinsing required. It’s also safe to use on crowns, bridges, and veneers. In fact, if all goes according to plan with gel applications three times a day spaced five minutes apart, you should start to see results in just 10 days.
AuraGlow’s teeth whitening kit uses a gentle gel containing 35 percent carbamide peroxide that’s made in the US, is gluten-free and kosher, and is safe for enamel, ensuring it won’t cause any tooth sensitivity. As its creators promise, the gel delivers "just the right balance of ingredients" for fast (think one day), whitening results with no sensitivity. It also helps to remove plaque and effectively banish stains caused by coffee, wine, soda, tea, and more.
The AuraGlow Teeth Whitening Kit comes with two syringes with 5 milliliters of gel each (enough for 20 days of treatment), as well as a universal mouth tray, an LED accelerator light with five bulbs, and a built-in timer that beeps in 10-minute intervals to help you easily keep track of each recommended 30-minute-long session.
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