Our Editors Tested Whitening Toothpastes and These 9 Made Their Smiles Sparkle (2024)

Are your pearly whites losing their luster? If so, you know how frustrating tooth discoloration can be. Although professional whitening treatments or tooth whitening strips can make a huge difference, daily use of a whitening toothpaste also goes a long way in helping your smile shine.

There are several reasons why someone’s teeth could lose their whiteness. One of the most treatable causes is staining that can accumulate on the tooth’s outer surface. These stains can develop from eating certain foods or frequently drinking darker beverages like coffee and tea. The best whitening toothpastes contain ingredients that are known to lift and break up the discoloration stains to reveal your teeth’s natural color, says Quinn Yost, DDS, MSD, of Milk Tooth Pediatric Dentistry & Wellness Shoppe.

To find the best whitening toothpastes, our editors researched and personally tested 12 different toothpastes that advertised teeth whitening benefits. We used the toothpastes twice per day for two weeks at a time and then evaluated them based on effectiveness, comfort, convenience, and taste. We also interviewed experts to find out what ingredients to look for in a whitening toothpaste. At the end of our research and testing period, we scored each toothpaste and compared results to see which ones came out on top.

Our Top Picks

Our Testing Process

In order to select the best whitening toothpastes, we knew we had to test them out firsthand. Before testing began, we noted the color shade of our teeth on a dental color shade chart. Each toothpaste was used twice daily for a few weeks before returning to the testing lab for a final evaluation and a before-and-after color comparison.

Our final ratings looked at four unique attributes: comfort, effectiveness, convenience, and value. We scored each attribute on a scale of one to five and compiled the data points to create our overall average rating.

We also spoke to experts to learn how different ingredients affect sensitive teeth and gums. Experts we interviewed include:

• Edmond R. Hewlett, DDS in Los Angeles, California, and professor at UCLA School of Dentistry
• Quinn Yost, DDS, MSD, of Milk Tooth Pediatric Dentistry & Wellness Shoppe in Hermosa Beach, California
• Brittany Ang, DMD, MDS, MBS, of Curve Orthodontics in New Jersey

What to Know About Whitening Toothpaste

If you’ve ever looked at the ingredients on a toothpaste label, you’ve probably seen a lot of words you don’t recognize. All the different ingredients and chemical compounds can get pretty confusing, especially if you’re trying to decide which ones are best for sensitive teeth. To get a better idea of what ingredients to look out for—and which ones to avoid—we talked to experts to find out what different ingredients do and who could benefit from using them.

Ingredients to Look for

Teeth can lose their whiteness over time for a couple of reasons, but the most common and treatable cause is staining from eating certain foods or drinking a lot of dark colored beverages, like coffee or tea. When choosing a whitening toothpaste, Dr. Yost says to look for ingredients like hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide, which are known for their ability to remove these surface stains.

If you are concerned about ingredients in your toothpaste or wondering about the quality of your toothpaste, looking for the ADA Seal of Acceptance is a great place to start. This seal means that the American Dental Association has extensively researched, tested, and approved the product and that its ingredients are safe to use.

Ingredients to Avoid

Yost notes that some ingredients can be harsh or abrasive and might even lead to tooth enamel damage when overused. For example, ingredients like baking soda and activated charcoal can help lift surface stains, but they may not be a good match for people with sensitive teeth. If you try out a new teeth whitening toothpaste and experience tooth and gum pain or sensitivity, it’s worth switching to another product with less aggressive whitening ingredients.

Even in ADA-approved toothpastes, it’s important to remember that some ingredients are more abrasive than others and should be used in limited quantities, especially if you have sensitive teeth. For example, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is known to cause irritation for those with sensitive teeth, and ingredients like baking soda, silica, and calcium carbonate can damage enamel over time if used in excess.

Who May Benefit From Whitening Toothpaste

Whitening toothpastes use common ingredients that have been shown to whiten your smile by cleaning surface stains on your teeth. If you’re a heavy coffee or tea drinker, then you may benefit from a targeted teeth whitening toothpaste, since both of these beverages can cause staining when consumed regularly.

Additionally, if you have recently invested in a more thorough whitening treatment, a whitening toothpaste may help you maintain the results.

More Whitening Toothpastes to Consider

We tested several different teeth whitening toothpastes to build this list. While the following products didn’t make our list of top picks, we thought they were worth a mention:

• Moon Anticavity Whitening Toothpaste with Fluoride: This toothpaste almost made the list because of how gentle it was on sensitive teeth and its light, pleasing flavor. It lost a few points because we didn’t notice the same level of color improvement that we saw in our top picks.
• Opalescence Toothpaste: We enjoyed how well the toothpaste foamed up and left us with a great fresh and clean feeling. We were impressed to see whitening effects after just a few uses, but unfortunately we didn’t see any more improvements during the remaining testing weeks.
• Sensodyne Pronamel Gentle Whitening Toothpaste: We loved how well this toothpaste improved our breath and left us feeling refreshed. The toothpaste is designed for sensitive teeth, and we can confirm that we didn’t experience any issues with teeth sensitivity. We didn’t care for the flavor, though, and found the gritty texture unpleasant.

Your Questions, Answered

Do any whitening toothpastes actually work?

Yes, many of the whitening toothpastes available in stores today can actually help whiten your teeth after a few weeks of daily use. This is because they contain specialized ingredients that can lift and brush away surface stains. In fact, says Brittany Ang, DMD, tooth whitening toothpastes utiilize many of the same ingredients as professional-level whitening systems, just at lower concentrations.

It’s important to remember that whitening toothpastes can take some time to work. In our two-week testing period, we only saw improvements by a shade or two. It can take up to six weeks of regular, daily use to see more dramatic results. Even then, you probably won’t see the kind of change that would result from professional teeth whitening or teeth whitening strips.

Dr. Ang also notes that whitening toothpastes won’t be able to whiten intrinsic stains, which affect the inner layer of your teeth.

Is whitening toothpaste OK for your teeth?

Yes, whitening toothpastes you find in stores are generally safe to use. A good tip to keep in mind while shopping for a whitening toothpaste is to look for the ADA Seal of Acceptance, says Dr. Yost. The ADA’s process for accepting a new product involves analyzing chemical, efficacy, and safety data, as well as product testing. The seal also ensures that a toothpaste’s advertising claims have been evaluated.

Which toothpaste is best for whitening?

When it comes to whitening toothpastes, it’s important to remember that the best active ingredient for you might not be the best choice for another person. Active ingredients are responsible for a toothpaste’s ability to whiten your teeth, as well as texture, flavor, and level of harshness.

For example, baking soda is an effective cleaner and is often featured in whitening toothpastes, but it can cause a bitter flavor and may damage your enamel over time when overused. If you have sensitive teeth, it’s probably better to select a toothpaste without baking soda.

We are confident that any one of our product picks will improve the color of your teeth when used regularly, but finding the best toothpaste for your smile will ultimately come down to your personal needs.

Who We Are

Steven Rowe is a New York-based writer covering health, parenting, and mental health. He studied theater and psychology at Pepperdine University and has written for several online publications looking specifically at the data-driven analysis of everyday health products and how they can improve our daily lives.

Loren Brutsch, one of the editors of this article, was personally involved in the testing process of these teeth whitening toothpastes and highly recommends the Colgate Optic White Renewal toothpaste.