If you want to whiten your teeth, there are a lot of options. You can buy whitening toothpaste, visit the dentist for an in-office treatment, or try one of the best at-home teeth whitening kits for sensitive teeth. But which product is right for you? To help you make that decision, GH Beauty Lab spoke with several dentists and other experts about the best kits for teeth whitening. We also gathered consumer reviews, ratings and recommendations.
A common ingredient found in over-the-counter whitening best teeth whitening kits Au treatments is hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide, which act as bleaching agents to diminish stains. Peroxide is especially effective at removing surface discoloration, such as those left behind by coffee, tea or red wine.
“It’s best to start with a lower concentration, like 10 or 15 percent, and then work your way up,” Dr. Kami Hoss, author of If Your Mouth Could Talk, says. A higher concentration can be more aggressive, causing more sensitivity or leaving your teeth looking unnaturally white.
When choosing a kit, consider how many treatments you’ll be able to do and the length of each treatment. For example, some of the kits that have LED accelerator lights require you to wear them for 30 minutes every day for a week. This can be time-consuming and inconvenient if you’re not able to commit to the full course of treatment.
Another important factor is whether a whitening treatment is safe for your teeth and gums. Some whitening treatments contain ingredients that can be dangerous to use, including baking soda and abrasive chemicals that can cause tooth damage. The best at-home teeth whitening kits don’t have any ingredients that can cause pain or damage to your teeth or gums.
The most effective at-home whitening kits come with a mouth tray that fits over your teeth. They’re easy to use and can be worn for as little as an hour each day, which is much less time than a whitening treatment at the dentist. Plus, whitening trays are more convenient than whitening strips and can be used with braces or aligners.
One of our top picks for the best whitening kit for sensitive teeth, the Snow LED Kit from SmileBrilliant, comes with four serum pens (no syringes here) that are easy to apply precisely and fit into your mouth for the recommended 10 minutes of treatment. Its mouthpiece is comfortable to bite for the duration of the treatment and plugs into your phone for power. This product also includes a desensitizing gel to prevent tooth sensitivity after each treatment.
Other whitening kits come with LED accelerator lights that promise to speed up the whitening process and boost results. According to dentists, though, most studies have shown that this added feature isn’t actually necessary and that using a whitening treatment without the light will still be effective.