9 Best At-Home Teeth Whitening Kits
No matter how carefully you take care of your teeth, brushing twice a day or even after every meal, using mouthwash, visiting the dentist and the oral hygienist on a regular basis, your teeth may not be as white as you wish. It's not just coffee and wine that'll stain teeth, berries, candies, even tomato and soy sauces can leave their mark on your gnashers with spots and other marks that can't just be brushed away.
However, going to the dentist and undergoing any teeth whitening procedure can be an expensive process. Fortunately with advances in technology, you can now get great teeth whitening results with over-the-counter kits and products that can be used at-home. To be fair you won't get the same results as you would by going to a cosmetic dentist, but you will get much whiter teeth, and even the removal of stains that you thought were only removable by a visit to the dentist.
Opalescence Go - Prefilled Teeth Whitening Trays
If you want an at-home product that gives results similar to that you'd pay hundreds of dollars for at a cosmetic dentistry clinic, the Opalescence Go - Prefilled Teeth Whitening Trays are easy-to-use, mess-free and give results that'll make you smile. These trays consistently come out top as one of the best over-the-counter products which will whiten your teeth by several shades, depending on the intensity of the hydrogen peroxide in the gel you choose.
Unlike many teeth whitening tray products, these come prefilled and you can choose from two different hydrogen peroxide concentrations of either 10% of 15%. You simply take the upper tray out of the packaging, fit it on your teeth, suck on it for a couple of seconds and then remove the colored outer tray leaving the white one one your teeth. If you're using the 15% concentration, you then leave it on your teeth for 15-20 minutes, remove it and brush your teeth. You then do the same with the lower tray on your lower teeth.
The 10% concentration should be left on a little longer for between 30-60 minutes. You do this every day for 5-10 days and will see the results. Don't worry about any disgusting flavor, the only flavor you'll taste is a minty fresh one, similar to tooth paste. And the gel is created for those with even the most sensitive teeth. For the best results you should do it for up to a month. While they're not the cheapest teeth whitening products on the market, they're one of the most effective ones and certainly much cheaper than a visit to the dentist for a whitening procedure.
Crest 3D White Strips
If you ask your dentist which at-home teeth whitening product they'd recommend, there's a good chance it'll be the Crest 3D White Strips. These little strips can improve the whiteness of your teeth by up to 20 levels in the tooth shade chart. The strips are simply adhered to your teeth and the hydrogen peroxide gets to work removing stains and gently bleaching your teeth.
The kit includes 44 strips (22 for upper teeth and 22 for lower teeth) to be used over 22 days. Simply apply them to your teeth for 45 minutes a day. Their no-slip grip means they'll stay in place until you take them off. This means you can you drink water and talk, without fear of ruining their effectiveness. They're also formulated to be safe for enamel so they won't impact your teeth's health.
Consistency is the key to this product. If you're the type to skip a day or more, or get bored after trying a few days and not seeing the result you're after, this isn't the product for you. However, if you do want quick results, the pack including are two 1-hour express treatments for quicker results. You can use the express treatment for an almost instant whiteness boost, but for the ultimate results, you'll need to stick to the 20 day regime offered by the strip's regime.
Colgate Optic White ComfortFit LED Teeth Whitening Kit
The Colgate Optic White ComfortFit LED Teeth Whitening Kit professes it can remove 10 years of teeth staining in just 3 days. It may in actuality take a little longer, up to 10 days, but it produces results that many teeth whitening kits can't replicate. This is due to its LED device which amplifies the hydrogen peroxide serum for exceptional whitening results.
How it works is a combination of technology and chemistry. You apply a layer of the serum on each tooth, (both upper and lower teeth) and wait for about 15 seconds for the serum to dry. Once the serum is dried you insert the LED device into your mouth and plug it in to your smartphone to activate the device. Press the on button and after 10 minutes the device will automatically switch off. Then brush your teeth to get rid of any excess dried serum.
This isn't a treatment to be used repetitively. You should do it for ten days in a row and then leave it. It's advised to repeat the process no more than 4 times a year in order to maintain the whitening results you get from the first application. What's great is if the pen containing the serum runs out, you don't need to buy the entire kit, you can purchase the pen separately without having to fork out any extra on the LED light.
Get the Colgate ComfortFit Kit
Lumineux Enamel-Safe & Peroxide-Free Teeth Whitening Strips
The Lumineux teeth whitening strips are a great option if you're looking for a product suitable for sensitive teeth that won't erode enamel and is peroxide-free. The ingredients in the strips are certified non-toxic and microbiome safe. In other words, they help improve your overall oral health by protecting the good bacteria found in the mouth and minimizing and detoxifying the bacteria you don't want swashing around your mouth.
Instead of hydrogen-peroxide, it's coconut oil and dead sea salt which are the active ingredient in these chemical free teeth whitening strips. These strips may not have the bleaching power of chemical strips, but they can still get your teeth up to 14 shades whiter with repeated use. And, with natural ingredients, you won't feel any adverse effects on your teeth or gums.
To use them you just remove the top and bottom strip from their backer and apply them to your upper and lower teeth. You leave the strips on for 30 minutes then remove them and brush your teeth. There can be quite a bit of gooey residue to rinse off, so be prepared to brush and brush in order to get all the reside off the teeth. The pack contains 14 days worth of strips and by the end, you should notice a significant difference. Some even said after the first application they noticed their teeth were significantly whiter.
Get the Lumineux Whitening Strips
Venus Visage Teeth Whitening Pen
The Vinus Visage teeth whitening pen uses carbamide peroxide instead of hydrogen peroxide to bleach your teeth and get rid of unwanted stains caused by coffee and tobacco. The gentler primary active ingredient (the carbamide peroxide) won't cause damage to your teeth's enamel and is somewhat gentler on your gums, compared to its stronger peroxide cousin (hydrogen peroxide). You simply cover your teeth with the gel, wait 30 seconds and you're done. Quick, easy and can literally be done on the go.
If you're looking for teeth whitening system that you can do anywhere and don't have to devote and 30 minutes plus each morning or evening to get results, the Venus Visage pens are a great option. You won't get the drastic results you'll find in other more time-consuming products, but after a few days of usage, you'll certainly see a reduction in stains and your teeth will start to become whiter. With constant use you can improve the color of your teeth by several shades of white, though once you stop using them, be prepared for a quick regression back to their previous color.
In addition to their portability and quick application, is the fact that these these pens also assist in preventing plaque build-up, something many other whitening kits don't do. Due to the pen's design, you can also micro-target specific areas on your teeth and aren't limited to a global covering of peroxide. So, if you're looking for a budget-friendly option to get rid of stains and don't want to spend hours or make a big investment on a teeth whitening kit, these pens are handy items that'll do just that.
MySmile Teeth Whitening Kit with LED Light
The MySmile teeth whitening kit works in a similar way to teeth whitening procedures you'd find in a dentist's clinic. It promises it can get your teeth up to 10 shades whiter in just 7 days, and depending on the stainage and color your teeth are, it really can produce those results in a week. It's one of the most power teeth whitening kits you can buy over the counter featuring a gel containing 35% carbamide peroxide that gets straight to work on stubborn, unsightly stains and spots.
The LED light features 5 blue LED activators which help accelerate the tooth whitening process. In fact, after just one usage, some users have reported that their teeth already were 1-2 shades whiter than before they used the product. The application is simple, you put 0.5 ml of the whitening gel into the top part of the mouth tray and the same again into the bottom tray. Put the tray in your mouth making sure it covers all your teeth, turn the LED light on and leave the trays on your teeth for up to 15 minutes.
While you need to devote around 20 minutes to the applying the product, you only need to do it once every other day and, once the pens with the gel run out, you can simply order refills at a very cost-effective price. However, you'll need to make sure you repeat the procedure for at least 10 days, if not more, to get the optimal results. Slacking off will significantly reduce the impact that the teeth whitening kit is capable of producing.
Hismile v34 Colour Corrector
The Hismilec34 Colour Corrector isn't a traditional tooth whitening kit, rather a product that works to enhance the whiteness of teeth either post whitening or for those who already have white teeth that don't need any treatment, but want to brighten their color without any invasive or chemical procedure. It's more a complementary whitening system that balances out any yellow undertones on your gnashers.
The serum is purple in color, which is strategically chosen because purple lies opposite yellow on the color wheel which helps neutralize yellow tones, resulting in a brighter smile. Think of it as the purple shampoo for your teeth. Just as purple shampoo counteracts brassy tones in blonde hair, the V34 Colour Corrector instantly brightens teeth by canceling out yellow overtones.
It's very much a temporary boost, something to be used for a quick fix that soon fades. If you're going somewhere special or getting photos taken, it'll give you a quick pop of extra whiteness to make your teeth just that bit brighter. You use it just as you would a toothpaste. Brush on for 2 minutes and then rinse your mouth and say bye bye to any yellow splodges on your teeth for the next few hours.
Auraglow Teeth Whitening Kit
The Auraglow LED teeth whitening kit can get your teeth up to 10 shades whiter in a week. The gel you place on your teeth contains 35% carbamide peroxide, with the LED light activating the molecules in the product which helps get your teeth whiter, faster. While you will need to be diligent in using it for the full 30 minutes every day for a week, the results are impressive and it's priced at the lower-end of the products in the LED at-home teeth whitening kit market.
The kit contains enough whitening gel for 20 treatments, though it's best to to take a break after a week of use. Then start again once you feel your teeth are reverting to their previous yellowed or stained status. To use it you have to make sure the LED tray is charged up, place a thing line of the gel in the bottom and upper tray. Then put the trys in your mouth, making sure all the teeth are covered and turn on the light by tapping the logo on the tray.
Now you've gotta wait 30 minutes and the light will automatically turn off after the time is up. You'll probably notice a difference after the first application. If you have a small mouth, you might find the tray is a bit too large and uncomfortable to wear for the full 30 minutes, so bear that in mind when considering whether to get this kit or not.
Get the Auraglow Whitening Kit
DrDent Professional LED Teeth Whitening Kit
The DrDent kit promises it can get your teeth up to 8 shades whiter in a week by using it every day for 20 minutes. You can test this yourself as the kit contains a shade guide, as well as pens that contain enough gel for 30 sessions, a LED light tray and something called remineralization gel. This is a gel you put on after the treatment to counteract any erosion or demineralization of the teeth encountered when using a peroxide treatment in your mouth.
One of the stand-out features of this kit is that it features 32 LED lights, as opposed to the regular 5 LED lights found on many other whitening kits. It's the LED lightening that speeds up the whitening process of the gel on the teeth. In this case, it means you only have to keep the tray in your mouth for 20 minutes instead of the usual 30 minutes in order to achieve maximum results on each application.
After you finish the treatment, you then apply the remineralization gel on your teeth which is a form of after-care created to protect your teeth from any adverse effects caused by the carbamide peroxide in the whitening gel. If you have sensitive teeth, yet still want to try an LED whitening kit, this is one you should certainly try out.
Conclusion
The right at-home teeth whitening kit for you all depends on how much you're willing to spend, how much time you want to invest in the treatment and most importantly, how sensitive your teeth are. If you suffer from sensitivity of the teeth, it's best to stay away from hydrogen peroxide treatments. If you don't want to spend 20 to 30 minutes each day apply the treatment, then strips are a better option than the LED kits.
However, if you want the ultimate results of whiter than white teeth and don't suffer from sensitivity issues, the Opalescence Go - Prefilled Teeth Whitening Trays are easy to use, and will give you results, similar to those you would get if you forked out a fortune at your dentist for a whitening procedure.
