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Byrdie / Chloe Jeong
Who doesn’t want a brighter, whiter smile? Teeth whitening has always been a popular sub-section of beauty, but at-home options, like whitening toothpastes, are a newer innovation. But luckily for us, DIY whitening has come leaps and bounds in recent years, and it’s now possible to see great results just from something as simple as brushing your teeth.
According to dental hygienist and GSK expert, Monica Biga, whitening toothpastes work by either removing surface stains mechanically or whitening the teeth from the inside out via bleaching agents—peroxide is probably the most popular one used. And while bleaching agents are generally much harder on the teeth, the right formula for you really comes down to your oral health, personal preference, and desired results. So to cover all bases, we’ve curated the best options from both camps, so you can get on your way to a brighter, whiter smile in minutes (sometimes, literally).
Keep scrolling to shop for the best whitening toothpastes.
Best Overall: Crest 3D White Brilliance Toothpaste
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Contains fluoride
Claims to defend against stains for 12 hours
Pricey
Crest is one of the top-rated whitening brands on the internet, and the 3D White Brilliance Toothpaste is arguably its most advanced formula. With claims to remove surface stains in five days plus 12-hour stain protection, it’s a top pick for those who love coffee, red wine, or black tea. It’s also rich in fluoride to protect against cavities.
Active Ingredients: Sodium fluoride | Size: 3.9 fluid ounces
Best Budget: Arm & Hammer Advance White Extreme Whitening Toothpaste
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Affordable
Contains baking soda and peroxide
Reviewers note it tastes a little salty
Boosted with both peroxide and baking soda, this toothpaste promises to lift stains, brighten the teeth and help you maintain a brighter smile. It contains fluoride for protection against cavities, has a strong minty flavor, and at $6 for a duo pack, it won’t burn a hole in your wallet.
Active Ingredients: Peroxide | Size: 6 fluid ounces
Best for Sensitive Teeth: Sensodyne Extra Whitening Toothpaste
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Safe for sensitive teeth
Bleach-free
Slower results than bleach options
According to Biga, this formula is an excellent choice for sensitive teeth as it doesn’t contain peroxide, a bleaching agent that “opens the pores of the enamel and changes the color of the tooth from the inside, making it appear whiter”. Instead, Sensodyne’s version contains silica, which is known to remove surface stains, particularly those that come from tea, coffee, and wine. Use it twice daily to maintain a brighter smile.
Active Ingredients: Stannous fluoride | Size: 3.4 fluid ounces
Best Drugstore: Burt's Bees Purely White Zen Peppermint Toothpaste
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Fluoride-, sulfate-, and paraben-free
Nice flavor
Pricey
For fluoride-free whitening, this Burt’s Bees option is a great pick. Instead, it contains silica to remove surface stains and stevia for a subtle flavor. We’re big fans of the zingy peppermint flavor, too.
Active Ingredients: Silica | Size: 4.7 fluid ounces
Best Peroxide-Free Formula: HiSmile PAP+ Toothpaste
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Peroxide-free
Strengthens and protects teeth
Slightly runny consistency
PAP, or Phthalimido Peroxy Caproic Acid, is a proven whitening agent that is said to visibly whiten the teeth on application. HiSmile is one of the first brands to use it, mostly because it’s extremely expensive and difficult to work with (according to its co-founder, Nik Mirkovic). Said to whiten without affecting the enamel, it’s a stellar choice for sensitive teeth or gums—or anyone who prefers to forgo peroxide.
Active Ingredients: Phthalimido Peroxy Caproic Acid (PAP) | Size: 1.4 fluid ounces
Best for Healthy Teeth: Sensodyne Sensodyne Repair and Protect Deep Repair Whitening Toothpaste
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Safe for sensitive teeth
Contains fluoride
Slower results than bleach options
Biga rates this pick because it’s “low abrasive, packed with fluoride for healthy teeth and gums, and works to relieve sensitivity when used daily”. It’s also peroxide-free, so there’s no risk of increasing nerve pain in already-vulnerable teeth.
Active Ingredients: Stannous fluoride | Size: 3.4 fluid ounces
Best for a Fresh Mouth: Colgate Total Whitening Toothpaste with Stannous Fluoride and Zinc
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Affordable
Nice flavor
Only removes surface stains
This zingy, minty gel contains stannous fluoride, zinc, and silica to help whiten the teeth and protect against cavities without sensitizing the teeth. It’s also said to help neutralize odors in the mouth, so could be a great pick for those constantly battling with morning breath (or to mask that third coffee).
Active Ingredients: Stannous fluoride, zinc | Size: 4.8 fluid ounces
Best Vegan Option: hello Naturally Whitening Toothpaste
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Vegan
Contains fluoride
Only removes surface stains
This innovative formula is packed with coconut oil, calcium, silica, fluoride, and tea tree to give you that fresher-than-fresh mouth feel—all while serving up subtle whitening benefits. It’s also reasonably priced, so you can stock up without hesitation.
Active Ingredients: Fluoride, silica, calcium | Size: 4.7 fluid ounces
Best Toothpaste Bit: Bite Fresh Mint Toothpaste Bits
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Waste-free
Great for travel
Pricey
Prefer a waste-free whitening option you can chomp down on? Bite’s Toothpaste Bits are an effective way to brush your teeth with the added bonus of way less water used in production. The hero ingredient, nano-hydroxyapatite, is thought to remineralize tooth enamel, while calcium carbonate acts as an abrasive to gently buff away surface stains. There’s menthol for freshness, too.
Active Ingredients: Nano-Hydroxyapatite, calcium carbonate | Size: 248 bits per jar
Best Tasting: Supersmile Professional Teeth Whitening Toothpaste
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Contains fluoride
Dentist-developed
May cause some sensitivity
Developed by famed American dentist Dr. Irwin Smigel, this toothpaste uses encapsulated carbamide peroxide to whiten teeth but also dentures, implants, and veneers. It has a strong minty flavor and contains fluoride, calcium, and phosphates to promote strong, healthy teeth and gums.
Active Ingredients: Carbamide peroxide | Size: 4.2 fluid ounces
Best Charcoal Formula: Dr. Brite Whitening Toothpaste With Charcoal
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Bleach-free
Nice flavor
Reviewers note it’s quite runny
Charcoal is known for its ultra-absorbent properties and is thought to help with removing surface stains from the teeth. Admittedly the science is still grey, but we can’t deny the way charcoal toothpaste makes our mouth feel super clean. This formula from Dr. Brite also contains aloe vera, mint oil, vitamin C, clove, neem, menthol, and silica to promote a clean, healthy mouth and brighter teeth (sans bleach or fluoride). All the essential oil extracts give it a unique, herbaceous, minty flavor profile, too.
Active Ingredients: Menthol, silica | Size: 5 fluid ounces
Best Clean Formula: Tom's of Maine Antiplaque Natural Whitening Toothpaste
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Bleach-free
ADA-approved
Reviewers note it's not very refreshing
Cruelty-free, vegan, and formulated without artificial dyes, sweeteners, flavors, or preservatives, this toothpaste is a nice pick if you prefer a bleach- and fluoride-free option. It contains the mineral zinc citrate, plus xylitol, a natural sweetener, to assist with clean, bright teeth and healthy gums. If you’re into it, it even comes in Fennel flavor.
Active Ingredients: Calcium carbonate, silica | Size: 5.5 fluid ounces
Final Verdict
Crest 3D White Brilliance Toothpaste is our top pick of the best whitening toothpaste edit as it claims to remove stains in five days and comes with thousands of positive reviews online. However, if you’re sensitive, we can’t go past HiSmile PAP+ Toothpaste and Sensodyne Extra Whitening Toothpaste—both are fluoride-free but work to remove surface stains, leaving you with a brighter smile instantly.
What to Look for in a Whitening Toothpaste
The Mechanism of Whitening Action
Nejad says this is the single most important criteria to look for in whitening toothpaste. Most formulas rely on one of two options. Some use hydrogen peroxide or other chemical ingredients for chemical whitening or to essentially bleach the teeth. When used in toothpaste, this ingredient doesn't stay on teeth for a long enough period of time to make a big difference.
Others work via abrasive action, containing an ingredient (such as silica or calcium carbonate) that physically scrubs stains off the surface of the teeth. This is typically considered the more effective of the two in toothpaste, although whitening formulas like these should be used with caution to avoid damaging the tooth enamel.
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Does whitening toothpaste work?
It does, though expect only a slightly brighter, whiter smile over time. Whitening toothpaste tends to work by eliminating the stains on the surface of the tooth rather than actually changing the color of the tooth itself.
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Is it safe to use whitening toothpaste every day?
Most whitening toothpaste is safe for short-term daily use, but if the product has an overly abrasive formula it could accelerate wear of your enamel if you use it for years, says Nejad. If you plan on using a whitening toothpaste daily for an extended period of time, be sure to discuss this with your dentist, particularly if you already have damaged enamel or worn areas on your teeth from underlying conditions.
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Does whitening toothpaste make your teeth more sensitive?
While it is possible, it’s unlikely that a whitening toothpaste will make your teeth more sensitive, says Nejad.
Why Trust Byrdie?
For this roundup, we leaned on the expertise of dental expert Monica Biga, plus several peer-reviewed journal articles. We also tested a few products (of course) and cross-checked them against customer reviews.
Meet the Expert
Monica Biga is an oral care expert, dental hygienist, and spokesperson who works for GSK. She also has a Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) in Dental Hygiene/Hygienist from St. Petersburg College in Florida.
According to our Diversity Pledge, 15% of products in our newly-published market roundups will feature Black-owned and/or Black-founded brands. At the time of publishing, we were not able to find enough whitening toothpastes from Black-owned and/or Black-founded businesses to meet this percentage. If you know of one we should consider, please email us at contact@byrdie.com, and we will evaluate the product ASAP.
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