Meanwhile, spearmint not only freshens the breath but also prevents fungi and viruses from growing in the mouth area. For those who love charcoal toothpastes, this one is for you. Charcoal not only naturally decreases yellow stains on teeth, but it also prevents future stains, and keeps bacteria at bay.

Coconut oil and mint tie everything together for a refreshing, natural teeth-whitening experience. This whitener gel is great to use in addition to your usual toothpaste. Be sure to use the gel formula twice a day, before brushing your teeth, for maximum benefits. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone willing to turn down a megawatt smile.

The fastest way to get one is with a professional whitening treatment at the dentist's office, but those sessions can be costly and even painful for some. Matt Nejad. Read on for the best whitening toothpaste available now. Remove surface stains quickly with this whitening toothpaste. Crest promises that this toothpaste can remove up to percent of surface stains in five days.

The toothpaste also prevents future stains with its 3X Stain Fighting Power. Though powerful, it's safe even for those with sensitive teeth and is safe on enamel. Plus, it contains fluoride to fight cavities. This toothpaste whitens with peroxide and baking soda meant for maximum effectiveness, lifting stains and bringing a brighter smile. The Stain Defense technology promises to prevent new stains from forming, too, all in a clean mint flavor.

Plus, with the low price, you can stock up without your wallet noticing. Packed with natural ingredients, this multitasker promises to whiten teeth, prevent plaque and tartar build-up, and freshen breath, all without artificial dyes, sweeteners, flavors, or preservatives. It contains zinc citrate, a naturally occurring mineral sourced from zinc, and xylitol , which organically comes from birch trees or corn.

The toothpaste is fluoride-free and has a refreshing natural peppermint flavor. This tooth powder is about as natural as it gets with ingredients so safe, you could eat them.

It contains powerful coconut oil, and turmeric and promises to help naturally lift stains from your teeth. A little intimidated by the idea of a tooth powder?

Don't be! Users say it tastes great and leaves teeth feeling clean. Behold, one of the best whitening toothpastes for sensitive teeth. There's a reason Sensodyne's Extra Whitening toothpaste is the best-selling toothpaste in the country. It contains potassium nitrate meant to quickly help relieve sensitivity, and it keeps working to prevent pain for 24 hours, according to the brand. While getting your pearly whites at their peak by removing surface stains, also delivers cavity protection.

Whitening products can be harsh on sensitive teeth, but that's not the case with this Opalescence toothpaste. Its formula is actually designed to reduce tooth sensitivity thanks to maximum-strength potassium nitrate , while sodium fluoride helps prevent cavities and strengthens enamel.

But just because it's gentle doesn't mean it's ineffective—use it daily for just 30 days to brush your way to teeth that are two shades whiter, according to the brand. To leave you with fresh, minty breath, this formula also contains coconut oil, mint, spearmint, and peppermint.

Plus, it fights plaque and is free of fluoride, sulfates, artificial sweeteners and flavors, microbeads, parabens, gluten, and triclosan. That means it can be a little messy for your sink, but good for your teeth. This fluoride-free toothpaste was designed with both your teeth and the environment in mind. As a result, some people don't like the feeling it leaves after you brush.

If you're looking for a whitening toothpaste that has a clean ingredient list and ditches the plastic tube, Bite's toothpaste bits are what you seek.

Pros: Reusable glass jar instead of plastic, four-month supply each time you order, clean ingredients list, helps with teeth sensitivity. Cons: Takes some getting used to, doesn't get foamy, doesn't always produce the same kind of clean mouth feel. Bite is a step above your basic "eco-friendly" or "sustainable" toothpaste — its packaging also nixes the plastic in favor of a reusable glass jar.

Instead, the brand offers whitening toothpaste in little Altoid-like bites. Like little pellets, the bits are a far cry from the traditional paste most people are used to and actually require you to bite down on them to crush the bit before brushing. When I first tested these out, I was a little skeptical, and it did take a while to get used to. The most notable difference for me when I tested was how much less foam the bits created in my mouth.

This would sometimes leave me feeling as though my mouth wasn't as clean as it could be after brushing even though it was. However, that's due to the active ingredient, sodium cocoyl glutamate, which is activated when mixed with the water on your toothbrush.

For some, the minimal foaming may be a positive, but it took me a few times to get used to it. I did like Bite's clean ingredient list, which further adds to its badge of sustainability. The bits come in either a mint, charcoal, or berry flavor, though I'd recommend the mint as it gets the closest to that fresh, post-brush feeling plus, charcoal toothpaste has its drawbacks. There are two major categories of whitening ingredients in toothpaste: abrasives and bleaching agents.

Most whitening toothpaste relies on gentle, enamel-safe abrasives that work to scrub off stains caused by eating and drinking. Technically, they're not changing the color of your teeth, just cleaning off any gunk that might make them appear more yellow, which is why you may still want an at-home whitening kit to see a truly brighter smile.

Bleaching agents like peroxide , though, can actually lift the color in the outermost layers of your enamel. However, they're less common in toothpaste because they need more than two minutes of contact to really work hence, why whitening strips work — they hold the bleaching agent on your teeth for several minutes.

Bleaching agents can also be irritating and cause sensitivity. The only bleaching toothpaste that made our top picks, Colgate Optic White , actually creates a film that sits on your teeth, keeping them in contact with the hydrogen peroxide for longer than the few minutes you spend brushing. According to Drs. El Chami, Hain, and Springs, the number one thing to look for when shopping for new products is the ADA seal of acceptance.

Brands can choose to submit its products to the American Dental Association, a non-profit advocating for safe dental practices, for review to obtain its seal which signals that the dental community agrees there is enough research to substantiate that a product is safe and effective. This is especially important when it comes to whitening toothpaste, as they tend to use abrasives like silica the same stuff that makes up most of sand to scrub off stains.

The ADA review ensures those abrasives aren't doing more harm to your enamel than good. The other thing you need to look for is fluoride , a mineral that strengthens enamel and helps prevent cavities. The naturally occurring mineral has been demonized by phony science, but the ADA, all our experts, and a whole body of research deem it not only safe in your toothpaste but also necessary for preventing cavities.

Learn more in our FAQs. The only ingredients dentists recommend avoiding are sugars , which improve the flavor of toothpaste but can cause adverse effects including tooth decay. Fortunately, the majority of toothpastes utilize tooth-safe sugar alternatives like xylitol or stevia. Relatively few products on the market bear the ADA approval seal, which our sources overwhelmingly told us was the best way to know a product's claims have been substantiated by research and thus the ones we can recommend to you most confidently.

That said, a product without the seal isn't necessarily ineffectual or bad — it just likely didn't undergo the organization's optional review process which does cost money, so is difficult for smaller companies to obtain. Here are some other, non-ADA-approved products that came up in our research:. Yes — just maybe not as well as you might hope.

Salierno explained to Insider that over-the-counter whitening toothpaste is best at removing surface stains, but for a more dramatic whitening effect, professional methods are your best bet. Bottom line: Whitening toothpaste is safe and can be effective at removing surface stains — just don't expect a dramatic transformation from over-the-counter toothpaste alone.

Charcoal is a trendy ingredient right now, making its way into food, cosmetics, and yes, toothpaste. The idea is that charcoal is able to absorb impurities and thus whiten teeth, but the clinical evidence isn't great: Reviews of laboratory studies suggest that charcoal isn't particularly effective as a whitening agent, despite its mildly abrasive properties. What's more, it has the potential to damage your enamel, discolor it permanently, and damage your gums, according to a study in the British Dental Journal.

More recent research supports the safety of charcoal toothpaste but dentists and researchers caution consumers that the charcoal actually runs the risk of scratching enamel or getting stuck in the gums and other crevices. Those with fillings should especially steer clear. For the most part, yes. Hydrogen peroxide is an abrasive so in addition to lifting stains it can also cause sensitivity or even take off some tooth enamel if used too frequently.

I have patients who love it so I have them use it once a week. This whitening toothpaste is also hydrogen-peroxide-based, but it contains sodium bicarbonate and sodium fluoride, which Dr.

Sharon Huang, the founder of Les Belles NYC , an integrative holistic dentist office in Manhattan, says it will whiten your teeth naturally over time and keep your mouth pH balanced. The fluoride in it can help with tooth sensitivity, and it comes in different flavors like Cool Mint and Melon to suit your tastes. Huang recommends this toothpaste from clean brand Wellnesse.

It was founded by a mom of six in her kitchen, and instead of fluoride it uses an alternative mineralizing ingredient, hydroxyapatite, which restores tooth enamel just the same. If you already have sensitive teeth, but still want a whitening toothpaste, Hello has a product for you. The active ingredient is Potassium nitrate, which decreases the level of activity of dental sensory nerves which will reduce teeth sensitivity, making the whitening process more tolerable.

And because even something as simple as a deep-clean can create noticeably whiter teeth, an electric toothbrush can be a massive help. The vibration of those bristles, especially the ones from Sonicare, go into the pores. Should you want something even lower commitment than a toothpaste, Dr. Alvarez are both fans of this mouthwash. Huang says any organic coconut oil will do, but this is the one Nicole Richie uses.