Got a date tonight, and haven’t been working at whitening your teeth for weeks? Try Rembrandt Deeply White 2-Hour Whitening Kit ($23). After molding a set of trays to fit your mouth, you’ll alternate between wearing the gel-filled applicators for 20 minutes and resting for 10 minutes for a total two hours.
If you’re sketched out by the bleaching agents in at-home whitening products, try Tom’s of Maine Clean Mint Simply White Fluoride Toothpaste ($5, tomsofmaine.com). The surface stain eraser: silica, an ingredient derived from sand. (Don’t worry—the paste is smooth, not gritty.) What we liked best about this eco-friendly cavity fighter: Milder ingredients don’t limit the product’s powerful fresh-breath effects.
If you shy away from whitening because it hurts like hell—we get it, some products can be pretty harsh—then this paste was made for you. Sensodyne Extra Whitening ($5, drugstore.com) breaks up stains while building a protective layer that blocks pain caused by hot, cold, and sugary foods. For a deeper-feeling clean, opt for Sensodyne Iso-Active Foaming Gel Whitening ($8, drugstore.com). It bubbles up when you brush, making it easier to hit hard-to-reach areas.
Crest 3D White Arctic Fresh ($4, pgestore.com) is a do-it-all paste. It’s touted to remove up to 80% of surface stains while fighting cavities and freshening breath. The company claims that when the toothpaste is used along with other products in the line-up (Crest 3D White Arctic Fresh MultiCare Whitening Rinse, Oral-B 3D White Vivid Toothbrush), you’ll see results in two days.
The Reach Total Care + Whitening toothbrush ($3, drugstore.com) is more beefed up than the freebie you’d bring home from the dentist's office. Bristles are infused with calcium carbonate, a buffing ingredient that helps loosen up stains sans bleach. Other bells and whistles include a tongue cleaner, grip handle, and angled neck.
You plunk down cash for a plasma TV and an iPhone 5, why not make a similar investment in your at-home oral health? What we have in mind: the Sonicare DiamondClean rechargeable toothbrush ($220, phillips-store.com). The tooth-polishing powertool cranks out 31,000 brushstrokes per minute, which would take you a month to rack up with a manual brush. The DiamondClean is touted to remove five times more plaque than a manual brush, whiten teeth in one week, and improve gum health in two weeks. It also features a two-minute timer and a USB cord so you can charge it up at your computer.
This product is a far cry from stinging antiseptic rinses that make your eyes water and breath smell nothing like mint. Listerine Whitening Vibrant Multi-Action Whitening Rinse ($6, soap.com) is a foaming, twice-a-day pre-brush rinse that claims to get teeth four times whiter than brushing alone. The mild-tasting mouthwash also controls tarter to prevent future stains and kills bad-breath-causing germs.
You barely have enough time to throw together a homemade breakfast in the morning, let alone mess with a slew of smile-brightening products before work. But Rembrandt Intense Stain Stain Dissolving Strips ($23 for 56 strips, rembrandtboutique.com) let you whiten while you zip through your morning—or nighttime—routine. Apply the no-fuss strips before you shave, for example, and in the 5 to 10 minutes that you spend on your face, they will have dissolved in your mouth—with nothing to remove or rinse away. Use the strips twice a day for two weeks to lift surface stains from coffee and wine.
You’re no fool—you know that popping a piece of gum isn’t going to have the same smile-whitening effect as a high-tech toothbrush. But if you’re going to chew gum to freshen your breath after meals, there’s no harm in grabbing a pack with stain-removing potential. Orbit White is sugar-free and according to the brand’s website, an eight-week clinical trial showed that having two pieces after eating and drinking helped remove stains.