Sensodyne’s NBC Select Wellness Award-winning toothpaste is one of the most frequently re-purchased varieties among our staff. It’s specifically designed for sensitive teeth and made with potassium nitrate, which can help soothe and relieve tooth pain, says Rawdin. But anyone can use this toothpaste, making it a great all-around option. Sensodyne’s toothpaste removes surface stains, protects against acid erosion and remineralizes teeth to strengthen enamel, according to the brand.
Whitening agent: Hydrated silica | Texture: Paste | Flavor: Mint
Colgate’s toothpaste has a smooth texture and offers ten benefits, including surface stain removal, sensitivity relief, enamel strengthening, tartar control and plaque and gingivitis prevention. It also provides whole-mouth antibacterial protection for up to 24 hours after use, according to the brand, because it’s made with stannous fluoride.
Whitening agent: Hydrated silica | Texture: Gel | Flavor: Mint
After using this toothpaste, Rebecca Rodriguez, NBC Select editorial projects manager, feels like she just left the dentist. “This toothpaste makes my breath feel fresh and gives my mouth a deep clean feeling," she says. "It has a stronger fluoride taste compared to most other toothpastes I’ve tried, which threw me off at first. But it's grown on me, especially because I feel like I got a professional cleaning every time I brush,” she says. The toothpaste is made with gentle abrasives to remove surface stains and hydrogen peroxide to brighten teeth.
Whitening agent: Hydrated silica, hydrogen peroxide, sodium bicarbonate | Texture: Paste | Flavor: Mint
Arm & Hammer’s whitening toothpaste is made with the brand’s dental-grade baking soda, which helps buff surface stains off teeth. The formula also contains peroxide, which can lighten tooth color over time. According to the brand, the toothpaste strengthens enamel to prevent new stains from setting in, removes plaque and controls tartar.
Whitening agent: Sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate peroxide | Texture: Paste | Flavor: Mint
While gentle abrasives remove surface stains from teeth, the stannous fluoride in this toothpaste fights cavities as well as removes plaque to help prevent bleeding gums, according to the brand. It also aids in maintaining the seal between the gums and teeth.
Whitening agent: Hydrated silica | Texture: Paste | Flavor: Mint
Colgate Optic White’s toothpaste is made with 5% hydrogen peroxide, which penetrates enamel to lighten tooth color and remove stains, especially those from pigmented food and beverages like coffee, tea and wine. It’s safe to use daily and won’t damage enamel, according to the brand.
Whitening agent: Hydrogen peroxide, silica | Texture: Paste | Flavor: Mint
Because I’m a coffee drinker, I’ve used Moon’s whitening toothpaste for about two years, which I find prevents my teeth from developing additional surface stains or yellowing. It’s a thick paste so it can be challenging to squeeze out of the tube, but I like the subtle yet detectable minty flavor and how fresh it makes my mouth feel after I use it. The toothpaste is made with a blend of antioxidants and essential oils that help reduce plaque and support gum health, according to the brand.
Whitening agent: Hydrated silica | Texture: Paste | Flavor: Mint
Beyond removing surface stains via gentle abrasives, Hello’s toothpaste has tea tree oil to freshen breath. The formula is also made with coconut oil, an ingredient that helps reduce bacteria in the mouth, according to the brand.
Whitening agent: Hydrated silica, calcium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate | Texture: Paste | Flavor: Peppermint
If you’re interested in whitening your teeth and have dry mouth, consider using this SprinJene toothpaste. According to the brand, it’s made with black seed oil and coconut oil, which lubricate the inside of your mouth to prevent dryness and freshen breath. The formula also contains zinc, which helps prevent tartar growth.
Whitening agent: Hydrated silica | Texture: Paste | Flavor: Mint
In addition to being SLS-free, Burt’s Bee’s toothpaste isn’t made with preservatives or artificial flavors and sweeteners. It removes stains with gentle abrasives and protects tooth enamel, according to the brand.
Whitening agent: Hydrated silica | Texture: Paste | Flavor: Mint
There are two types of tooth stains, says Rawdin: intrinsic stains, which are built into the internal structure of the teeth, and extrinsic stains, which sit on the surface of the teeth. Whitening toothpastes mainly attack extrinsic stains through abrasive ingredients like silica and sodium bicarbonate, which have a grainy, sandy texture. But all toothpastes are mildly abrasive to scrub teeth clean of plaque and grime, says Hewlett. Whitening toothpaste, however, is slightly more abrasive compared to standard toothpaste — it tends to have higher concentrations of the aforementioned ingredients in its formula to remove surface stains from teeth, says Rawdin.
The level and type of abrasives in all ADA-accepted toothpastes are safe and gentle — the agency ensures so when it’s evaluating products, says Hewlett. But if you’re using a whitening toothpaste that’s not ADA-accepted, you don’t know how abrasive it is, so proceed with caution. It’s also important to stop using any dental care product that causes pain or irritation, and consult your dentist.
Some whitening toothpastes also contain low concentrations of peroxides like hydrogen peroxide, an active ingredient that bleaches teeth to target intrinsic stains, says Rawdin. Many other at-home whitening products also have low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, like whitening strips and mouthwashes, and the ingredient is used in high concentrations during in-office bleaching treatments, says Rawdin. Hydrogen peroxide penetrates tooth enamel to reach the dentin, bleaching it so it becomes whiter, says Rawdin.
Whitening toothpaste is somewhat effective. The abrasives it’s made with can successfully buff surface stains off your teeth over time, but as far as dramatically changing the color of your teeth, “no, that’s not going to happen,” says Hewlett. If you’re interested in bleaching your teeth to make them appear whiter, visiting your dentist for a professional-grade, in-office treatment is your best bet, he says.
As far as whitening toothpaste made with hydrogen peroxide goes, its effectiveness is determined by contact time, says Rawdin. The longer the ingredient sits on your teeth, the more it can penetrate tooth enamel and bleach dentin. But since you only brush your teeth for two minutes twice a day (as recommended by the ADA), there’s not enough time for the hydrogen peroxide to really work, says Rawdin. Additionally, whitening toothpaste is made with a very low concentration of hydrogen peroxide, further limiting products’ effectiveness.
Overall, be aware of whitening toothpaste’s limitations as you use it and manage your expectations.
At NBC Select, we work with experts with specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and experience. We also ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
I’m an associate updates editor at NBC Select who has written about dental care for over four years, including articles about toothpaste, toothpaste for kids, at-home whitening treatments, electric toothbrushes and floss. I also frequently test and review dental care products. For this article, I interviewed three dentists and rounded up ADA-accepted whitening toothpastes, as well as those NBC Select members tested.
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