The pressure to look and stay young is ever-mounting, and it doesn’t just apply to skincare anymore; a recent study by Oral B found that not having white teeth can make you look as much as 13 years older. When 2000 people were shown a digitally-altered photo of a woman, respondents guessed the woman to be 31 when she showed off her bright, pearly whites, but estimated that she was 44 when her smile was less than so.
Believe me, I understand the want for whiter teeth; I’m known for never saying no to a cup of coffee, and I’d take red over white wine any day. In-office whitening treatments can be costly, time-consuming, and when you’ve got a dentist like mine, hard to book. But if you want to look younger and have a killer smile, read on to find out about some at-home whitening treatments that can give you great results.
Crest 3D White Whitestrips Gentle
Crest 3D White Whitestrips Gentle Routine ($30.68, amazon.com) aren’t exaclty new in the at-home whitening world, but they’re a great and cost-effective alternative to pricey in-office visits. Like most bleaching treatments, they contain hydrogen peroxide, which releases oxygen radicals as it decomposes. To stabilize itself, the hydrogen peroxide then steals electrons from surrounding molecules, most of whom are large, complex pigments found in the enamel-dentin junction and in the dentin (an inner layer of the tooth). Basically, the hydrogen peroxide breaks up the pigments, thereby bleaching the teeth (Photomedicine and Laser Surgery).
At-home treatments contain less hydrogen peroxide than treatments avaible through a dentist, but discomfort can typically occur. For instance, I’ve never been one to complain of sensitive teeth, but using the non-gentle whitestrips left me with a mild sensitivity for a couple of weeks.
As far as ingredients go, the Crest 3D White Whitestrips Gentle Routine doesn’t really differ from any of the others, but it’s meant for people who want more of a subtler, longer whitening process. Strips are worn once every day for five minutes, so you shouldn’t experience much discomfort.
Pearl Brilliant White Ionic Teeth Whitening System
If you’re in the market for something a bit stronger, you might want to check out the Pearl Ionic Teeth Whitening System. According to the website, the device uses patented ionic technology; the ionic whitening gel is activated by gentle microcurrents that will whiten teeth when used for five minutes, twice a day for five days.
Apparently, after using the Pearl device, 97% of subjects saw their teeth become up to 10 shades lighter, but I couldn’t find the parameters of said study. To be honest, I couldn’t find anything regarding ionic whitening systems as the Pearl is the first of its kind; it is FDA-approved, however, and it claims to be gentle, but this report by Good Housekeeping claims that it did cause gum sensitivity and wasn’t very effective.
GLO Brilliant Personal Teeth Whitening Device
GLO Brilliant Personal Teeth Whitening Device ($199, amazon.com) is an at-home whitening product; “GLO” stands for Guided Light Optic technology that uses heat resistors and LED light to activate and accelerate the whitening power of its 6% hydrogen peroxide gel. 
As I mentioned above, hydrogen peroxide is an effective whitening treatment for teeth, but using heat and lights is a proven method for accelerating the bleaching process. When researchers tested three bleaching agents with and without six different light sources, they found that the color change was always greater when accompanied by a light source. Most impressive was the LED light, which showed the greatest color change in teeth (as did the diode laser) regardless of the bleaching agent used. Additionally, researchers saw no evidence of damaged enamel after bleaching (Photomedicine and Laser Surgery).
Bottom Line
Choosing an at-home whitening treatment is dependent upon your needs; if you’ve got particularly stubborn spots, you might want to opt for the GLO Brilliant Personal Teeth Whitening Device. Of course, it is a little pricey, so opting for the Crest 3D White Whitestrips Gentle Routine might be a little better for you. Personally, I’d shy away from the Pearl Brilliant White Ionic Teeth Whitening System as it doesn’t have research to back it up quite yet, plus reports of it sensitizing gums despite its promises otherwise seems rather misleading.
As always, I’d advise talking to your dentist before purchasing to discuss the options best for you.