If you’re taking the first step into the teeth whitening kit world, you’ve come to the right place. As the experts in all things oral health and teeth whitening, too, we’ve put together a great guide to help you choose the best teeth whitening kit for your specific needs. Carry on reading to discover the answers to your questions about teeth whitening kits.
What to consider when choosing the best teeth whitening kit for you
Choosing the best at-home teeth whitening kit for you can be quite a task. With so many options on the market, it can be difficult to decide on the best teeth whitening system for your specific needs. Here are a few things to consider when choosing:
- Type of kit: Teeth whitening kits come in a range of different forms. They can include whitening pens, gels, strips, with and without whitening trays and LED lights. Our Max White Ultimate LED Whitening Kit uses a combination of a fast-drying whitening serum and an LED light that emits a specific wavelength of light in the indigo range. This delivers better energy absorption compared to most common blue light LEDs and amplifies the whitening effects. Choose a kit that’s most convenient for you.
- Professional treatment or over-the-counter whitening kits: Teeth whitening kits that you can get online or in the shops will contain a lower level of peroxide than what you can get from your dentist. However, this doesn’t mean you won’t still get great results. Some over-the-counter teeth whitening kits are really easy to use and have been clinically proven to safely and effectively whiten. They’re also more cost-effective than a professional whitening kit from your dental professional.
- Price: With so many options to choose from, there’s bound to be a teeth whitening kit in your price range. Some of the more expensive ones may offer advanced features, but a more cost-effective option could also work well for you. You should weigh up the value for money, thinking about the results you’ll get, the time it takes to whiten and how convenient it is to use the kit. If you find that a full teeth whitening kit is out of your budget, you may want to try singular teeth whitening products like whitening toothpaste, whitening strips or our Max White Overnight Whitening Pen, which goes on before you go to bed and whitens while you sleep.
- Ease of use: Before making your choice, you should consider how easy the teeth whitening kit is to use. Some can take time out of your day that you may not have to spare, while others, like our Colgate Max White Ultimate LED Whitening Kit, are super simple to use (only 10 minutes twice a day) and you can get on with your day while you whiten. Some kits may include gels that you’ll apply to a whitening tray, which some people find a little messy.
- Safety: This one is really important! The best teeth whitening product is one that’s safe. Check whether the teeth whitening kit is safe for your enamel so that it doesn’t cause any potential damage. Look out for regulatory claims, like if a teeth whitening kit is clinically proven to be safe. If you’re still in doubt, chat to your dental professional, who will be able to help.
- Results: This is probably one of the most difficult ones because individual whitening results will differ between people. However, you can look out for reviews, before and after pictures, and also strong claims. Our Colgate Max White Ultimate LED Whitening Kit is proven to reverse up to 20 years of stains caused by food and drink when you use it continuously for 2 weeks, twice a day.
- Brand: If you’re in doubt, choose a reputable brand that you trust and that has been in the market for a long time. By doing this, you can be sure that their products have been thoroughly tested and meet all safety regulations.
Effectiveness of teeth whitening kits: what to expect
It goes without saying, but you should definitely be able to expect whiter teeth from a teeth whitening kit. The exact result will differ from person to person and also from the specific teeth whitening kit you use.
If you get your at-home teeth whitening kit from a dental professional, they’ll be able to give you a good idea of the final colour your teeth will become. If you’re getting one online or from a shop, have a look at before and after pictures, which could give you a rough idea, although this will never be exact because everyone’s teeth are different.
It's a good idea to take a picture of your teeth, in good lighting, before you start using your whitening kit, then take progress pictures to compare. It’s important that you follow the manufacturer’s instructions to get the optimal whitening result. If you don’t do this, you may not see as much of an improvement as you would have liked.
Teeth whitening kits: budget vs high-end options
Price is an important factor for many people when choosing the best at-home teeth whitening kit for them. But, rest assured, you should be able to find the right kit for your budget.
High-end whitening kits may offer more advanced features but that doesn’t mean that you won’t get great results from a more budget-friendly choice. If you find the cost of a full teeth whitening kit too expensive – especially one that you’ll get directly from a dental professional, you can “start small” by choosing the best teeth whitening products for you.
You could try a good teeth whitening toothpaste like our Max White Ultimate or Max White Ultra Toothpaste which, unlike regular whitening toothpaste that just removes surface stains, safely goes beyond enamel to reverse deep-set stains. You could also try a teeth whitening gel or a fast-drying serum like our Max White Overnight Whitening Pen, which whitens while you sleep.
At home teeth whitening kits vs professional treatments
A lot of at home teeth whitening kits are generally considered safe to use, especially if they’ve undergone clinical testing and don’t contain more than the legal maximum of peroxide (0.1%). They can be cost-effective and convenient to use and, with some of them, you’ll even notice results within a couple of weeks. Our Colgate Max White Ultimate LED Whitening Kit reverses 20 years of stains caused by food and drink with 2 weeks of continued use twice a day.
After doing a thorough dental check-up, your dental professional might offer you one of the following three whitening treatments:
- At-home whitening: Your dental professional will take a mould of your mouth to have whitening trays created. You’ll go back to them to collect your trays and a whitening gel which contains a higher level of peroxide than what you’ll find in over-the-counter teeth whitening kits. You’ll usually apply a gel to the tray, then wear it for a certain amount of time each day (around 1 hour), or overnight.
- In-office and at-home whitening: This would include a combination of whitening in your dental professional’s office and taking away trays and gel to use at home.
- In-office: This will usually be the most expensive of all the professional options and will include the full whitening procedure in the dental professional’s office. The procedure usually takes between 1 – 2 hours and you’ll see immediate results. You might be sent home with a home whitening kit to top up your results from time to time.
Potential risks and side effects of using teeth whitening kits
Teeth whitening kits are generally considered safe to use but, like with most treatments, there might be potential risks.
- Make sure that the teeth whitening kit you buy online does not contain more than 0.1% peroxide. Products that contain more than this are not allowed to be sold over the counter and should not be used at home without a dental professional’s supervision and in office application.
- Whitening gels in a teeth whitening kit should not come into contact with your gums or else it may cause gum irritation. Some people find that gels can spill out of the whitening tray and get in contact with their gums.
- Always choose an enamel-safe teeth whitening kit.
Maintaining the results of your teeth whitening kit
Once you’ve seen the results of your teeth whitening kit, you’ll want to maintain the result. You can do this in a few different ways:
- Use an enamel-safe daily whitening toothpaste like our Max White Ultimate or Max White Ultra Toothpaste.
- Rinse daily with a whitening mouthwash like our Max White Mouthwash.
- Top up your whitening result with a whitening gel or serum like our Max White Overnight Whitening Pen, which safely whitens while you sleep.
- Try to limit or avoid foods and drinks that can stain your teeth. We have a great article with some tips and tricks here.
