Our teeth undergo a certain amount of wear and tear on an everyday basis. As a result, certain surface stains may occur as a result of the buildup on the teeth over the years. Some of the well-known culprits for causing teeth discoloration are coffee and alcohol.

The best way to get your teeth whitened is to reach out to a professional who can suggest an appropriate teeth whitening treatment. This comes with a greater level of expertise and may contain bleaching ingredients of a higher concentration. However, this is not a cheap affair and can set you back by anywhere from $200 to $2500.

If you’re looking for a budget procedure, then you can use some teeth whitening products that can give you significant results at home. The top three options available to you for whitening teeth at home are toothpaste, light devices, and whitening strips. Toothpaste is at the bottom of this list, as it contains a minimum amount of bleaching ingredients. The other two bring about significant changes in your teeth. Read on:

1. Whitening strips and trays
Whitening strips contain hydrogen peroxide. When applied, they can be effective in bleaching the teeth and removing surface stains. If you’re looking for a quicker solution, then it is best to pick up over-the-counter whitening strips, which have active ingredients that can stay on the teeth for longer periods.

Whitening trays, on the other hand, are filled with a bleaching gel. You need to set this tray on your teeth for anywhere between 20 minutes and two hours, and repeatedly use it for about four weeks to start seeing results.

2. Whitening lights
In this procedure, a whitening agent is applied to the surface of the teeth and then illuminated using LED light. The increased penetration accelerates results. Similar to whitening strips and trays, these devices also yield better results because of the teeth being directly exposed to active whitening ingredients.

3. Whitening toothpaste
In general, toothpastes contain abrasives, such as calcium carbonate, hydrated silica, and sodium bicarbonate. These ingredients, along with a low level of hydrogen peroxide, actively help bleach and polish the teeth, and reduce surface stains too. Some conventional toothpastes in the whitening category also contain silica. This ingredient acts as a mechanical scrape to remove stains of the teeth. In this case, the whitening would be more of a result of scraping than bleaching. If you’re looking for good results from using a whitening toothpaste, then it is best to pick one that contains peroxide. You need to brush twice a day to be able to see the results.