Want whiter teeth but don't want to spend hundreds of dollars at the dentist? An at-home teeth whitener might be the answer but they're not all created equal.
Crest Whitestrips promise a dramatically whiter smile. Listerine says its Whitening Quick Dissolving Strip simply dissolves to noticeably white. And i-White claims to provide dentist-office results.
Consumer Reports tested to see how well eight at-home kits work. They cost anywhere from $25 to $90.
There are kits that use strips that stick on teeth- and strips that dissolve. Other kits use trays, including the one from i-White. It has a battery-operated light designed to accelerate teeth whitening, but it didn't do so well.
"It turns out that the i-White kit actually whitened teeth the least of all the kits tested," Gayle Williams of Consumer Reports said.
Consumer Reports uses a colorimeter to assess staffers before and after tooth color.
"Don't expect dramatic results. None of the kits offered a cover girl white smile," Williams said.
But the $50 Crest Whitestrips Supreme did outperform the others - rating very good. It's available only online.
"If you want to reduce stains on your teeth, go easy when it comes to drinking tea, coffee, colas, red wine - even clear sodas," Williams said.
All the kits tested caution the product may cause temporary tooth and gum sensitivity -- and some testers experienced that.
Using a toothpaste like Sensodyne designed to prevent teeth sensitivity for two weeks before treatment --can help reduce the discomfort.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen.
