It would seem that every product that has something to do with the mouth boasts of being able to give you whiter teeth. So how do you know if it's really going to do what it says? Unfortunately you won't know, at least not until you try it. Now nobody wants to go to the store and keep buying teeth whitening products every day until they find the right one. So what's the best way to go about this?

First of all, you can ask friends or family if any of them have tried any of the tooth whitening kits. You must remember though that every person is different. Not only in their anatomy but also in what has caused the discoloration to begin with. For example, if you have a friend that thinks brand "X" is fantastic, then you try it and it hardly does anything for you, this doesn't mean the product is useless. It may have been a fairly mild product, and your friend only had a slight discoloration. On the other hand you suffer from fairly moderate discoloration. You may have both got the same basic results, but yours isn't as noticeable because of the degree of the discoloration.

You also have to decide what type of form of product you think you would like the best. Do you want the strips that will stay on for several hours or overnight? Or do you want the one where it's a paste or gel and you remove it after a short period of time? Many individuals prefer the tray or strip treatments, because they have noticed the most dramatic results. So what makes them work so effectively? Basically because they keep the whitening product snug against the teeth. It's less likely that the natural mouth saliva will break it down as quickly. There are claims that these particular products will up to five times whiter than what you started with. They are not all the same; the ones with the higher concentrations of peroxide usually give the most effective results. Overall these particular products are the ones that Dentists favor the most. The negative aspects to these strips and trays are that people don't like the feel of them, and a proper fit can be a bit of a problem. This can be a bit of problem, because the peroxide can seep out and irritate the mouth and gums. This can be a bad thing with people that have gum problems to start with, even if they are just sensitive. This is less likely to happen with the strip than the trays. With the strips they are more pliable so you are able to mold them more effectively for a better fit.

Then there is the paint on solutions which have their advantages, particularly for individuals who have sensitive teeth to begin with. Don't over look the toothpastes that have whitening agents in them as well, although best for only slightly discolored teeth.