Pearly White

Ever looked in the mirror and felt that your teeth were going from white to off-white to yellow? Take a hard look at your habits. The biggest culprits in the teeth-yellowing process are tobacco, coffee, tea and red wine. So if you must indulge, brush your teeth afterwards whenever possible, or at least rinse with water.  If it is not convenient, at least drink these items with a straw.

Ready to grin and bare ‘em? Pearlies are just a gum, strip or brush away.

Method

Whitening gums, $1.50 to $3.29

For six weeks, testers chewed one of three gums four times a day.

Trident White and Aquafresh Whitening Dental Gum

Result: lightened teeth up to one shade.

Crest Whitestrips, under $30

Five kits with trays were pitted against these flexible strips that sit directly on teeth twice a day, 30 minutes at a time, for 14 days.

Strips were tops for convenience and comfort.

Results: Came in second for whitening — an average change of three shades.

Crest Night Effects, $14.99

Testers applied this paint-on gel right before bed for 14 nights.

Although the gel felt “goopy” after application,

Results: testers’ teeth lightened two to five shades.

Colgate Simply White, $14.99

Volunteers used this brush-on gel — the first of its kind from a major brand — twice a day for 14 days.

Results: Teeth lightened one to three shades, but testers found it hard to keep their mouth open for 30 seconds postapplication (new directions say this isn’t needed).

In-office bleaching, $400 to $800 (varies by location)

At BriteSmile and Zoom! centers, a special light activates hydrogen peroxide gel applied to the teeth.

Results: Testers’ teeth whitened three to five shades — in just an hour! One tester experienced sensitivity.

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