A person's smile is one of the first things you notice on someone's face, and the color of their teeth can make their smile pop out at you and catch your attention or just sit there. There are several methods to improve the color of your teeth, unless your teeth have been permanently damaged by childhood use of tetracycline or some other anti-biotic. So for all you coffee, tea and red wine drinkers as well as you smokers out there, the following teeth whitening methods are for your review.

The simplest way to brighten your smile is using an electric toothbrush along with a tooth whitening toothpaste. They are readily available in your local drug store or supermarket. They are very cost effective however if you do not have the patience to wait to see results, this method may not be for you. You may consider this method as a maintenance program.

The quickest way to get your teeth white is in your Dentist's office. The procedure is called "BriteSmile". According to their claim, BriteSmile is a premium treatment for people who want the best possible teeth whitening results and in just one hour, the in-office treatment will whiten your teeth up to 14 shades. The procedure is only done at a dentist's office. A special high concentrated bleaching gel is applied to your teeth and then a laser is pointed at them for one hour. My friend has had the treatment done with very good results. It whitened his teeth several shades, however, there were several downsides. First off, teeth and gum sensitivity will usually occur. Sensitivity to cold or hot foods for the first few weeks is a common complaint. Also, the results do not last as long as one would expect, maybe less than one year. For the price point, it can be costly, up to $550 per treatment; one would expect the results to last a bit longer.

Another option for quick results is the Crest Whitestrips that can only be purchased in the dental office. The reason they are only available from your dentist is that the level of peroxide (bleaching solution) is at a much higher concentration (7%) than the Crest Whitestrips that are available in your local drugstore. Within a couple of days, results were visible while using these strips. Applied to the upper and lower teeth twice daily, you will notice a big difference. One of the greatest benefits of this product is that there is no sensitivity like there was with the BriteSmile treatment. And the cost is only $70 per box which has enough strips to last you 3 weeks.

The methods that I have described seem to be safe and effective ways to brighten your smile. Good Luck!