A professional whitening treatment at the dentist’s office is the fastest and most effective way to see results, but it’s costly and time consuming. If you’re leaning toward using over-the-counter teeth whitening products, there’s no shortage of options, like strips , gels, toothpastes and mouthwashes. But do they work? It depends on which one you use, how well you follow the directions and what your expectations are.

To help you choose an option that addresses your needs, I talked to dentists about the pros and cons of each type of OTC teeth whitening product, including when (and if) you’ll see a visible difference in tooth color. Using experts’ guidance, I rounded up the best options from brands like Crest, Sensodyne, Act and Colgate, many of which the NBC Selected team tested.

Selected. Our top picks

Best OTC whitening strips

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Best OTC whitening gel

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Best OTC whitening toothpaste

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Best OTC whitening mouthwash

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