By Erin Lukas
Jun 15, 2018 @ 9:30 am

I drink three coffees a day and it shows on my teeth. My caffeine addiction, plus my preference for red over white wine, isn't a exactly a combination that's great for keeping your teeth white without racking up an expensive dentist bill.

My teeth aren't that discolored, but they could be a lot of brighter, and if I'm being totally honest, a little less yellow. If the 6,000 Amazon users who've reviewed Crest Whitestrips are any indication, I'm in good company.


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The OG at-home whitening product currently has over 3,000 smile-inducing five star reviews, despite the number of innovative teeth-brighteners that've come out since the strips first hit drugstore shelves over a decade ago.  

As for why Whitestrips are still the go-to at-home teeth-whitening product? They're low maintenance, can be picked up at your local Walgreens, and they actually work—fast. For those unfamiliar, Whitestrips are exactly what they sound like. The box includes 20 treatments of two no-slip strips each that you apply to your top and bottom front teeth. Leave them on for 30 minutes while you watch something on Netflix or Facetime your mom. After three days, you'll start to see an improvement in the brightness of your smile, with full results after 20 uses. 

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On top of being easy and mess-free to use, the treatment can remove up to 14 years worth of stains, plus lasts up to a year. 

From toothpastes to LED light gadgets to gel pens, I've tested a number of different whitening products. None of them have made my teeth look as pearly white as the smiles on their boxes. Somehow, I've never tried Whitestrips. This changed when Amazon suggested I add them to my basket when I was buying a jumbo box of razors. 

Since I'm one of the only people left in New York without Prime, I kind of forgot I ordered them until they showed up at my apartment a week later. I'm only five days in, but I've already noticed a difference in the color of my teeth. They're slightly less dull and I'm curious how much progress I'll see as I continue using them every night. The only downfall: Whitestrips can make your teeth extra sensitive to temperatures—especially if you already have sensitivity. To avoid this, I recommend to starting by using the strips every other day to avoid discomfort. 

Currently, based on the color of my teeth, it only looks like I had two coffees today instead of three. Hopefully in 15 days that'll change to one.