
I am embarrassed to confess that at 25 years of age, I’ve been trialing teeth whitening treatments for almost 10 years.
It all started when, at about 15, I got my braces off. I remember staring at the mirror and rather than being ecstatic about having a mouth free from metal, I was disappointed.
My teeth had become discoloured and I hated them.
There started my obsession with teeth whitening.
Only recently I discovered that I am not alone; the ubiquitous image of big, white teeth has established a new and unattainable beauty standard, internalised by men and women alike.

Big white teeth have absolutely saturated our culture. Image via Getty.
In an ideal world, we'd just accept the colour of our teeth (healthy teeth come in all different shades) and get on with our lives.
But right now I'm going to take the position of a wise mother: you are beautiful just the way you are. But if you're going to do something, then I would prefer you did it safely.
So, with some expert advice from the Chair of the ADA's Oral Health Committee, Dr Peter Alldritt, and Deputy Chair of the Australian Dental Association’s Oral Health Committee, Professor David Manton, here's everything you need to know about whitening your smile.
Top Comments
Do not use baking soda!!!
No hate on this article cause it was pretty cool but it’s proven by rubbing it onto your teeth it makes them decay and very sensitive to extreme temperatures, the damage you get from it decaying is mostly irreversible so don’t use baking soda!
I used Crest White Strips and they worked great. I noticed a difference after the very first session. The box I got (and still have, actually) didn't say anything about using them scarcely - anyone reading the box would assume the recommendation was to use the strips nightly, until the box was empty. I was happy with the whiteness of my teeth after the third night though, so I stopped there and then did another treatment a few months later, just once.