Perhaps you’ve noticed your smile is looking a little dull after indulging in one too many glasses of red wine. The best teeth-whitening toothpastes can help amp up the sparkle without going all in on professional whitening treatments or a full-blown arsenal of . So, how do teeth get stained in the first place? “All teeth are made out of tubes—like pores,” , founder of Brooklyn Mint, a dental practice in New York City, previously told .

When you eat or drink something richly pigmented—red wine, turmeric, tomato sauce, coffee—those pigments can penetrate the porous structure of enamel, creating that stained or dingy appearance. To help you find the best teeth-whitening toothpastes, we spoke to dentists who use them and recommend them to their patients. All products are independently selected by our editors.

If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission. Amazon “This is my favorite over-the-counter whitening product because it gives patients noticeable results in under a week’s time and won’t break the bank,” Dr. Becker previously told .

can be bulky, annoying, and require consistency and time, while all this requires is the two minutes (the recommended time you should already be brushing your teeth), she says. The two-step formula contains a cleanser to help remove plaque and prevent whitening-induced sensitivity thanks to the inclusion of stannous fluoride, an ingredient that helps strengthen enamel, prevent plaque, and relieve sensitivity pain.