Celebrities and influencers often promote teeth whitening products on their social media platforms, but are they actually effective?

It makes sense why cosmetics companies head to Instagram to advertise their latest teeth whitening products. After all, the perfect selfie isn’t complete without pearly-white teeth. 

Though seemingly every Instagram influencer is showing off some at-home teeth whitening treatment, most of these products aren’t clinically proven to be effective. Here’s what you need to know about celebrity-endorsed whitening products, and what to try instead.

What Whitening Products Are Celebrities Endorsing?

To help you make sense of celebrity teeth whitening products, here are some at-home remedies that celebrities and major influencers have promoted in recent months. 

• HiSmile. HiSmile has branded itself as a cheap alternative to in-clinic whitening procedures, with a “whitening tray” that uses a blue light, similar to the whitening trays used in the dentist’s chair. However, there is little evidence that HiSmile’s non-peroxide treatment has any lasting whitening effects. 

HiSmile has advertised extensively on Instagram in recent years, with celebrity promoters including Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Kris Jenner, and Connor McGregor. 

• iWhite. This is another “tray”-based whitening kit, which offers an at-home blue light treatment. However, iWhite and HiSmile are both quite different from actual whitening trays used in the dentist’s chair. Whitening treatment with both of these products is not as powerful or as effective as in-clinic whitening trays. 

• Moon Teeth Whitening Pen. Kendall Jenner has been a recent promoter of the Moon teeth whitening pen — which is officially called the Kendall Jenner Moon teeth whitening pen. In theory, Moon provides a portable “pen” with a felt tip containing hydrogen peroxide, which you can apply to your teeth throughout the day for 30 seconds at a time. The downside? There’s no proven effect of the hydrogen peroxide pen on long-term whitening. 

In summary: don’t trust everything you see on Instagram. Even though products like HiSmile, iWhite, and Moon are cheaper upfront than clinical solutions, they aren’t likely to give you that pearly smile you’re looking for. In fact, many of these influencers are actually wearing veneers!

How Can I Whiten My Teeth at Home?

Celebrity teeth whitening solutions aren’t just less effective than prescription treatments — they can actually cause damage to your teeth. Without a proper dental tray to separate the hydrogen peroxide treatment from your gums, your gums can become irritated and infected. 

Fortunately, there are plenty of cost-effective ways to whiten your teeth that are proven to be effective. You can even do them at home. 

At Espire, our experienced dentists offer a wide range of teeth whitening options, from laser treatments to in-office whitening trays to at-home gel treatments. For a more casual solution, you can also ask our dentists about over-the-counter products that may work for your teeth.  

If you want whiter teeth, your dentist at Espire can provide plenty of safe, effective whitening solutions. Request an appointment today — your smile is too important to wait!