Gleaming white celebrity smiles shine back at us every day from the covers of magazines, television screens and billboards.
Most of these folks only get their teeth looking perfect with the help of Photoshop, but it still leaves us frowning about our own lackluster set.
Growing up, we were told the best way to have a beautiful, healthy smile is to brush, floss and stay away from candy.
While oral hygiene habits like these are important in the battle against cavities, they do not do enough to erase the multitude of staining agents we allow to touch our teeth every day.
Unfortunately, for those of us who are slaves to the joys of coffee, cigarettes and red wine, flawless white perfection seems hard to achieve.
There is only one way to really get rid of yucky yellow teeth stains, and that is by bleaching them away.
This most effectively done with the help of hydrogen or carbon peroxide.
But what bleaching method best fits in with your time and budget? Should you whiten at home or with a professional? In the past several years, the market has become so flooded with at-home teeth whitening kits, they almost need their own aisle at the supermarket.
These cost anywhere from $20 to over $250 for kits that contain between 6 and 10 percent hydrogen peroxide per application.
Lower end brands will bring you up about three shades on average, while the pricier at-home systems average around five shades whiter.
These are typically used daily for a stretch of 2 weeks to a month to achieve their potential.
If you have money but lack the time or patience for these, having your teeth whitened professionally by a dentist may be the way to go.
In-office bleaching treatments typically contain about 25 percent hydrogen peroxide, which allows them to get teeth several shades whiter in just 30 minutes to 2 hours.
However, the high concentration of peroxide makes it much harsher.
The reason this type of treatment can only be done by a dentist is because the bleaching agent is so strong that it cannot come into contact with any soft tissue.
The dentist or hygienist must first apply a protective coating all along the gum line and position gauze or cotton around the lips to ensure that absolutely no whitening chemicals touch anything but the tooth surface.
The process can cost anywhere from $300 to $600 and can get your teeth up to seven shades whiter.
Teeth will look their whitest immediately after the procedure because of dehydration on the surface.
The dentist will likely offer you some take-home trays for later on if you start to feel a bit dull later on.
Beware of home remedies.
While many of these household products have been used for years, they are not necessarily OK to put on your teeth.
Some people recommend the application of lemon juice to whiten teeth.
This will surely cause acid erosion and ruin the tooth enamel, resulting in pain and sensitivity for you.