We're all guilty of drinking a little bit too much coffee, tea or red wine.
But did you know your snacking choices may cause more than a hangover or a caffeine buzz? They can also give teeth a yellow or stained appearance.
Instead of running to your nearest dentist to ask about a pricey course of professional whitening, there are cheaper ways you can whiten your teeth at home.
The Notebook magazine team tried and tested the latest polishes promising to reduce stains and increase the gleam of your gnashers.
Best whitening toothpastes for 2019
1. Colgate Max White Expert Complete
Editor-in-chief Mel says: ‘I was happy to use this blue, granular toothpaste. It’s minty and tasty and didn’t set my teeth on edge. After using it twice a day for a few weeks, it made a fractional but positive difference, particularly immediately after brushing.’
Price: £6, Boots - buy here now
2. Curaprox Be You Explorer Apple & Aloe
Fashion stylist Lauren says: ‘Strange flavour combo, but it was surprisingly fresh. I’m a big tea drinker so get staining on my teeth, and from using this I was impressed by how quickly I saw an improvement in whiteness. But I can’t justify spending this much on a toothpaste.’
Price: £13.95, Amazon - buy here now
3. Blanx Non-Abrasive Whitening Toothpaste
Deputy features ed Rosie says: ‘I was expecting great things, as the box promised stain removal and whitening. It has a nice refreshing taste (and lurid blue colour), but sadly, after a month of using it, my teeth actually look less white than before. Disappointing.’
Price: £7.45, Amazon - buy here now
4. Marvis Whitening Mint Toothpaste
Commercial editor Hayley says: ‘I was pleasantly surprised at the change in the colour of my teeth after just two weeks of using this. As a prolific coffee drinker, I assumed it would take a lot longer to see any real difference, but not only did I see a little change, my mouth actually feels healthier too. Excited to see results in another two weeks’.
Price: £6.80, Lookfantastic - buy here now
5. Pearl Drops Luminous Bright White
Beauty director Lynne says: ‘This stained my tongue pink, yet, weirdly, there was a (subtle) instant brightening effect on my teeth. I felt it reduced staining over a week or two. I use an at-home whitening kit from my dentist, and I reckon this will be good for prolonging the results.’
Price: £7, Boots - buy here now
6. Spotlight Teeth White Paste
Beauty writer Zoe says: ‘Whitening toothpastes often irritate my gums, but this didn’t. It was a big tube so lasted ages and the taste was a nice, not overpowering mint. My teeth did look whiter after using it for a few weeks but it didn’t remove as many of the stains as I’d have liked.’ 8/10
Price: £7.60, Lookfantastic - buy here now
7. Rembrandt Intense Stain Toothpaste
Fashion assistant Reanne says: ‘As a coffee drinker and occasional smoker, I wasn't sure there was anything out there to give me noticeable results. I was wrong, after just six days of using Rembrandt day and night I saw an albeit small, but noticeable difference'.
Price: £12.34, Amazon - buy here now
8. Diamond Whites Black Edition Charcoal Paste
Fashion assistant Megan says: ‘At first I couldn't tell whether the black toothpaste tricked me into thinking my teeth looked really white, but after a while I started noticing they definitely looked brighter. It's not as minty as a normal paste, but it worked brilliantly.'
Price: £4.75, Tesco - buy here now
9. Arm and Hammer Advance White Toothpaste
Commercial writer Thandie says: ‘I was a little disappointed after not seeing any major differences for a few weeks. There was a slight difference after just over four weeks, but nothing to write home about. for £1.25 I probably shouldn't have expected too much'.
Price: £1.25, Wilko - buy here now
10. iWhite Instant Teeth Whitening Toothpaste
Fashion assistant Megan says: ‘I loved the mild flavour and found it less harsh tasting compared to a few others I've tried. It is quite pricey but I found a little goes a long way, I also saw a change after just a few days. This one gets a thumbs up from me'.
Price: £9.95, Lookfantastic - buy here now
