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Can White Glo’s whitening toothpaste really protect against tea and coffee stains?

The brand’s formula promises to prevent stains from your morning cuppa with each use

Chloë James
Thursday 29 July 2021 05:28 EDT
Simply swap with your twice-a-day toothpaste and your whitening routine couldn’t be simpler
Simply swap with your twice-a-day toothpaste and your whitening routine couldn’t be simpler (iStock/The Independent)

Coffee and tea are two of life’s simplest pleasures, but not so much for your teeth. Both drinks rank high in the list of substances that cause discolouration. Without any intervention, your morning staple could well lead to a yellowing smile that’s resistant to even the most rigorous brushing.

But that’s only if you’re brushing with regular toothpaste. At-home whitening products have undergone a glow up in recent years, and while legally they still can’t be as powerful as anything your dentist could provide, some are strong enough to reverse minor discoloration.

This is exactly what White Glo does best. The brand’s entire line was originally developed for Australian celebrities who needed to keep their teeth as pearly white as possible. Envisioning a brand new smile like Margot Robbie’s or Chris Hemsworth’s, that fact alone was enough to draw us in.

But when we heard that the oral care brand had formulated a toothpaste specifically for coffee and tea drinkers, we couldn’t wait to start scrubbing away our stains. Armed with a micro-wax protective shield, this one promises to not only lift stains caused by your favourite drinks but prevent any new ones from forming. It all sounds too good to be true. We switched out our regular toothpaste for White Glo’s formula to see if that was the case.

Read more:

White Glo coffee and tea drinkers formula

White Glo coffee and tea drinkers formula indybest.jpeg

Buy now £4.20, Boots.com

  • Steps: Twice daily toothpaste
  • Duration: Unlimited
  • Rating: 8/10

Our ideal teeth whitening product would always be a toothpaste. They’re easy to use, don’t add any extra time to your routine, and the worst that can ever happen is that your teeth end up a little bit cleaner than before. This one works exactly as you’d expect, replacing your old toothpaste for a twice-a-day clean.

The first thing we noticed was the smell. While it isn’t bad, per se, it smells much more akin to an actual dentist’s office than your usual toothpaste. Thankfully, the taste is nowhere near as chemical. It lathers up nicely, growing foamier than we expected. Even though it forms the aforementioned micro-wax protective shield to stop further discolouration, it doesn’t leave behind any sticky residue, which was a relief.

With this product, there was no overnight transformation. Even after a week, our teeth didn’t seem to be getting any whiter. A fortnight on, we began to notice that our most severely stained teeth were slightly lighter than before. This gradually grew more and more obvious.

Read more: How good is the Oral-B Genius X toothbrush?

What we really noticed, however, was that the discolouration wasn’t getting any worse. Dark drinks didn’t leave behind the same kind of immediate tint they usually did. Despite the name of the product, this wasn’t just limited to coffee and tea. Our tester found that a few glasses of red wine weren’t as obvious in her smile as they were before, which was a happy surprise.

There was no price to pay in terms of sensitivity either. Some teeth whitening products can worsen existing issues, but our tester’s teeth – which were already pretty sensitive to extreme temperatures – felt more resilient if anything.

Each tube contains 150g of product – far more than your average toothpaste. We felt more than comfortable relying on this for our oral health as well as just whitening, as it contains all the fluoride you need to protect against cavities. There’s also no need to worry about it being too aggressive on your enamel, as it causes low abrasion.

Read more: We tested the Philips Sonicare 5100 toothbrush

There were a few other small touches that we liked. Every purchase covers all bases of your dental routine, as it comes with flosser toothpicks and a White Glo X-action toothbrush. The latter isn’t even just a run of the mill toothbrush. It features cross-action bristles that clean more effectively than your regular brush, and also has a “high and dry” suction cup on the back so it can stick to the wall and avoid contamination. What else do your teeth need?

The verdict: White Glo coffee and tea drinkers formula

Whitening results are slow and steady. This toothpaste’s strong suit is preventing further discolouration to your teeth, whether that comes from coffee and tea or other similarly staining foods or drinks.

As it just swaps into your daily routine, this product couldn’t be easier to use. It never caused any discomfort, and provided all the usual protection we’d expect from a non-whitening product. The toothbrush and toothpick freebies were also a welcome bonus that we didn’t expect considering how affordable it is for a whitening product.

  1.  £4 from Boots.com
Prices may vary
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