Dr. Ashley Nelson
From a dental perspective, most peroxide-based whitening strips available on the market do produce noticeable improvements in tooth shade, especially for extrinsic stains caused by coffee, tea, red wine, or smoking. However, the effect is limited to surface-level enamel discoloration. They are not effective for intrinsic staining such as tetracycline-related discoloration or deep structural color changes. In my view, they are a reasonable first-line at-home whitening option for generally healthy patients.