Test Shows Cheaper Toothpaste Whitens Best, Consumer Reports Calls Many Ads Misleading

Can toothpaste make your teeth whiter the way the ads claim?

To find out, Consumer Reports tested 41 brands of toothpaste. What the magazine found is there is no correlation between those claims and stain-removing ability.

In fact, CR said even the seven brands with peroxide, which is what whitening strips and professionals use, lightened or bleached out stains no better overall than other toothpastes.

One toothpaste did stand out as a stain remover. Consumer Reports said one brand -- Ultrabrite All in One Advanced Whitening -- stands out as a stain remover. It contains no peroxide and costs just 28 cents an ounce -- roughly one-tenth the cost of the most expensive brand.

Others receiving high marks include Colgate Max Fresh, Colgate Luminous and Colgate Tartar Control Whitening Gel.