Most adults have 32 teeth, but our thoughts about our mouths are endless. Welcome to Lip Service, a series exploring the science, self-expression, and statement-making beauty behind being mouthy.
These days, oral hygiene doesn’t just consist of brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing occasionally. It goes much further than that. Now, a dental routine is on par with a seven-step skin care routine: You might mix in a tongue scraper, an alcohol-free oral rinse or oil pulling, a water flosser, an LED teeth-whitening device, and keep some on-the-go, next-gen breath fresheners in your bag for easy access throughout the day.
For our first-ever Lip Service Awards, we asked 28 ELLE staffers to test different mouth care products. If we’re recommending that you add anything to your dental routine besides the basics, we want to make sure that it’s actually worth the extra time and money. Here, find the 18 best oral hygiene products on the market right now, ranging from top-of-the-line toothpastes to whitening products that give you results that rival an in-office treatment. Keep reading to find the oral hygiene offerings worth adding to your daily regimen, and make sure to check out the rest of our winners.
READ MORE ABOUT THE LIP SERVICE AWARDS
A biscuit porcelain toothbrush holder is an elevated upgrade from a typical cup and wins compliments from houseguests. “Every time I have people over, they emerge from my bathroom telling me that my toothbrush holder is chic, which is a very niche compliment I never knew I needed but am glad I get so frequently,” our tester said.
Start by chewing the tablet like a piece of gum—and feel it transform into a paste, signaling that it’s time to brush. The innovative formula uses 5 percent nano-hydroxyapatite, the same mineral that your teeth are made of, to strengthen the enamel. Ingredients like xylitol kill bacteria, calcium carbonate fights teeth stains, and zinc citrate prevents plaque buildup. Our tester liked that this is a travel-friendly option that left her mouth feeling thoroughly clean.
This bubblegum-pink Korean toothpaste comes in a vintage-inspired aluminum tube that looks great on your bathroom counter. But it also contains sodium hexametaphosphate, a teeth-whitening agent that breaks down stains, fluoride to protect against cavities, and hydrated silica, which removes plaque and stains. “I did think my teeth got whiter after going through a tube of this,” said our tester. “What I really liked is that it made them feel the way they do after getting them scraped at the dentist—completely plaque-free.”
These easy-to-use, portable mouthwash tablets make it simpler than ever to keep your breath fresh while traveling and are also good to use in a pinch. With a few chomps, they turn into a minty liquid, which you swish for a minute, then spit out. “I’ve been keeping these on my desk to use before after-work events,” our tester said. “Unlike a mint or a piece of gum, my mouth actually feels clean after I use these, and I don’t have to be afraid of bad breath after a long day.”
You might be used to taking probiotics for gut health, but what about for oral hygiene? This toothpaste is infused with Lactobacillus paracasei to promote the growth of good bacteria in your mouth, which helps support your microbiome. “I used the peppermint blossom flavor, and while I wish the mint was a little stronger, it tasted great,” said our tester. “I switched to this toothpaste when my teeth were looking a little yellow, and after a week of consistent use, they looked much brighter.”
Whitening your teeth can mean shelling out hundreds of dollars at your dentist for a series of bleaching treatments. But Moon’s LED Whitening Kit is a beginner-friendly at-home system that uses a high-frequency blue light to whiten up to 12 shades over time. Place the mint-flavored dissolvable strips on your teeth and then power up the lightweight LED device for five minutes. Our tester noted that the system was mess-free and easy to use. She noticed a slightly whiter smile after using the tool for a week and is optimistic about results after continued use.
“My dentist recently told me that my teeth have been ‘the best they’ve ever looked,’” our tester said, and she attributes it all to this device. This water irrigation system has several strengths and effortlessly gets into tight nooks and crannies between teeth and gums (even in the tough-to-reach back molars). Plus, clinical testing suggests that it’s better at removing plaque than string floss.
Cara cara, wild strawberry, and confetti cake: You probably didn’t know that your floss could come in better flavors than your local ice cream store. This microfiber floss is infused with scented coconut oil plus microcrystalline wax and has a unique filament design that makes it easy to “grip” onto plaque. Our tester noted that the floss was noticeably thicker than others she’s tried, but that it easily was compressed into compact and snug gaps.
It’s rare that mouthwash becomes a viral status symbol. But TheraBreath has earned social media fame with its brightly colored packaging and high-quality claims, with influencers and celebrities like Jake Shane and Demi Lovato praising the product for giving them long-lasting fresh breath. The alcohol-free, dentist-formulated oral rinse comes in 13 flavors and uses oxygenating technology, stabilized sodium chlorite, to instantly kill odor-causing bacteria. Our tester tried the Sparkle Mint flavor, which she said left her mouth feeling fresh without the burn that other formulas leave behind.
In the whitening realm, Crest Whitestrips still reign supreme. The brand promises that if you wear them for 45 minutes a day for 20 days, your teeth will lighten by up to 20 levels thanks to strong amounts of hydrogen peroxide. The stick-to-your-teeth ribbons have a sealing technology that grips onto enamel (until you take them off), but they’re not inconvenient (you can even drink water while they sit). “I noticed a difference after the first use,” our tester said. “After four treatments, my teeth were getting to blinding levels of whiteness. I was an avid Whitestrips user in my youth, and I remember them sliding around and tasting bad, but these adhere to your teeth easily without budging, and don’t taste like anything.”
If you want the gold standard of toothpaste, you really can’t go wrong with a classic. This one helps to protect teeth and gums using a sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)-free formula for a gentle polish to remove stains while also targeting inflammation, redness, bleeding, sensitivity, and irritation. With stannous fluoride, an antimicrobial anticavity agent, the toothpaste also gives 24 hours of antibacterial protection that combats the root causes of gingivitis and bad breath. Our tester noted that she enjoyed the rich lather that foams up as she brushed, stating that it left her teeth feeling smooth and clean.
These packets make it easy to keep your mouth feeling fresh and clean, even after eating a garlic-fueled lunch, as our tester did. While the packets are not extremely elegant, they are better than swigging back plastic flasks, and the almost-instant icy, clean, refreshing feeling makes it a necessary addition to “What’s in My Bag.”
“I haven’t had this much fun brushing my teeth since I was a kid and begged my parents to buy a toothpaste with sparkles,” our tester said. “This one has a light, airy texture, and the tip has ridges so it comes out like buttercream frosting from a piping nozzle.” It’s also enhanced with cavity-fighting fluoride, and it immediately foams once you begin brushing.
Most chewing gum formulas don’t actually treat the bacteria that cause bad breath; they just mask it. Toothpod is a clinically tested gum tablet that actually cleans your teeth as you chew, with ingredients like hydroxyapatite, a natural component found in your teeth to help rebuild enamel; magnolia bark, a botanical known to fight plaque-causing bacteria; and xylitol to freshen breath and defend against cavities. Although the tablet was harder than a traditional piece of gum, our tester noted that it freshened her breath and that her mouth felt clean after chewing, calling the sweet mint flavor “pleasant.”
Dentists’ offices go through miles of these because it is easily one of the most reliable (and economical) flosses. Our tester enjoyed the brand’s signature silky-smooth glide and that it is also shred-free, noting that “unlike others, this floss doesn’t fray into ribbons.”
An estimated 30 percent of Americans floss daily and deserve gold stars, while the other 70 percent are slacking. Taking inspiration from electric toothbrushes, this tool uses sonic vibrations to loosen up plaque in an easy 60-second routine. A clinical study from the brand also found that it removed seven times more plaque than string floss. Our tester said, “The long handle made it really easy to get into my back molars, and this easily cut my flossing time in half.”
