I have had my teeth professionally whitened three times in my life. The first time was ten years ago: I splurged on a treatment at a really, really expensive chain, and the results were…pretty good, from what I can remember, although I also remember wishing they had lasted longer given how much I spent. The second time, I got custom trays from my dentist. It cost a fortune, I thought I was going to choke on the cement-y compound that he filled my mouth with to make a mold (seriously, it was claustrophobic and terrifying and horrible), and I hated wearing the trays once they were completed (I don’t think I even finished the treatment). The third time I went to a kind of budget whitening place, and the results weren’t especially dramatic; even though I hadn’t spent that much, I kind of felt like I’d wasted my money.

For tooth-whitening, I really, really prefer at-home solutions. They’re way more affordable, they’re easier (and probably don’t involve contraptions that make you panic), and they produce results that – in my experience – are just as good as what you get at a professional salon.

For the past few weeks I’ve been using the Crest 3D White Brilliance Collection, which is comprised of a toothpaste featuring an illuminating complex and a whitening boost (you can see the video I shot for Walmart featuring the product above), and so far: excellent. I especially like the boost: you brush it on similarly to toothpaste, and the little micro-granules in it polish away surface stains caused by things like coffee, tea, wine and smoking. I love how fast and easy it is to use (no wandering around with things stuck to your teeth), and I love how immediate the results are. Seriously, the first time I used it my teeth felt so clean and sparkly they felt like they were squeaking.