Thanks to some of life’s greatest pleasures (think: coffee and red wine) it’s not unusual for your pearly whites to not be so, well, white. And sure, you could just pop over to your dentist for a quick in-office treatment to get them bright and white again, but if you’ve got time (and patience) some pro-approved mouthwashes can deliver near-similar results for a fraction of the price.

“In order to get to white enamel layer of your teeth, you’ll need something that can physically debride, or remove stains, bacteria, plaque on top of the teeth in order to allow the whiteness of the teeth to come through,” explains Colby Broadbent, DDS, chief of clinical affairs at Spring Dental. “Once you have access to that enamel, the different products you can find will penetrate that and increase the whiteness in the teeth.”

The ads that pop up mid-scroll on social media will convince you that you’ll see noticeable results after just a few days of using their whitening products, but you won’t, says Dr. Broadbent. Sloshing a whitening rinse around your mouth will take significantly longer. The sweet spot, he says, is usually around six weeks, as long as you're consistent about it. The solution will eventually penetrate your teeth and help the whiteness in your teeth shine through.

If you’re after a dramatic before-and-after moment, Dr. Broadbent suggests taking a photo of your teeth while holding a sheet of white paper to your mouth, before you start working a whitening mouthwash into your routine, and again a few weeks later (in the same lighting!) so you more easily take note of the shift in coloring.

It’ll likely come as no surprise that like most whitening products, mouthwashes aimed at brightening your teeth will bring about some sensitivity. But more pain does not equal more progress, Dr. Broadbent warns. If your teeth and gums are uncomfortable, it’s time to adjust how often you’re using your mouthwash each week. One solution Dr. Broadbent offers is reducing your use to every other day for double the amount of time. “That way you decrease your sensitivity, but you still get the same outcome,” he says.

Now, when it comes to actually using whitening mouthwash, you’ll get the best results when your teeth are at their cleanest—a.k.a. right after you brush—because the whitening agents be more effective in reaching the enamel. But selecting which mouthwash you’ll actually be using post-brush, is where things might get tricky. Fortunately, four dentists shared their favorite picks so you can spend less time scouring the shelves and more time gargling.