Have you ever brushed your teeth just a little bit longer to see if your pearly whites will get that little bit whiter? Or maybe you’ve been busy at home mixing bicarb soda and vinegar, in case it’ll make a difference. If so, then you probably know a little bit about teeth whitening.

At the moment, it’s the biggest craze. From high-priced appointments at the dentist, to whitening toothpastes promoted by social media influencors, teeth whitening seems to be everywhere. While there are plenty of methods available for whitening, not all of them actually work, and not all of them are very good in the long run.

Tess spoke with Dr Alex Holden, practicing dentist and Dental Ethics lecturer at Sydney University, to find out if teeth whitening is worth it for that million dollar smile.