Teeth whitening, or tooth bleaching, is a cosmetic dental procedure, designed to remove stains and discoloration, as well as lighten pigmentation within the teeth. The level of whiteness that can be achieved will depend on the level of discoloration of the teeth and how they came to be stained. Teeth that are brown or yellow due to coffee, tea, or smoking stains will generally lighten four to five shades. Teeth that are gray due to pigmentation within the teeth will lighten two to three shades.

Teeth whitening can be done in one of two ways: one visit chair side procedure or at-home tooth whitening kits provided by a cosmetic dentist. Both of these methods are done under a cosmetic dentist's supervision so that the chance of negative side effects is reduced.