The claim: This toothpaste features the same whitening ingredients as strips -- hydrogen peroxide. The deep power of Colgate Optic White begins safely whitening teeth in one week from the inside out, proving that not all whitening toothpastes are created equal. The new 360-degree Optic White toothbrush offers "whitening cups" effectively remove surface stains, and its polishing bristles help to whiten, plus its cheek and tongue cleaner comfortably removes odor-causing bacteria. Together, the toothpaste and toothbrush offer twice the whitening action. Cost: $4.29 for the 5.5-ounce and $3.79 for the 4-ounce; $4.49 for the toothbrush Where: Mass retail, drug and grocery stores I have used Colgate products my entire life, but when I saw the information on the Colgate Optic White whitening toothpaste, I was a little skeptical. But after one week of using it, I am convinced my teeth are whiter. I took before and after pictures, but didn't really need those, because I could tell just by looking in the mirror. I made sure to use the special Colgate 360 Optic White toothbrush, which looks different than your standard toothbrush. It has whitening cups and polishing bristles. The only drawbacks are the flavor and grittiness of the toothpaste. The box says it's "sparkling mint" flavor, but it was not all that refreshing, and I could still taste the grittiness even after I was done brushing. But sometimes you have to sacrifice some unpleasantness for beauty. So I may just alternate and between the original toothpaste I usually use and the Optic White flavor to maintain the whiteness. — JoAnne Klimovich Harrop What is "optic white," anyway• As white as those gleaming fake choppers the little girls wear on "Toddlers & Tiaras"• After two weeks of using Colgate Optic White, I saw only a slight difference when I checked my grin in the mirror -- as I adjusted my tiara. Perhaps I am just too long in the tooth for this to have much effect. It did do a better-than-average job of cleaning. — Margi Shrum Teeth-whitening strips and gel trays do their job, and using them doesn't bother me. Leaving them in place isn't a problem, nor is the funny taste. Where I go wrong, every time, is failing to use the product for the requisite number of days. My forgetfulness, thankfully, doesn't extend to teeth cleaning. I brush regularly. What I need is a toothpaste that acts like a whitener, thus giving me a brighter smile without my having to go beyond my normal routine. Ta-da! -- Optic White does just that. It works much more gradually than do strips or trays, but the whitening definitely is occurring, week by week. It took until the second week to see the improvement, but I'm thrilled with the results and plan to use Optic White indefinitely. The taste of Optic White is typical toothpaste mint, which is fine. I also tried the 360 Optic White toothbrush -- and love it. In addition to the bristles are little plastic scrapers, and I like the overall scrubbing sensation. Best of all is the bumpy rubber surface on the back of the brush head; it gives the insides of the cheeks a massage. — Catherine Artman