Drugstore aisles teem with toothpastes claiming to do everything from fighting plaque or curbing tartar to freshening breath or shielding sensitive teeth. But the most prominent claim, whitening teeth, can be misleading. The fine print reveals that most products promise to whiten by removing stains, not by lightening the base color of the teeth.

Moreover, our tests of 41 toothpastes found no correlation between those claims and stain-removing ability. Even the seven toothpastes that contain peroxide, the main bleaching ingredient in whitening strips and professional treatments, lightened or bleached out stains no better overall than other toothpastes.

We did find one toothpaste that stood out as a stain remover: Ultrabrite All in One Advanced Whitening (which doesn’t contain peroxide). At 28 cents per ounce, roughly one-tenth the cost of the priciest brand, it was one of the least expensive products we tested. Unlike its two closest competitors in stain removal, Ultrabrite was no more abrasive than average.

While none of the toothpastes was excessively abrasive, people with sensitive teeth or increased susceptibility to tooth or gum erosion might consider one of the gentler products. And certain toothpastes produced unusual sensations that some people may not like, such as a bitter taste or a burning feeling in the mouth.