Compositions, methods and systems for whitening teeth. A whitening composition is applied to off-white or yellowish teeth in order to hide or mask the inherent underlying natural tooth color to yield whiter looking teeth. The whitening composition includes a complementary dye that, when absorbed by a tooth, will cause the tooth to reflect a color of light that is whiter than the natural or initial color reflected by the tooth. The tooth whitening composition may comprise a toothpaste that is applied like any conventional toothpaste in order to achieve whitening without significant alteration of a person's daily routine. Alternatively, the tooth whitening composition may be adapted for direct application onto the teeth in a more concentrated form, such as by means of a syringe, tooth cleaning paste, or cotton swab. The tooth whitening compositions can be used instead of, or in addition to, dental bleaching compositions in order to achieve whiter teeth while reducing or eliminating tooth sensitivity caused by some bleaching regimens. The inventive whitening compositions may also be used in conjunction with a bleaching composition in order to maintain whiter teeth for a larger period of time before undertaking subsequent bleaching regimens.