Whitening toothpastes, Do They work, and how effective are they?

Topics

• Bad Breath
• Gum Disease
• Tooth Decay
• Fluoride – Good or Bad?
• Gums and Dis - ease
• Cleaning Your Tongue
• When Should You Brush?
• How do whitening toothpastes work, and how effective are they?
• Children's Oral Health
• Filling Cavities

Toothpastes help remove surface stains by using mild abrasives. These abrasives must not be harder than the enamel, or you would be “sandblasting” your teeth each time you brushed!

Many toothpastes also contain natural or chemical whitening agents, to further bleach out superficial tooth stains. These bleaching agents only reduce surface stains – they can’t penetrate into the enamel itself. Baking soda is one natural and popular cleansing and whitening agent.

Home tooth whitening kits do a better job at stain removal. They usually contain a food grade hydrogen peroxide gel or carbamide peroxide that is applied to the teeth. The peroxide gels can get deeper into the enamel, and get your teeth a shade or so whiter than before the gel was applied.

Many kits come with special UV (Ultra Violet) tooth trays, which activate the peroxide gel to further enhance the whitening effect. (It’s important to note that the hydrogen peroxide must be food grade, and not the type you normally buy at the corner grocery store.)

You can also try tooth whitening strips. They’re handier than the gel kits, but usually of very low whitening strength. They also tend to fall off your teeth rather easily, and some users complain of sore gums and tooth sensitivity after using them.