Teeth Whitening Toothpaste – does it work?

Straight up – Teeth whitening toothpaste does not work. Toothpaste is not for whitening.

Stores are filled with  toothpastes that claim to whiten your teeth, and they can cost up to 7$ (!!) –  witch makes you believe that there is something fancy in there that will help your teeth. Some of them contain abrasives or chemical polishing agents  and some contain peroxide, the key ingredient in teeth bleaching, but keep in mind

that it is the combination of the percentage of peroxide and the time of exposure that determines the whitening effect on teeth. Toothpaste will never stay on your teeth long enough to have any bleaching effects what so ever.

The proven way to whiten teeth is by bleaching the deeper layers of the teeth. This is where toothpaste can’t reach and most reviews will tell you that ordinary toothpaste and whitening toothpaste do the same thing : they clean the surface of the teeth, they don’t make them whiter.

Some will advise you to use whitening toothpaste to help maintain the look after a real whitening treatment. This is very hard to measure, you will find different opinions on this and depends mostly on your budget ( remember, we are talking about a  7$ toothpaste…)

Nevertheless, a regular brushing routine is essential to remove surface stains and prevent yellowing. These are the top 3 toothpastes (regardless if it says Whitening or not) from reviewers and dentists:

1 – Colgate Total is rated the best toothpaste overall.  It is approved by the American Dental Association (ADA) and yes, it protects between brushings. (Not recommended for children under 6 years old)

2 – Sensodyn Pronamel is recommended for sensitive teeth, but it is relatively expensive ( up to 6$)

3- Ultra Bright Advanced Whitening The winner for stain removal is the cheapest ! (under 2$) but can also be very abrasive.

Brush your teeth regularly ! But if you want a visible change in the color of your teeth, use a real tooth whitener product