Sample Brands: Colgate’s 12-Hour Multi-Protection plus Whitening Gel, Aquafresh’s Triple Action Whitening, Rembrandt’s Extra Whitening with Tartar Protection
How to Use It: Simply brush with this type of toothpaste instead of using regular ones.
The Truth: Teeth whitening toothpastes basically work by abrasion. The paste may contain hydrated silica, calcium carbonated, or other similar coarse substance in tiny particles. As you brush your teeth, these particles act as sandpaper, grinding down superficial stains. Some toothpaste may contain hydroxide peroxide. However, the concentration is so low (less than 1 percent) that the results are negligible.
Results: While brushing with whitening toothpaste may minimize discoloration of the teeth, this only occurs on the surface of the tooth.
Drawbacks: “Long-term use of excessively abrasive toothpastes may […] be counter-productive, since they may eventually cause thinning of tooth enamel, permitting the darker dentin layer beneath the enamel to shine through more conspicuously,” says Mark Bornfeld D.D.S., a dentist in private practice in Brooklyn, New York.
Professional opinion: “In general, toothpastes are ineffective in changing the intrinsic coloration of teeth,” says Bornfeld. “Instead, these toothpastes are intended to brighten teeth by adding abrasive materials that can remove adherent extrinsic stain from tooth surfaces. The removal of food and tobacco-derived stain from teeth can indeed whiten teeth, but in my experience the effectiveness of a patient's oral hygiene depends much more on his manual technique than his choice of toothpaste.”