Toothpastes that
claim to whiten teeth have been around for awhile now.
This page discusses their effectiveness, what they do,
and how they work.Description/How it works
A whitening toothpaste is simply regular toothpaste
that contains chemicals or polishing agents that remove
surface stains from teeth. This is accomplished
through gentle polishing, chemical chelation, or some
other non-bleaching action. This product does not
"bleach" teeth through the use of peroxide (or one of
its forms), although some brands do contain peroxide.
Effectiveness
Is a tooth whitening toothpaste going to make teeth
noticeably whiter all by itself? No. The
peroxide they may contain is simply not exposed to the
teeth long enough to be effective. But they are
useful as a maintenance treatment for teeth that have
been whitened by another product/method. These
toothpastes are effective at keeping teeth clean, which
helps to keep them looking their best.
Advantages/Disadvantages
The advantages of these toothpastes are their ability
to keep tooth looking great after another teeth
whitening procedure. To this end, they are
effective, easy to use, and relatively inexpensive
(although some of the better ones are a little pricey).
The disadvantages of these whitening toothpastes are
only realized by those who thought these products alone
could whiten their teeth. They just don't have the
bleaching "power" of other treatments such as
at home
kits or a dental visit.
General Instructions
Teeth whitening toothpaste is used exactly as any
other toothpaste. Just be sure to follow the
specific instructions on the box of the product you're
using.
Summary
Whitening toothpastes should be used as a maintenance
tool. By that we mean brushing with one
occasionally to help maintain the proper environment for
teeth to stay white after another teeth whitening
product or method has been used. Anyone relying
solely on whitening toothpaste to whiten their teeth
considerably will be disappointed with the results.
