Quick Answer:
Whitening toothpaste won’t change the natural colour of your teeth. It can remove surface stains using mild abrasives and may use optical brighteners to make teeth look temporarily lighter, but it can’t whiten the enamel or eradicate ingrained staining. For genuine whitening several shades lighter, you need a dentist-prescribed peroxide treatment instead.
Intro
You’ve only got to step into any supermarket or drug store, and you’ll see an array of whitening toothpastes that supposedly create a lighter, brighter smile within a given timeframe. However, all is not as it seems because more often than not, the label promises more than the brand delivers. It’s a bit like buying a packet of fat-free cookies; they’re kind of misleading. And while the premise is good, “whiter, brighter teeth with next-to-no effort,” it rarely happens.
So, let’s lift the lid on the skullduggery and shenanigans behind teeth whitening toothpaste and discover why whitening toothpastes don’t really whiten teeth (and what they actually do instead).
What Does Whitening Toothpaste Consist Of?
If you’ve ever picked up a tube of whitening toothpaste and looked at the ingredients list, you’ll notice that they contain very little (if any) bleaching agent. Bleaching agents like hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide are the catalysts that make teeth whitening happen. As such, they’re used extensively in dentist-recommended whitening products and chairside teeth whitening treatments. There’s a good reason for this… they actually work, but more about this later.
Instead, what you’ll generally see in the ingredients list of whitening toothpastes are materials like:
- Hydrated silica
- Calcium carbonate
- Aluminium oxide or
- Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
These are actually mild abrasives. The question is then…
If whitening toothpaste doesn’t actually whiten teeth through bleaching, then how does it work?
The answer…
It doesn’t!
Well… not in the traditional “6 shades lighter” sense, anyway!
Instead, what they actually do is to remove light surface staining through mild scrubbing (abrasion).
So, can whitening toothpaste eradicate surface staining like coffee, tea, red wine, or tobacco?
Absolutely, it can, provided the staining remains extrinsic!
But does it actually whiten teeth enough to make a noticeable difference? Well, that’s debatable, and that’s where the skullduggery and misconception of marketing come in.
Now we know what whitening toothpaste isn’t, let’s talk about what it is…
How Does Whitening toothpaste work?
There are three main ways a “whitening toothpaste” can make your smile look better.
- Mechanical abrasion – Many formulas use slightly rougher particles (abrasives) to scrub stains away from the enamel surface. Materials like bicarbonate of soda, or hydrated silica work by scrubbing the surface enamel, removing extrinsic (surface) staining.
- Chemical agents. Those toothpastes that do include very low concentrations of peroxide, enzymes, or other chemicals will lighten very superficial staining, but the results are normally negligible. Remember, unlike whitening products that contain far larger quantities of bleaching agent, whitening toothpastes are not sufficient to penetrate deeply into the tooth.
- Optical trickery. Well, who’d have thunk it! Believe it or not, a few whitening toothpastes also contain colour-correcting pigments or blue dyes like blue covarine. These substances deposit a very thin transparent film across the enamel, which gives the teeth a slightly bluish tinge. This film alters the way that light is reflected off the teeth, temporarily reducing the yellowish appearance and making teeth appear brighter.
See, I told you there were shenanigans and skullduggery involved!
Why Whitening Toothpaste Cannot Physically Change Your Natural Tooth Colour
To understand why whitening toothpaste doesn’t actually do what it says on the tin, we need to look at the science behind teeth whitening. Don’t worry, I’ll keep it brief…
Teeth essentially become darker in two different ways. The first is through extrinsic staining. This is staining that remains on the outside of the tooth enamel – think, yesterday evening’s glass of red wine. These are the ones whitening toothpaste can help with, although if we’re being pedantic, it’s more about stain removal than teeth whitening.
The second type is intrinsic staining. This occurs when changes to the enamel or dentine occur. Unlike yesterday’s coffee or tea stains, which remain on the outside of the enamel, intrinsic stains are either (A) stains that get absorbed deep into the enamel or (B) colour changes that occur naturally inside the tooth – think genetics, ageing, medications, or trauma.
To truly lighten intrinsic staining, you need oxidising agents such as hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide at far higher concentrations than you’d find in toothpaste. These agents are designed to penetrate the enamel and chemically change chromogens inside the tooth. That is why dentist-prescribed bleaching or in-office whitening is proven to give a substantially greater and longer-lasting change than toothpaste.
Now, you’re probably thinking, “Great. Surface stains are all I have, I’ll simply switch to a whitening toothpaste, and Bob’s your uncle!”
True, but before you do, there’s something you should know…
Is Whitening Toothpaste Safe for Enamel? The Trade-Off
When you scrub at something for a prolonged period of time, in this case, your tooth enamel, it begins to wear down or thin. When this happens, the darker dentine underneath can start to show through. Paradoxically, this makes teeth appear more yellow than they actually are.
Moreover, studies show that whitening toothpaste can speed enamel loss if used aggressively, or in place of a regular fluoride toothpaste. That is why you should choose products carefully and not use them for a prolonged period.
What The Evidence Tells Us
Systematic reviews and literature surveys support what we’ve mentioned above. Whitening toothpaste can reduce extrinsic staining and sometimes give a slight improvement over regular toothpaste. But the magnitude and durability of that change are limited compared to professional bleaching.
Those same reviews emphasise safety concerns around abrasivity and recommend moderation and clinician guidance for people with sensitive teeth or existing enamel erosion.
So, Should I Buy/Use A Whitening Toothpaste?
In a word, possibly! But it depends on your expectations…
Use it if your main concern is removing slight surface staining from coffee, tea, smoking, or tobacco, and you pick a product that also contains fluoride.
It may also be a sensible, low-cost option, as part of a maintenance routine after a professional clean or whitening. But if your goals or expectations are a dramatic whitening several shades lighter, then, I hate to break it to you, but it isn’t going to happen!
If this hasn’t put you off and you’re set on using whitening toothpaste, here are some pointers you may want to follow…
Practical advice for patients
- If you have sensitive teeth, choose products that are formulated for sensitivity.
• Avoid brushing harder. Abrasive action comes from particles in the paste, not extra elbow grease.
• Look for products with regulatory or professional endorsements, such as ADA acceptance, where available.
• See your dentist before starting any whitening protocol, especially if you have restorations, enamel erosion, or gum recession.
Bottom line
Whitening toothpaste can help remove and manage surface stains and create a short-term brighter look, but it won’t reliably change the intrinsic colour of teeth and can cause harm if misused. If you’re after meaningful, predictable whitening, talk to a dental professional about safe in-office or dentist-supervised home bleaching options instead.
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