Do Whitening Toothpastes Really Whiten Teeth?

Introduction

If you truly want to have sparkling white teeth, you'll need to look beyond whitening toothpaste. Whitening toothpaste can only remove surface stains from your teeth, making them slightly whiter but not changing their inherent color.

How Whitening Toothpaste Works

To remove surface stains, whitening toothpaste typically contains:

• Special abrasives that gently polish the teeth
• Chemicals such as sodium tripolyphosphate that help break down or dissolve stains

Generally, using whitening toothpaste daily is safe. However, people with sensitive teeth or gums might find whitening toothpaste too abrasive.

Consulting a Dentist

If you want to change the intrinsic color of your teeth, consult your dentist about professional bleaching agents. There are many types of bleaching agents available. After bleaching, using whitening toothpaste can help maintain the white color by removing surface stains.