Teeth Whitening Toothpastes Examined and Outed

Probably the most common (and cheapest) way that people whiten their teeth is through tooth whitening toothpastes. These used to be the most expensive pastes on the market, but have recently become so common that their price is about the same as regular toothpaste.

This doesn’t not mean that the effectiveness of whitening toothpaste options has changed much, however. While a few brands with better formulas have appeared, most are basically the same as they were a few years ago when the teeth whitening toothpaste market exploded.

What most people don’t know is that the scrubbing action of most types of tooth whitening toothpastes, thanks to added silica agents like dicalcium phosphate), are really doing most of the work. The whitening agents are generally so mild (usually sodium tripolyphosphate or carbamide peroxide) that they do little or nothing to whiten teeth at all.

There are several reasons for the low concentrations of bleach agents in teeth whitening toothpaste. The biggest of these reasons is tooth sensitivity and the difficulty of keeping a stable whitening formula (neutral pH/acidity levels) in the complex mix of things that make up most whitening toothpaste formulas.

The more neutral or stable the whitening bleach agent is, the better it works and the longer it lasts. This is not an easy thing to accomplish and is the chief reason that the expensive whitening bleaches used by the dentist are usually more effective and cause less tooth sensitivity.

In tooth whitening toothpastes, though, the scrubbing action is the key to whiter teeth. This means that the “less sensitive” formulas of regular toothpastes are not recommended most of the time. The more scrub, the more clean, and the whiter the teeth.

This is why many regular toothpastes can be just as effective as teeth whitening toothpaste formulas. With the prices being about the same, there’s little reason for concern between the two anymore, however, but you’ll likely experience less sensitivity with a non-whitening formula paste that has more scrubbing particles in it.

Share and Enjoy: