Many items designed to improve various facets of dental health are readily accessible nowadays. Several products are available to care for your teeth, gums, and breath, from fluoride toothpaste to mouth rinses.
The wide variety of teeth whiteners on the market might make choosing a treatment strategy difficult. Several products on the market promise to whiten your teeth, including toothpaste, mouthwash, pens, strips, and trays. While there are several options for teeth whitening, a 2018 Ayu research found that whitening toothpaste is rather common.
You may be concerned about the long-term teeth of using that kind of toothpaste regularly. The benefits, dangers, and best practices for whitening toothpaste are discussed here.
How Does Whitening Toothpaste Work?
Stains on and inside your teeth may be eliminated with whitening toothpaste and other whitening treatments. The American Dental Association (ADA) states that intrinsic and extrinsic stains may occur.
Foods and drinks (such as dark fruits and teas), the natural surroundings, and certain personal habits may all contribute to developing unsightly extrinsic stains (like tobacco use). Conversely, intrinsic stains develop from discoloration inside the enamel (the ADA-recognized hard outer layer of teeth) or dentin (the softer inner layer of teeth) (the hard tissue inside the tooth). They may result from becoming older, having a hereditary disease, or using antibiotics as a kid.
Whitening Toothpaste Ingredients
Fluoride is the active element in most whitening mixtures, as in quality toothpaste. Fluoride helps prevent tooth decay and gum disease, but it won't make your teeth any brighter. According to research conducted in 2018 by Ayu, the brightness effect is caused by the mechanical abrasives that scour away stains.
Whitening products typically contain abrasives like "hydrated silica, dicalcium phosphate dihydrate, calcium carbonate, calcium pyrophosphate, perlite, alumina, diamond powder, nanohydroxyapatite, sodium bicarbonate, and, more recently, charcoal," as stated in a study published in Frontiers in Dental Medicine in June 2021.
Separate research published in the Dentistry Journal in August 2019 suggests that whitening toothpaste may have several whitening ingredients. The following are examples of such whitening agents:
- Surfactants
- Inhibitors of Redeposit
- Colorants
- Peroxides
Even if it includes peroxides, whitening toothpaste is more effective on surface stains than on ingrained ones. Dental crowns and implants cannot be whitened, only natural teeth.
Can You Trust Whitening Toothpastes?
Using whitening toothpaste once a day should not cause any harm: ADA-accepted whitening and other solutions will be the safest and most effective options.
ADA recommends brushing teeth twice day for two minutes each time. In the case of whitening toothpaste, you should only use it as much as is recommended either on the product's label or by your dentist (typically, once or twice a day for six weeks).
You should only use highly effective whitening toothpaste for up to four weeks, according to a study published in the International Journal of Dental Hygiene in July 2014.
The use of whitening toothpaste is not without potential side effects, however. Tooth enamel damage and gum irritation are the most typical side teeth of using whitening toothpaste excessively.
Damaging Tooth Enamel
Overuse of whitening toothpaste may be harmful to tooth enamel. According to a March 2022 study published in F1000Research, whitening toothpaste may reduce the mineral composition of dental enamel.
Consequently, the normal amount of tooth hardness decreased, and the teeth became rougher. Another research published in March 2018 in the Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice found that whitening toothpaste with abrasives may induce teeth roughness and hardness concerns in as little as one week of usage.
Irritating Sensitive Gums and Teeth
Gingival inflammation, caused by excessive whitening products, might affect the gums. To add insult to injury, the peroxide (usually hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide) used in whitening toothpaste may cause sensitivity in the teeth. After penetrating the enamel and reaching the dentin, peroxide might irritate the teeth's sensitive nerves, as stated by the American Dental Association. One research published in Clinical Oral Investigations in February 2022 found that the peroxide concentration of bleaching gels for whitening trays might cause burns and ulcers on gum's tissues.
Tips for Improving Your Smile's Whiteness
Charcoal and coal powders are both included in several teeth-whitening solutions. On the other hand, a study published in June 2021 in Frontiers in Dental Medicine found that charcoal and coal powder products did not significantly improve tooth whitening.
Instead, the researchers singled out the two chemicals as possible caries-inducing agents. If you've tried whitening toothpaste and other at-home remedies without satisfaction, it may be time to see your dentist about professional teeth whitening. Things like whitening gel trays and high-intensity bleaching might fall under this category.
