Many patients who are interested in whitening their teeth will consider whitening toothpastes. But do they really whiten your teeth?
Whitening toothpastes contain abrasives which polish the teeth and remove any external stains. So if your teeth have stains from coffee, tea, soda or tobacco the toothpaste will help to remove those superficial stains. It is similar to having your teeth polished at your dentist’s office during your cleanings, where they use a polishing paste with similar abrasives. If the toothpastes contain any bleaching agent at all, the concentration is very minimal and not enough to change the color of your teeth.
So if your objective is to change the intrinsic color of your teeth, your best bet is to try the bleaching options available from your dentist or retail stores. Your options range from over-the-counter whitening products like Crest whitestrips to in-office bleaching procedures like Zoom.
If you choose to do in-office bleaching, your dentist may recommend using a whitening toothpaste afterwards. This is mainly to keep your teeth free of external stains and not to change the color of your teeth.
Thank you for reading. I encourage you to leave comments or questions below. To learn more about my practice, click on the link www.elitesacramentodentist.com
Your friendly dentist,
Dr. Sarah Po
Feb. 2, 2010
