Teeth Whitening Toothpaste

You should always visit your dentist for a complete dental examination before using any over the counter tooth whitening product. The dentist will check for any existing conditions and advise you whether or not your teeth are suitable for tooth bleaching.

Follow carefully the instructions on the product label to avoid teeth whitening side effects.

Whitening toothpastes make the teeth appear whiter by removing extrinsic stains from the teeth surface. Most of the teeth whitening toothpastes work through the action of mild abrasives. Actually all toothpastes contain some kind of abrasive in order to improve their cleaning action. Whitening toothpastes contain either additional polishing agents or abrasives similar with the regular toothpastes but with higher granularity.

Whitening toothpastes have higher abrasivity than normal toothpastes which provides them with additional stain removal effectiveness. The most common abrasive ingredients used in toothpastes are silica, chalk and baking soda. ome of the more modern whitening toothpastes contain special chemical agents such as hydrogen peroxide similar to what is used for professional whitening by cosmetic dentists but in much lower concentration.

Mild whitening toothpastes can be used normally like regular toothpastes, but the more powerful and more abrasive ones should be used only once a day or even once a week for the very abrasive variants.

To be fair when evaluating the effectiveness of whitening toothpastes, you should not expect miracles from a 3$ to 10$ whitening toothpaste. Otherwise nobody would need the much more expensive professional tooth whitening systems or laser teeth whitening.

Whitening toothpastes can not alter the teeth color as it is done with the bleaching techniques, but they can only make teeth appear a little lighter. What they actually do is to restore the natural tooth color by removing extrinsic stains from the outer layers of enamel, they do not bleach teeth.

Teeth whitening toothpastes can be effective in removing surface stains from food, coffee, tea and smoking, but if the natural color of a tooth is yellowish, only bleaching can whiten it. They can not whiten teeth discolored because of tetracycline use, tooth trauma or other intrinsic stains.

Use of whitening toothpastes is the cheapest method to improve the color of your teeth, but it is also slower and much less effective compared with over-the-counter whitening systems, whitening strips and of course professional in-office bleaching offered by cosmetic dentists.

The higher abrasivity of tooth whitening toothpastes is the main cause of the problems that may arise from their use. Normal toothpastes recommended for everyday use have an Enamel Abrasion Value of 40-90, while the whitening toothpastes have a value higher than 100 and in some extreme cases over 250. Their abrasive action can reduce staining and yellowing of teeth but it can also damage the tooth enamel and cause tooth sensitivity.

Pay attention to the way you brush your teeth. Brushing incorrectly or too vigorously can lead to irreversible loss of tooth enamel. The damage can be much worse if you use a very abrasive whitening toothpaste.

Read carefully the instructions on the product’s package. Do not be tempted to use a whitening toothpaste more often than it is recommended by the manufacturer, in order to speed up results. The enamel loss caused by over-brushing could lead to severe tooth sensitivity or even tooth decay and tooth loss. Be especially careful in using teeth whitening toothpastes if you already have a problem of sensitive teeth.

Teeth whitening toothpastes can be effective for people who smoke, drink coffee and tea and eat certain foods that can stain your teeth. Teeth whitening toothpastes are also useful for people who have already undergone a professional whitening treatment in order to keep surface stains from building up again on teeth.

If you want to improve your smile’s appearance you should first visit a cosmetic dentist for consultation. Cosmetic dentists have the expertise to analyze your cosmetic needs, and propose a complete plan of cosmetic dental procedures that will best fit your expectations and finances.