Can You Really Whiten Your Teeth Using Only Toothpaste?

One of the most common tooth whitening products on the market today is the tooth whitening toothpaste. If you’re looking online for information about tooth whitening, then I bet you’ve already tried out one of these tooth whitening toothpastes before.

But the question is do they actually work?

The answer isn’t straightforward. The best answer I can give you is that yes, they do work, but not in the way you think.

Let me explain:

If you go to your dentist for a professional tooth whitening treatment, then your dentist will use a special chemical that bleaches your teeth. These chemicals take awhile to fully activate (around an h our in most cases). So obviously, you don’t brush your teeth for an hour do you? Whitening toothpastes can’t possibly do the same amount of whitening as a professional treatment.

You see, the chemical your dentist uses (which will be carbamide peroxide) actually enters the very structure of your tooth to make it look whiter. But whitening toothpaste basically “cleans” your teeth on the surface, so technically it is making your teeth whiter.

In reality, the most whitening toothpaste can do is remove some of the surface stains that may have gathered from food, or drinks like coffee.

So if you were hoping to be able to have whiter teeth just from using a tooth whitening toothpaste, I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but it’s just not going to happen. If only it were that easy! But I’m sure you can see that the clue is in the price. Professional tooth whitening can cost a few hundred dollars. Tooth whitening toothpaste is a few bucks.

So in conclusion, by all means use a tooth whitening toothpaste. It will be effective at cleaning some of the stains from your teeth, and keeping them nice and clean in general. But if you want to have a nice bright white smile, then you’re going to have to visit the dentist… or at least use a home tooth whitening product. You can’t do it with toothpaste.

Sarah Wright owns the Tooth Whitening Blog, where she gives free advice and information on the different tooth whitening products and treatments. For more information on teeth whitening in Chicago, as well as help on deciding which tooth whitening treatment is right for you, be sure to visit her blog right now.