We’ve all seen toothpaste on the supermarket shelves purporting to be whitening toothpastes, filled with ingredients that will be sure to give you a whiter smile. With price tags that vary these toothpastes have been released expressly to brighten your smile with whiter teeth.
These types of toothpastes are unique, it’s true. But exactly what is it that makes tooth whitening toothpaste different to other types of toothpaste? It has to do with a few important ingredients that are common to just about all whitening toothpastes. Tooth whitening toothpaste contains whiteners such as carbamide peroxide or sodium tripolyphospate. They also contain some type of coarse agent such as silica.
Manufacturers are most vocal about the whitening side of the product packaging, but it is the abrasives that do the grunt task of removing the particles that cause discoloration of the teeth.
Even though the peroxide in the toothpaste does have the character to whiten the teeth, the way it is usually most effective is through the length of time it is left in contact with the teeth. Essentially, the longer it’s on the teeth, the better the result. Because you commonly don’t brush your teeth for all that long, the actual whitening method isn’t going to come from the peroxide sitting on your teeth.
However, the act of brushing will rub the abrasive silica over the surface of your teeth doing the job of grinding away the surface stains.
Though you won’t notice a huge difference in the color of your teeth, there will be a process of some whitening or lightening. There are other teeth whitening products that you find are more effective for making your teeth more white.