# Can whitening toothpastes damage your teeth's enamel? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 10, 2007, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-whitening-toothpastes-damage-your-teeths-enamel/411154 "2007-07-10T03:25:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![habs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@habs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/habs)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-whitening-toothpastes-damage-your-teeths-enamel/411154/1 "2007-07-10T03:25:11Z")
I’m a chocoholic, and there’s no doubt that my teeth could use a bit of whitening, beyond the normal twice-a-year cleaning and polishing I get from my dentist. I’m half-considering switching over to a whitening toothpaste. However, I’ve always been wary of using the so-called whitening toothpastes, out of (perhaps unfounded) fear that the extra “grit” that’s in those toothpastes may, in the long run, damage your teeth’s enamel. So, what’s the Straight Dope on using these whitening toothpastes? I’m sure many of you use them – have any of you experienced any increasing sensitivity or any other issues from the long-term use of the grittier toothpastes? Can I really rub off or damage my enamel by using whitening toothpastes? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-whitening-toothpastes-damage-your-teeths-enamel/411154/2 "2007-07-10T03:31:30Z")
Whitening Toothpaste. What the fuck else do you expect from a toothpaste. A bunch of marketing CRAP! as far as I’m concerned. Who makes a yellowing toothpaste? ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-whitening-toothpastes-damage-your-teeths-enamel/411154/3 "2007-07-10T04:27:20Z")
Do they in fact use abrasives? I don’t know what’s in a “whitening” toothpaste. They even make “whitening” heads for my electric toothbrush. I’d assumed the toothpastes used less of whatever is in the whitening strips from Crest and others. I think you have to let those sit on your teeth for a while, and I don’t see any point to doing that with an abrasive, so I figured it was some sort of chemical bleach. ---
**Author:** ![habs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@habs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/habs)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-whitening-toothpastes-damage-your-teeths-enamel/411154/4 "2007-07-10T04:35:27Z")
[QUOTE=riker1384] Do they in fact use abrasives? I don’t know what’s in a “whitening” toothpaste. [/QUOTE] I tried using Crest’s “Pro-Health” toothpaste a few weeks ago, and comparing it to the regular, non-whitening toothpastes, it definitely contained more “grit,” which I presume are some sort of micro-abrasives used to more effectively remove stains from teeth. Of course, the key question is whether those micro-abrasives can ruin enamel if used over a long period of time… ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-whitening-toothpastes-damage-your-teeths-enamel/411154/5 "2007-07-10T04:47:11Z")
I have compared the labels on the regular and whitening toothpastes and indeed it seems like the difference is a harsher abrasive in the whitening toothpaste. I cannot use these whitening toothpastes because the harsher abrasive hurts my teeth! So I am thinking that no, it probably cannot be good for your teeth… I wonder what the straight dope is on this is? Interesting question… ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-whitening-toothpastes-damage-your-teeths-enamel/411154/6 "2007-07-10T04:47:20Z")
American Dental Association: Whitening Toothpastes: [http://jada.ada.org/cgi/reprint/132/8/1146.pdf](http://jada.ada.org/cgi/reprint/132/8/1146.pdf) > [@](#): > > Whitening: Most whitening toothpastes do not contain peroxide. They do contain a superfine abrasive system and/or other polishing molecules like carnuba wax (do NOT use car wax on your teeth - YUCH!) to achieve a highly polished enamel appearance. **Whitening toothpaste is less abrasive than regular toothpaste.** The best use of whitening toothpaste is as a maintenance product after a person has had a professional cleaning and/or after professional whitening. [http://dentalschool.umdnj.edu/patients/dental-bytes.htm#2](http://dentalschool.umdnj.edu/patients/dental-bytes.htm#2) ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-whitening-toothpastes-damage-your-teeths-enamel/411154/7 "2007-07-10T05:33:01Z")
Quick Google search: [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list\_uids=16296257&dopt=Abstract](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=16296257&dopt=Abstract) > [@](#): > > **The measurement of enamel wear of two toothpastes.** > CONCLUSIONS: The whitening toothpaste did not give a statistically significantly greater level of enamel wear as compared to a standard silica toothpaste over a 4-, 8- and 12-weeks period. [http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=13934984](http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=13934984) > [@](#): > > **Whitening toothpastes: effects on tooth stain and enamel** > Conclusions: The White System toothpaste was shown to be more effective in stain removal and prevention than a standard silica toothpaste. These enhanced tooth-whitening benefits did not give rise to a concomitant statistically significant increase in the level of wear to enamel. And from the Crest web site: [http://crest.custhelp.com/](http://crest.custhelp.com/) > [@](#): > > **What is in Crest Whitening Expressions that whitens teeth?** > Crest Whitening Expressions contains two ingredients that help whiten teeth by removing surface stains with regular brushing. These two ingredients are silica and sodium pyrophosphate. > > **What is tetrasodium pyrophosphate & disodium pyrophosphate?** > Tetrasodium pyrophosphate and disodium pyrophosphate are the anti-tartar ingredients in Crest Whitening Expressions. They are normal components of human body fluids, are used in many foods, and they have a GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) rating from the FDA. These ingredients prevent the formation of crystals that can eventually become tartar. > > **Vivid White – how it works** > Crest Vivid White contains a unique combination of polishing silicas that work together to help clean better than any other Crest Toothpaste. It also contains another whitening ingredient, sodium hexametaphosphate, that works with the silicas to remove surface stains, help lift away hard to reach stains, and form a protective barrier on the teeth to help prevent new stains from forming. ---
**Author:** ![RedRosesForMe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/91b2a8/32.png) [@RedRosesForMe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedRosesForMe)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-whitening-toothpastes-damage-your-teeths-enamel/411154/8 "2007-07-10T08:07:55Z")
Well, now I’m all confused because of the cites above. A few years back I went to the dentist thinking I had a mouth full of cavities (never had one before in my life) and it turns out my teeth were just sensitive. The dentist asked if I had recently switched to whitening toothpaste, which I had. After switching to normal toothpaste, the sensitivty went away. Now, of course, normal toothpaste doesn’t exist, you have to get Sensodyne for it not to be “whitening” toothpaste. Plus, the last tube of toothpaste I bought, Crest Sensitivity or some crap, is for sensitivity _and_ whitening! Well, now my teeth hurt again. I dunno what the means for my enamel, but the pain wasn’t cool, so I’d personally be wary of whitening toothpastes. ---
**Author:** ![Toaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@Toaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toaster)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-whitening-toothpastes-damage-your-teeths-enamel/411154/9 "2007-07-10T10:01:05Z")
I got my teeth professionally whitened a year ago, and my dentist recommended me to use whitening toothpaste, any type I liked. I had some teeth-sensitivity issues for a while after the professional whitening, and all the types of sensitivity toothpaste I used said to not use it for more than two weeks, I’m not sure why…and most did nothing for the sensitivity (cold, chocolate). Finally said fine, I’ll try whitening toothpastes, no sensitivity add-in. I’ve only got mild sensitivity problems now, about the level I had before the professional whitening, and it’s keeping my teeth white, and I’ve had no other issues. And my dentist is a great guy for me anyway, and is the only dentist I’ve ever had that makes sure I have enough painkiller in my mouth for a cavity or two and not griping at me for whimpering, so I trust him and the citations here that it’s likely fine if you have no adverse effects with it. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-whitening-toothpastes-damage-your-teeths-enamel/411154/10 "2007-07-10T17:39:01Z")
[QUOTE=RedRosesForMe] Well, now I’m all confused because of the cites above. A few years back I went to the dentist thinking I had a mouth full of cavities (never had one before in my life) and it turns out my teeth were just sensitive. The dentist asked if I had recently switched to whitening toothpaste, which I had. After switching to normal toothpaste, the sensitivty went away. Now, of course, normal toothpaste doesn’t exist, you have to get Sensodyne for it not to be “whitening” toothpaste. Plus, the last tube of toothpaste I bought, Crest Sensitivity or some crap, is for sensitivity _and_ whitening! Well, now my teeth hurt again. I dunno what the means for my enamel, but the pain wasn’t cool, so I’d personally be wary of whitening toothpastes. [/QUOTE] After being frustrated with all the different specialty toothpastes out there, I decided to go natural and get Tom’s of Maine. I use the [Natural Anticavity Fluoride Toothpaste with Baking Soda.](http://www.tomsofmaine.com/toms/product.asp?dept%5Fid=450&pf%5Fid=TP%2DFL) These are the only ingredients: Sodium monofluorophosphate, purpose: decay prevention Calcium carbonate, purpose: mild abrasive Glycerin, purpose: moistener Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), purpose: mouth freshness Carrageenan, purpose: thickener (made from seaweed) Xylitol, purpose: flavor Peppermint oil, , purpose: flavor Sodium lauryl sulfate, purpose: dispersant (made from coconut and/or palm kernel oil) I love it! ---
**Author:** ![habs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@habs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/habs)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-whitening-toothpastes-damage-your-teeths-enamel/411154/11 "2007-07-11T00:45:48Z")
[QUOTE=nyctea scandiaca] After being frustrated with all the different specialty toothpastes out there, I decided to go natural and get Tom’s of Maine. I use the [Natural Anticavity Fluoride Toothpaste with Baking Soda.](http://www.tomsofmaine.com/toms/product.asp?dept%5Fid=450&pf%5Fid=TP%2DFL) [/QUOTE] Actually, I’ve been waiting for Tom’s of Maine to release their sensitive-teeth toothpaste **with** fluoride for years. Seriously, I’ve sent them an e-mail every year since 1997 or so. Each time, the response is the same: we are working on it and developing it takes time, as well as certification from the FDA (due to the fluoride). I know the cite you gave is from a dental school and all, but how can whitening toothpaste, which feels substantially more grittier than their non-whitening counterparts, be possibly less abrasive? It just seems to fly in the face of logic… 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-whitening-toothpastes-damage-your-teeths-enamel/411154/12 "2007-07-11T01:09:15Z")
[QUOTE=habs] I know the cite you gave is from a dental school and all, but how can whitening toothpaste, which feels substantially more grittier than their non-whitening counterparts, be possibly less abrasive? It just seems to fly in the face of logic… 😕 [/QUOTE] Actually, that was my cite. I don’t have any independent knowledge on the subject, but I found this, which seems to qualify or contradict the dental school cite, at least as a general proposition: > [@](#): > > We did find one toothpaste that stood out as a stain remover: Ultrabrite All in One Advanced Whitening (which doesn’t contain peroxide). At 28 cents per ounce, roughly one-tenth the cost of the priciest brand, it was one of the least expensive products we tested. **Unlike its two closest competitors in stain removal, Ultrabrite was no more abrasive than average**. (Emphasis added). [News, Politics, Sports, Mail & Latest Headlines - AOL.com](http://money.aol.com/consreports/smartshopping/personal_finance/_a/whitening-toothpaste-may-not-make-you/20060712122609990002) but . . . > [@](#): > > silica based toothpastes are less abrasive than those with calcium carbonate or aluminium trihydrate bases. [http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1127484](http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1127484)