# Do any whitening toothpastes actually, 'ya know, whiten? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 16, 2011, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-whitening-toothpastes-actually-ya-know-whiten/567790 "2011-01-16T03:11:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2011, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-whitening-toothpastes-actually-ya-know-whiten/567790/1 "2011-01-16T03:11:46Z")
I don’t find the generic whitening toothpastes that Colgate and so forth offer do much. Do any of the more expensive whitening toothpastes do anything? Like Rembrandt intense stain and so forth? If so, which ones work? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2011, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-whitening-toothpastes-actually-ya-know-whiten/567790/2 "2011-01-16T11:58:01Z")
Cecil on [toothpaste](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2603/whats-the-best-toothpaste): > [@](#): > > Whiteners. Research by manufacturers says they work; _Consumer Reports_ among others says they don’t, and that you should see your dentist about having your teeth bleached if they’re discolored. > … > > Conclusions: (1) Notwithstanding your paranoia, most toothpastes aren’t equally bad, they’re equally good. When _Consumer Reports_ rated 38 toothpastes in 1998, 30 were judged excellent. (2) Price mostly reflects the grandiosity of manufacturer claims, not product quality. Remember pricey Rembrandt? It got some of _CR_’s worst ratings. Dirt-cheap Ultra Brite, on the other hand, got some of the best. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2011, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-whitening-toothpastes-actually-ya-know-whiten/567790/3 "2011-01-16T12:19:23Z")
My dentist used to have a poster in his waiting room that showed the results a national consumer organization found when they tested toothpastes. The conclusion was that the whitening toothpastes might be able to shift some surface discoloration, but that’s all. Any treatments that work any deeper than that, are simply unsuitable for use in toothpaste. This was not his way of drumming up business, by the way - he does not do whitening and in fact advises against it. The conclusion on the poster: choose a toothpaste _with_ fluoride and _without_ triclosan, that you like the taste of, and remember to use it twice every blessed day. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2011, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-whitening-toothpastes-actually-ya-know-whiten/567790/4 "2011-01-16T14:23:04Z")
My dentist thinks that Crest Whitestrips give the best results for whitening that isn’t so intense it looks fake. We agree that using whitening toothpaste in between rounds of Whitestrips will do a good job of slowing new staining. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2011, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-whitening-toothpastes-actually-ya-know-whiten/567790/5 "2011-01-16T16:09:06Z")
My dentist believes whitening toothpastes work. He says you need to keep the toothpaste in your mouth for about 10 minutes each time you brush, though. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2011, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-whitening-toothpastes-actually-ya-know-whiten/567790/6 "2011-01-16T16:14:28Z")
As noted, whitening toothbrushes reduce superficial discoloration - what you get from drinking coffee, tea, dark colored juices, red wine, etc. My take on it is that such toothpastes will help you maintain whatever level of whiteness you walked out of your last dental visit with, but it won’t make them whiter than that. If you want whiter, ask your dentist for suggestions. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2011, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-whitening-toothpastes-actually-ya-know-whiten/567790/7 "2011-01-16T16:57:59Z")
Pretty much what everyone else said, you’re not going to get significant whitening from a toothpaste. But if you’re looking for an actual recommendation, I’ve found that Crest 3D is the most effective at stain removal. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-whitening-toothpastes-actually-ya-know-whiten/567790/8 "2011-01-17T17:30:10Z")
I have stopped using other whitening products (whitening listerine or annual strips) in favour of Arm & Hammer toothpaste with “Extra Whitening.” For me, it seems to be the least invasive way at keeping the coffee & wine stains at bay between dental visits. ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-whitening-toothpastes-actually-ya-know-whiten/567790/9 "2011-01-17T17:56:29Z")
My dentist said not to use the strips because they whiten only the parts of the teeth that are actually in contact with the strip, giving a kind of 3D appearance like highlighting in a painting. He says if you want to use a drugstore whitener to get the kind with a little tray that holds the goop. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-whitening-toothpastes-actually-ya-know-whiten/567790/10 "2011-01-17T20:43:50Z")
“Whitening,” on a toothpaste package, generally indicates the presence of additional abrasive particles, like silica, calcium carbonate, or dicalcium phosphate, that remove surface stains. Ordinary toothpastes contain them as well, but are usually less abrasive. Bleaching ingredients (IME) are always signaled by words like “with peroxide.” I prefer to avoid excess abrasives; I like my enamel where it is, thanks. I use a peroxide toothpaste, even though they’re not very effective in the short time allotted for brushing, and will use peroxide goop in trays if I’m unhappy with the color of my teeth.