# Whitening toothpastes: Do they work? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 5, 2003, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitening-toothpastes-do-they-work/166642 "2003-04-05T05:22:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ageless6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@ageless6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ageless6)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitening-toothpastes-do-they-work/166642/1 "2003-04-05T05:22:34Z")
The other day my SO mentioned that my teeth were looking yellow. (That’s what happens when you quit smoking. So you people that still smoke, don’t stop! Your teeth will turn yellow, probably from withdrawal, and most likely disintigrate into sand-like particles.) I’m past the point of thinking that someone won’t be outraged by that,so be advised that that part was an attempt at levity. Now, has anyone used or known anyone who has tried a whitening toothpaste? Any results,good or non-existent will be appreciated. I would like to hear about any other procedures that worked,also. I’d like brand names,too. (I think that’s legal). If not,the mod squad will no doubt bust and brand me. ---
**Author:** ![pokey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ebca7d/32.png) [@pokey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pokey)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitening-toothpastes-do-they-work/166642/2 "2003-04-05T05:38:25Z")
I use whitening toothpaste every day. I buy whatever brand strikes my fancy but I choose the whitening version and I have ever since they started being popular a few years ago. My teeth are not white. Not even close. I’ve heard a lot of good things about Crest Whitestrips though. I don’t want to make that kind of investment when I still smoke but if I ever quit I’m going to try them. ---
**Author:** ![chula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@chula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chula)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitening-toothpastes-do-they-work/166642/3 "2003-04-05T06:08:28Z")
I was just thinking of startingg a thread on this! I also heard good things about Crest Whitestrips. I wanted to buy some, but they store didn’t have any, so I bought some Mendadent whitening system instead. It’s terrible. You have to put these trays in your mouth. It’s like something they would do to you at the dentist’s office, but there’s no one sucking the saliva out, so you end up drooling all over the place. I don’t get it. It’s hard to say if the toothpastes make any difference. My guess is no. ---
**Author:** ![peri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/67e7ee/32.png) [@peri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peri)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitening-toothpastes-do-they-work/166642/4 "2003-04-05T06:11:12Z")
Whitening toothpastes will only lighten 1 or 2 shades and can take a long time to get that small change. What they are great at is slowing the redepositing of surface stain after professional cleaning. There are several methods for real bleaching. All rely on either carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide compounds. Crest Whitestrips[SUP]®[/SUP] seem to work okay. They are designed to cover from canine to canine, so you will use twice as many if you have a broader than average arch. They don’t work as well if you have crooked or overlapping teeth. The strip needs to touch the tooth. We use custom molded trays in my office. The results are fairly predictable with this method and it’s not terribly inconvenient. It is more expensive than the Whitestrips[SUP]®[/SUP] or over the counter products. There are several products that have “boil and bite” trays. These trays do not fit as closely, so there is faster dilution of the bleaching gel and you may need a longer period of time to get good results. The one hour or power bleaching methods can give you whiter teeth in one day. Much faster than any of the other methods, but there is a real risk of tooth sensitivity if you go this route. High concentrations of carbamide or hydrogen peroxide are extremely irritating to oral tissue. Bear in mind any fillings or crowns you currently have will not lighten. You may want to replace them after bleaching, for esthetic purposes. Have you considered WiteOut[SUP]TM[/SUP]? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ashkicker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@Ashkicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashkicker)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitening-toothpastes-do-they-work/166642/5 "2003-04-05T06:54:03Z")
I think you should try [Pearl Drops](http://www.pearldrops.co.uk/New%20pack.htm). Out of everything I have tried it gives the best results. See? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ageless6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@ageless6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ageless6)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitening-toothpastes-do-they-work/166642/6 "2003-04-05T16:13:31Z")
I’m going to give this one little kick, this being a Saturday. Thanks to you who answered. ``` Rick ``` ---
**Author:** ![j.c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@j.c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j.c)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitening-toothpastes-do-they-work/166642/7 "2003-04-05T20:06:48Z")
peri - what about baking soda and peroxide? I have pearly whites and, according to my darling dentist, super gums. I credit baking soda and perioxide. I tried to make my SO brush with baking soda, and he said it tastes nasty and that I am a freak. ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitening-toothpastes-do-they-work/166642/8 "2003-04-05T20:30:55Z")
baking soda and peroxide, where would I get that, whats it’s normal name (you know what the Uks like) ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitening-toothpastes-do-they-work/166642/9 "2003-04-05T21:33:44Z")
Baking soda (a powder) is also known as sodium bicarbonate. Look for it in your food store in the same aisle with other dry baking supplies, like flour, salt, etc. Hydrogen peroxide is usually sold in drug stores as an antiseptic liquid, usually in brown plastic bottles, for reasons that escape me; one might also find it in a food store that carries other “first aid” supplies. To use them together, you make a paste with the powder and enough peroxide to get it to a usable consistency. Cheap, and very effective, though it certainly lacks that minty freshness of most toothpastes. Arm and Hammer, of course, sells a toothpaste that has both ingredients in it already, along with some flouride, so that’s a more convenient option. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2003, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitening-toothpastes-do-they-work/166642/10 "2003-04-05T21:41:08Z")
I bought some Johnson & Johnson Reach whitening dental floss recently. It may have been my imagination, but I thought I saw an improvement after just a couple of days of using it. ---
**Author:** ![j.c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@j.c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j.c)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2003, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitening-toothpastes-do-they-work/166642/11 "2003-04-06T04:11:39Z")
Ryan\_Liam - you have to ask for peroxide on your side of the Atlantic. I don’t know why. Diflucan is sold by the cash register like gum, but peroxide is something you have to ask for. I don’t mix. I do the baking soda first and then brush a second time with the peroxide. Does lack minty freshness, but you can always do your lunchtime brushing with any toothpaste you want. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2003, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitening-toothpastes-do-they-work/166642/12 "2003-05-04T23:50:12Z")
I just tried Whitestrips today for the first time. One question…When Does The Hurting Stop??? Ow! I’d get these little swells of pain that lasted about 30 seconds each in my lower gum. The box says “sensitivity” is normal and will go away. Do they mean “after you take the strip off” or “after a few uses”? ---
**Author:** ![peri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/67e7ee/32.png) [@peri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peri)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitening-toothpastes-do-they-work/166642/13 "2003-05-05T00:28:12Z")
The sensitivity will go away after you stop using the product. If you are having this much pain on the first day you should see your dentist. Sensitivity, if it occurs at all, usually shows up after several wearings. ---
**Author:** ![chula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@chula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chula)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitening-toothpastes-do-they-work/166642/14 "2003-05-05T00:30:43Z")
I’m glad someone bumped this because I have since bought the Crest Whitestips. I was really into them for the first few days, but then my teeth starting hurting. They didn’t hurt while the strips were on, but for a day afterward. I waited until the pain went away, then tried again, and the pain returned. My impression is that if your teeth are sensitive to them, the pain won’t go away. Annoying that they don’t explain that, isn’t it? Exactly how much pain am I supposed to endure to find out if it will go away? ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitening-toothpastes-do-they-work/166642/15 "2003-05-05T01:44:48Z")
I just used them for the second time today, and they didn’t hurt. I feel a tiny tingle in the spot it was before, but not pain. Just an update. ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_On\_My\_Sleeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/77aa72/32.png) [@Heart\_On\_My\_Sleeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_On_My_Sleeve)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitening-toothpastes-do-they-work/166642/16 "2003-05-05T01:54:54Z")
I like the Crest Whitestrips, although I did have some pain after using them for a while. It was pretty mild and stopped after I finished the system. I bought another kit and I use them now for a few days occasionally and they seem to brighten up my snaggers. ---
**Author:** ![ageless6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@ageless6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ageless6)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitening-toothpastes-do-they-work/166642/17 "2003-05-05T04:32:21Z")
I decided to try a toothpaste and have been using Arm and Hammer Advance White for a couple of weeks. My SO says she can already see a difference, but I wonder if she’s seeing through hopeful eyes. I was reading an on-line article about whitening toothpastes by a dentist today and she said not to use them more than once a day because they’re very abrasive and to use a regular fluoride the rest of the time. She said if you’re serious about whitening your teeth you should see what your dentist recommends.(Do you think your dentist will tell you to try an OC brand)? I thought this thread was long deceased. Thank you all for the input. ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitening-toothpastes-do-they-work/166642/18 "2003-05-05T05:18:46Z")
I asked my dentist about the whitening toothpastes and he said they really didn’t make much difference. Of course, dentist’s offices sell some type of whitening system, so some of this may be salesmanship, but I generally trust my dentist. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![HideoHo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ec8ea/32.png) [@HideoHo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HideoHo)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitening-toothpastes-do-they-work/166642/19 "2003-05-05T17:43:44Z")
I used Whitestrips and they worked pretty well. They made my bottom teeth ache, though I expected that. They will hurt for about 2 days after you finish the strips, but you should notice a drastic improvement on the color of your teeth. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitening-toothpastes-do-they-work/166642/20 "2003-05-05T18:18:14Z")
I think if you brush with Sensodyne while you’re doing the white strips, you should notice a definite improvement on the pain thing. I like the strips. Hate the mentadent system. Totally hate it. I’m going to throw it away. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitening-toothpastes-do-they-work/166642.md?page=2)