Whitening toothpastes: how to choose the best and not harm the enamel?

Next you will find out:

• What is the mechanical teeth whitening different from chemical bleaching;
• What principles of action are different whitening toothpastes, and what is silent advertising;
• What is important to know about the whitening ingredients of the toothpastes indicated in the composition;
• Why it is important to consider the index of controlled abrasiveness RDA when choosing a paste;
• What exactly whitening toothpastes are better, and what each of them has features and "highlights";
• You will also learn about important practical rules for the selection and use of whitening pastes, which will make it possible in case of which it does not harm your teeth too much.

The high popularity of whitening toothpastes, due today in many ways to massive advertising, often leads to the fact that they are bought by almost every other resident of our country. At the same time, in the pursuit of a snow-white smile, not everyone takes into account the potential danger of a whitening paste, especially in case of a wrong choice.

First of all, it should be borne in mind that not all whitening toothpastes are equally effective and safe to use. The principle of operation of most of them is based on the abrasive abrasion of colored plaque - while almost always the enamel itself is worn to some degree or another. In turn, this can lead to various problems with the teeth, of which the most pronounced is their hypersensitivity to the action of various stimuli (for example, cold or solid food).

This situation is also confirmed by the reviews of many people who are trying to restore their whiteness to their smile: together with the charming white color of the teeth, their high sensitivity often occurs.

Feedback:

“So I don’t know how others manage to find a whitening paste for themselves, but I have already tried 8 pieces from different companies. And the praised Japanese pasta tried, and German, and Italian Presidents, but I have all my teeth with my sensitive teeth, too rough, or something. They bleach whiten, but at the same time the teeth start to break straight. Moreover, I tried some pastes, such as designed specifically for sensitive teeth, and after 2-3 cleansing of them, it’s not that apples are impossible to eat bread ... ”

Vadim, St. Petersburg

In addition, sometimes characteristic depressions appear in the cervical area - wedge-shaped defects (at first they can be almost imperceptible, but if a person frantically rubs his enamel with an incorrectly chosen whitening paste for several months, then these “grooves” gradually become very deep).

Meanwhile, by choosing the right whitening toothpaste, in many cases it is really possible to lighten your smile noticeably with minimal risks to the health of your teeth. So what is the best toothpaste to whiten teeth and at the same time safe to use? How to choose the best option for yourself and what you should pay attention to - let’s talk about it in more detail.

And in order to make the choice more meaningful, it is useful to first say a few words about interesting nuances concerning the principle of whitening pastes ...

 

Principles of whitening pastes

It is important to distinguish between the concept of "lightening" and "whitening" of teeth.

Under the lightening of the teeth refers to the removal from the surface of the enamel colored plaque, which is formed after a meal, drinking a cup of coffee or smoking a cigarette.A good whitening toothpaste effectively removes plaque, and the smile acquires the natural color of enamel. The key point here - the enamel should by nature be fairly light.

On a note

In some people, by nature, tooth enamel has a pronounced yellow color. Accordingly, even the best whitening toothpaste will not be able to lighten the teeth in this case.

A separate story is when the enamel is naturally light, but with the passage of time it became dark due to the penetration of coloring substances into it to a certain depth from the outside. In this case, getting a white smile using whitening pastes also fail, because you need not just to lighten, but to bleach such enamel.

Tooth whitening (as opposed to lightening) implies chemical bleaching of colored compounds that are not only on the enamel surface, but also in its surface layer to a certain depth. For example, such whitening can be carried out with the dentist's office - for this purpose, a special gel is used that contains fairly high concentrations of acid and hydrogen peroxide (especially in this regard, photo-whitening of teeth is popular).

Some manufacturers of whitening toothpastes in pursuit of the consumer indicate that their product is whitening due to the action of "active oxygen": as a part of the paste, you can see the presence of hydrogen peroxide (usually 1-2%, or even less). So, many dentists consider this technique a publicity stunt in many respects, since the severity of the whitening effect of hydrogen peroxide in such a low concentration is very doubtful. It is impossible to use a higher concentration, since it will already be unsafe for the oral mucosa.

And again, if the tooth enamel is naturally dark (yellow), then neither desk whitening, nor, especially, whitening toothpastes will give a significant effect.

It is interesting

Just imagine such a thing: in some clinics they immediately honestly say that even after several procedures, exposure to aggressive acids in combination with hydrogen peroxide already can not achieve a 30% concentration for 20-30 minutes, whitening, on one semitone on a scale.

And another thing: for a number of people, the “real” (desk) bleaching procedure brings a rather weak result (half a tone).This suggests that the natural yellow teeth caused to erase from the layers of enamel is almost impossible.

A whitening toothpaste gives a good effect if the enamel is naturally light, but a colored patina is on its surface.

Removal of plaque during brushing can occur in two significantly different ways:

1. Due to simple abrasive erasing. This is similar to cleaning the pan with a special brush: toothpaste for teeth whitening “scratches” the plaque due to abrasive components, gradually brushing it off. The advantage of this method lies in its high efficiency - with a high abrasiveness of the paste you can lighten your teeth in just a few days. The main disadvantage of the method is damage to the enamel itself by abrasive particles (to put it simply, the enamel is also erased). High-abrasive toothpastes in this regard are the most dangerous, especially with prolonged and improper use, so they are recommended to be used only in short courses. The photo below shows how you can polish, for example, the glass of a car headlight with a whitening paste:
2. The second way to remove plaque is to dissolve it with special enzymes (for example, papain, bromelain). Such enzymes do not erase plaque, and the chemical breaks down its protein base - food debris, the membranes of bacteria and their metabolic products. Thus, the plaque can be removed very gently, without excessive abrasive stress on the enamel, which is especially important for sensitive teeth.

As a rule, the presence of enzymes in the composition of the paste leads to a marked increase in its cost. In addition, the presence of enzymes does not preclude the simultaneous use in the paste of a gentle abrasive-polishing system with a low abrasiveness index RDA, which we will talk about below.

On a note

The composition of the toothpastes may also contain components that contribute to the removal of tartar. In part, it is removed by the abrasive-polishing system, but the presence of polyphosphates in the paste (for example, sodium or potassium pyrophosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, etc.) significantly accelerates this process.

Polyphosphates, being effective complexing agents, “pull” calcium from the matrix of tartar, loosening its structure and making it more susceptible to mechanical cleansing.At the same time, it is important to keep in mind that at the same time calcium will partly be washed out of the tooth enamel, therefore, polyphosphates are usually not incorporated into toothpastes intended for sensitive teeth.

As noted above, the removal of pigments from the deep layers of enamel using whitening toothpastes is almost impossible to achieve, even if the composition contains a small amount of peroxide compounds. Although in some reviews, optimists suggest that you look like a whitening paste with hydrogen peroxide 30 minutes or 2-3 times a day, but a certain whitening effect is still achieved (as the oral mucosa behaves from such “bullying” is silent) .

On a note

Sometimes they try to apply activated carbon to whiten teeth, believing that due to the high adsorption capacity, they will pull the pigments out of the enamel and thereby whiten it. In fact, cleaning with charcoal, including activated charcoal, is not able to get rid of enamel deep staining, and can only remove stained plaque from its surface.

An example of toothpaste containing charcoal - Splat Blackwood.

 

Whitening Pastes

The key components of whitening pastes responsible for the target effect can be divided into four groups:

• Abrasive polishing components;
• Pathogen-dissolving enzymes;
• Whitening peroxide compounds;
• As well as complexing agents that promote the removal of plaque and tartar.

Of the abrasive components in bleaching pastes, the following are most often used:

1. Silicon compounds (Silica - silicon dioxide, Hydrated Silica - silicic acid; less often silicates are used, for example, aluminosilicates). Amorphous silica and silicic acid make it possible to remove plaque quite accurately, without damaging the enamel too much. Since these compounds are obtained synthetically, the degree of their abrasiveness can be specified in production. The advantage of these silicon compounds is their chemical inertness - they do not react with other components of toothpaste, and usually do not cause allergic reactions.
2. Calcium carbonate (Calcium Carbonate), which was very popular earlier because of its cheapness, and today it is used much less and mainly only in pastes with high abrasiveness.Calcium carbonate due to the special form of crystalline particles is very abrasive, as a part of the paste provides a quick whitening effect, but also a strong damage to the enamel.
3. Titanium dioxide (Titanium Dioxide) is a fairly soft abrasive when used in low concentrations. In addition, this substance can be found in almost any white toothpaste, since “in combination” titanium dioxide is a highly effective white pigment (used in white paints).

It is interesting

Perhaps, among the abrasive components of toothpastes it is worth mentioning also polyethylene (Polyethylene).

With respect to this abrasive, not everything is so simple - the use of the smallest dispersions of plastic particles has been used in the manufacture of toothpastes of some popular brands for a relatively long time. However, there are studies that indicate the harm of such particles of polyethylene. According to these studies, the smallest plastic particles get stuck in the gum pockets, between the teeth, and, being bio-decomposable, they stay here for a long time, thus attracting bacterial microflora to their surface. As a result, it creates risks for the development of periodontitis.

In particular, the manufacturer toothpastes under the brand Crest decided to exclude from their composition polyethylene.

More examples of abrasive components: clay (used in Thai toothpastes), charcoal (already mentioned above in Splat Blackwood), baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, for example, in Parodontax pastes), etc.

The degree of abrasiveness of whitening toothpaste depends not only on which chemical compounds in it are used as abrasives, but also on their preparation or production method (which, in turn, determines the size of the substance particles and their shape). Therefore, even looking at the composition of the paste, it is not always possible to say with certainty how abrasive it will be.

Now a few words about the enzymes used in toothpastes:

• Papain (Papain) is a natural enzyme melon tree Carica papaya. By its properties, papain resembles gastric juice in many respects, since it effectively breaks down proteins. By acting on the protein basis of plaque, papain contributes to its destruction and easy removal with a toothbrush.
• Bromelain (Bromelain), obtained from pineapple juice. Like papain, it helps break down dental plaque proteins.

Among the bleaching peroxide compounds in the composition of toothpastes can be found the following substances:

• Hydrogen peroxide;
• Carbamide peroxide (a derivative of carbamide and hydrogen peroxide).

The concentration of these substances in the composition of toothpastes is so small that the whitening effect of peroxides is almost zero. However, the advertising effect is very good - the promise of teeth whitening with active oxygen really encourages people to choose such pastes. Meanwhile, the pastes themselves can be quite good, lightening enamel due to abrasive components and (or enzymes).

The following compounds contribute to the removal of tartar (and with it the plaque):

• Potassium or sodium pyrophosphate (Tetrapotassium Pyrophosphate, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate);
• Sodium hexametaphosphate;
• Sodium Tripolyphosphate;

... and other polyphosphates. It should be borne in mind that due to their ability to bind calcium ions, these compounds can contribute to the demineralization of enamel and the development of tooth sensitivity.

Given these subtleties, as well as focusing on the reviews of dentists and people who have tried different tools, you can make a small rating of whitening toothpastes - we will look at it next.But before that, let us briefly touch upon such an important issue as the quantitative assessment of the abrasiveness of toothpastes, expressed by the RDA index.

 

Index of controlled abrasiveness of toothpastes RDA

The abrasiveness of most toothpastes today is controlled and quantified by the RDA index (with the exception of exotic toothpastes, for example, from Thailand, whose properties, it seems, almost no one controls).

Depending on the index of controlled abrasiveness, RDA paste can be divided into the following types:

1. For sensitive teeth: 25 RDA;
2. Children's toothpastes: usually from 25 to 50 RDA;
3. For daily use: 70-80 RDA (usually indicated 75). At the level of abrasiveness above 80 RDA, the paste is no longer recommended for daily use, as with prolonged use it may over-wear the enamel;
4. Relatively speaking, whitening pastes are relatively mild: 100-150 RDA. Used in most cases for whitening teeth with normal sensitivity;
5. High-abrasive whitening paste: RDA above 150 (sometimes good for smokers with healthy and strong, but yellow teeth).

 

Abrasiveness whitening toothpaste rating

The pastes of this group will help lighten the smile to people with naturally light tooth enamel, which has darkened, for example, as a result of smoking, coffee or tea. An important point here is that the teeth should not be susceptible to sensitivity: if the enamel is initially weak, it painfully reacts to cold or solid food, then the use of the below-mentioned whitening pastes will significantly aggravate such sensitivity.

PresiDENT White Plus:

• Production - Italy;
• RDA - 200;
• Abrasive components: silicon dioxide, calcium carbonate, diatomite, titanium dioxide;
• Additional active ingredients: calcium glycerol phosphate (promotes enamel remineralization);
• Fluorine content: does not contain F;
• Price - about 300 rubles per tube per 100 ml.

This is the “toughest” pastes presented in this review. It whitens well (or rather, brightens) the teeth, and many reviews indicate that the effect is observed literally in 2-3 applications. According to the instructions, you can not use it more than once a week due to the strong abrasion of enamel.

Additional comments

Teenagers and people with pathological abrasion of tooth enamel and its high sensitivity from this paste is better to stay away.

Also worth noting is the presence of sodium lauryl sulfate in the paste, around which there is a very negative information background - not only the ability to cause ulcers in the mouth (not unreasonably), but even carcinogenic properties (very doubtfully) is attributed to this substance.

Not included in the composition and without a preservative, which is used as methylparaben. This substance may cause a pronounced allergic reaction.

 

R.O.C.S. Sensational Whitening:

• Production - Russia;
• RDA - 139;
• Abrasive components: silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide;
• Additional active ingredients: bromelain (breaks down dental plaque), calcium glycerophosphate (used to remineralize enamel);
• Fluorine content: does not contain F;
• Price - about 250 rubles per tube for 74 g.

In general, the composition of this whitening toothpaste can be called quite “advanced”: in addition to the abrasive effect, it will dissolve colored plaque due to the enzyme bromelain. In addition, enamel damaged by abrasive particles will be restored to a certain extent due to the mineralization of calcium glycerophosphate - this is a significant plus,as the risk of development of sensitivity of enamel decreases.

A pleasant moment is also the absence of R.O.C.S. Sensational whitening of sodium lauryl sulfate, parabens, as well as powerful and not always useful antibacterial components (chlorhexidine, triclosan).

Feedback

“I bought myself a Rocks Sensational whitening on the advice of a friend. Before that, I used Bionics for a long time, but I want to whiten my teeth thoroughly, so I decided to take something new and more powerful. Cleaned as usual, twice a day. A friend said that this is the best tooth whitening paste, but I still do not agree. It bleaches, but I would not say that it is very strong, to the perfect whiteness, it is definitely very far away. And I want even whiter, I will have to look for something further ... "

Olya, Novokuznetsk

 

Lacalut White:

• Production - Germany;
• RDA - about 120;
• Abrasive components: silica, silicic acid, titanium dioxide;
• Additional active ingredients: sodium pyrophosphate, potassium pyrophosphate, sodium triphosphate (all three compounds contribute to the destruction of tartar and remove plaque), sodium fluoride (promotes enamel mineralization), aluminum lactate (strengthens the gums and prevents their inflammation);
• Fluorine content: 1357 ppm;
• The price is about 300 rubles per 75 ml tube.

Pretty good composition, provided that your teeth are really strong. It should be borne in mind that the presence of potassium salts in the paste (potassium pyrophosphate - Tetrapotassium Pyrophosphate) will reduce the sensitivity of the enamel even in the case of its local damage, thereby masking the warning signs of its excessive abrasion.

In general, the presence of sodium and potassium pyrophosphates, as well as sodium triphosphate will favorably affect the removal of tartar. The capture of these calcium polyphosphates from tooth enamel will be partly compensated by fluoride ions, which, on the contrary, will strengthen the structure of the enamel, contributing to its mineralization. So the composition of this whitening toothpaste can be considered quite thoughtful and more or less balanced.

But the price, perhaps, is too high for such a composition, especially considering the presence in it of all the same sodium lauryl sulfate, as well as potentially allergenic preservatives (methylparaben and propylparaben).

 

Blended 3D White Luxe Glamor:

• Production: Germany;
• RDA - about 100;
• Abrasive components: silicic acid;
• Additional active ingredients: sodium fluoride (promotes mineralization of enamel), sodium pyrophosphate (favors the removal of tartar);
• Fluorine content: 1450 ppm;
• The price is about 400 rubles per 75 ml tube.

With a not very remarkable composition, one might even say, quite poor, the price of this whitening toothpaste is clearly too high. Among the poles can be called, perhaps, the absence of parabens and sodium lauryl sulfate, which was replaced by the less aggressive surfactant laureth-2 sodium phosphate.

Feedback:

“I have been looking for a long time, which toothpaste whitens teeth better, I even bought Brilliant once. I literally killed my teeth with it, could not eat anything but oatmeal, I was restored for three months until the pain passed. Then I tried Blendamed 3D White Suite. This is, of course, a thing. I can not say that this is right the coolest whitening paste, but with it even the teeth do not start to hurt. The price of hers, of course, is not the smallest, but this is in every way better than to be tormented. ”

Evgenia, Moscow

Next, let's talk about whitening toothpastes containing peroxides (hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide). Are they really good?

 

Peroxide Pastes

For these pastes, manufacturers declare not only bleaching (bleaching) due to removal of teeth from the surfacestained plaque, but also due to the chemical discoloration of stained compounds found in the structure of the tooth enamel. Such a bleaching effect is attributed to active oxygen, which is able to be released from peroxides.

ROCS PRO Oxygen bleaching (positioned as a professional whitening toothpaste-gel):

• Production - Russia;
• RDA - no data, the manufacturer indicates "a very low abrasiveness index", and also warns that the paste does not have polishing properties and is not able to effectively remove dental deposits;
• Abrasive components: polyethylene (generally speaking, polyethylene is hardly a typical abrasive component, and ROCS PRO Oxygen bleaching is more a gel, not a paste);
• Additional active ingredients: carbamide peroxide (the main bleaching ingredient), calcium glycerophosphate (for enamel mineralization);
• Fluorine content: does not contain F;
• Price - 400 rubles per tube weighing 60 grams.

The whitening rate recommended by the manufacturer is 4 weeks, while the effect of whitening is indicated by an average of 2-3 tones (however, reviews do not always confirm this).

What you need to consider before buying this toothpaste:

• If you have a smoker's plaque or tartar on your teeth, then ROCS PRO Oxygen bleaching will not be the best option, since it simply will not be able to clean off deposits from the enamel surface. To bleach plaque and deposits, and not enamel itself, is, as they say, money down the drain.
• With regard to the possibility of whitening enamel with low concentration of carbamide peroxide - this is a very doubtful exercise, which can be described in advance as having low efficiency. In the case, if the tooth enamel is dark (yellow) from nature, then it is not necessary to count on whitening.

Reviews:

“... Once I took this paste, but somehow I didn’t understand it - some kind of strange. Recently decided to give her a second chance. Used only in the evenings, and in the morning Roks used delicate whitening. Well what can I say, it was enough for me for a while. Teeth when cleaning began to hurt terribly. Hurt all the time while you clean. And they became sensitive, but somehow I didn’t notice the effect of bleaching. ”

Dasha, St. Petersburg

“For several months, I have pasta this paste, but I don’t stop, as the effect is there! The teeth have definitely become a bit whiter, especially the gaps between them, which I used to have yellowish.But even her aggressiveness is not weak, sometimes I feel that my jaw aches from cold water. ”

Catherine, Perm

 

Splat Extreme White:

• Production - Russia;
• RDA - 75;
• Abrasive components: silicic acid;
• Additional active ingredients: carbamide peroxide granules (the main bleaching ingredient), sodium fluoride (for enamel mineralization), papain (for dissolving the protein basis of dental plaque);
• Fluorine content: 500 ppm;
• The price is about 250 rubles for 75 grams.

Unlike ROCS PRO Oxygen bleaching, Splat Extreme White paste is characterized by a more complex effect on teeth: here both abrasive effect, and dissolution of plaque due to the enzyme papain, and, in fact, the effect of carbamide peroxide with the aim of chemical bleaching of colored compounds in the surface layer of tooth enamel . With all this, the composition of the product also provides some mineralization of enamel due to sodium fluoride.

Among the disadvantages of the paste can be noted the presence in its composition of sodium lauryl sulfate and the preservative methylparaben.

 

Faberlic White Plus:

• Production - Russia;
• RDA - no data;
• Abrasive components: silicic acid;
• Additional active ingredients: a complex of hydrogen peroxide with polyvinylpyrrolidone (the main whitening component), papain (for dissolving plaque);
• Fluorine content: does not contain active fluorine;
• The price is about 200 rubles for 75 grams.

This paste is included in the review only because distributors Faberlik almost at every corner trumpet about its amazing efficiency. In actual fact, this paste does not contain anything extraordinary, which could provide particularly high efficiency in whitening teeth.

Feedback

“Faberlik whitening toothpaste, I used a distributor friend. In dentistry, I was always afraid to bleach, as I was told that it was harmful for enamel and all that jazz. So I realized that all my hopes for white teeth are somewhere in tubes with whitening toothpastes, you just need to find a good one. But the paste from Faberlik did not impress me. It seems inexpensive, good taste, but I did not notice the whitening effect in it. They promised gold mountains, but it turned out that she was not very bleaching. I do not know about the others, but my gums started to hurt from her. Advise any other good whitening toothpaste. ”

Olga, Moscow

 

To the question of whether all teeth can be bleached ...

It is important to understand that if a person’s natural shade of tooth enamel is far from light, then it’s not worth waiting for a miracle even from the most expensive and effective whitening paste.With dark enamel, even after photobleaching of teeth in the clinic, the result will be the most minimal.

On a note

Smokers, lovers of coffee, red wine, strong tea and chocolate should take into account the fact that when using whitening pastes, enamel is especially vulnerable to the penetration of colored compounds into it. Therefore, manufacturers often do not recommend taking coloring food for several hours after brushing your teeth with a high-abrasive paste.

If, looking in the mirror, you see that there are really a lot of tartar on the teeth, then it is advisable to contact your dentist for the procedure of professional oral hygiene (ultrasonic cleaning of teeth, Air-Flow). And only then use bleaching pastes to prevent re-formation of dental deposits. Otherwise, especially when choosing a low-abrasive paste, getting a normal lightening effect can be quite problematic.

With weak enamel and tooth sensitivity, whitening pastes should be used very carefully, as this can significantly aggravate the problem.For example, the teeth will start to hurt even more, and so-called wedge-shaped defects may begin to deepen in the cervical area.

If you have fillings on your front teeth, it is useful to keep in mind that deep whitening of enamel, for example, hydrogen peroxide, would lead to the fact that these fillings would look like dark patches in the smile zone. So in this case, the low effectiveness of pastes with peroxides will be even better.

 

Rules for the selection and use of whitening pastes

Generally speaking, ideally, whitening toothpaste should be used under the supervision of the dentist - taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient's oral cavity and the dynamics of the paste itself. However, the situation is such that a significant proportion of people will not only not consult with a dentist on this issue, but also in general do not even plan to visit it in the next couple of years.

Therefore, it makes sense at last to give a number of practical advice, as a person on his own, without the help of a specialist, to choose a whitening paste for himself and how to apply it, so that if something happens, do not harm his teeth too much.

So, here are these simple and effective recommendations:

• If your enamel is naturally dark, then you should not expect a miracle from the whitening paste - in most cases the effect will be minimal;
• If teeth ache even from cold air or there is an unpleasant sensation from solid food, then when using a whitening paste, painful sensations will most likely become much stronger;
• If your teeth are already white enough, but no matter what, you want a “Hollywood” smile, then it makes sense to go through the procedure of photobleaching of teeth in the clinic;
• If after applying the whitening toothpaste your teeth started to hurt, then you shouldn’t torment them further - be sure to take a break of a few weeks;
• If the teeth are full of tartar, then it makes sense to remove it in the dentist’s office, as it may not be possible to completely remove it with whitening paste;
• High-abrasive whitening paste should be used rarely, not confusing them with the means for daily use (and if confused, the problems will not take long to wait);
• When using whitening pastes, you should take care of the enamel mineralization in advance - look for products with calcium glycerophosphate, calcium citrate, sodium fluoride or aminofluoride (“active calcium”, “fluorine” can also be written).
• When choosing, pay attention to the composition of the whitening paste, and this article will help to draw the appropriate conclusions;
• Well, and finally - do not give whitening paste to children. Often in families the same paste is used at all, but you don’t want your child to wash his own milk toothpaste with RDA 200? ..

If you have personal experience in the use of whitening toothpastes - be sure to leave your review at the bottom of this page. Perhaps someone he will help make the right choice.

 

Interesting video about the safe use of whitening toothpastes

 

Comparison of the effectiveness of whitening paste and folk remedies for whitening tooth enamel