How Does Whitening Toothpaste Work?

Before we dive into the science of how toothpaste works to whiten your teeth, let's go over why it is that stains linger on your teeth in the first place. It helps to know how your tooth is designed - primarily that it's made of several layers, the inner layer being 'dentin' and the hard, outer layer being the 'enamel'. The enamel protects your teeth from the variety of elements that come in contact with your mouth. When you put things in your mouth, whether that's food, cigarette smoke, coffee, or wine - another layer will begin to form on top of that tough outer enamel layer. The combined materials accumulate to form what is called a 'pellicle film' over the enamel layer.

When you visit the dentist they can remove this film with the help of scraping tools, deep cleaning and medical or chemical agents. So how are you supposed to help keep this gunk off you teeth in between visits? This is where your whitening toothpaste comes in to help you out. 

Of course, it can't be that easy, right? Right. The staining materials that build the pellicle film over your enamel don't simply sit on the outside of your tooth, they can also begin to permeate into your tooth's enamel, penetrating the interior of the tooth. This is because enamel is porous. Once the stains have worked their way down into your tooth's enamel you aren't able to scour and scrape them away on your own. Deeper stains aren't harmful but many find them annoying. 

Whitening toothpaste often uses bleaching chemicals to get down deep into the tooth enamel and ignite a chemical reaction called 'oxidation reaction' that breaks apart the staining materials. The majority of tooth whitening pastes contain one of two ingredients: carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide. These both work to break down surface-level stains and try to reach effected areas within your enamel. Depending on your amount of use these chemicals can have harmful effects though, and lead to burning and irritation of your gums and throat. 

Whitening toothpaste can also utilizes abrasive ingredients to help gently rub and polish your teeth. When used twice a day, whitening toothpaste can take from two to six weeks to make teeth appear whiter.  

The primary purpose of whitening toothpaste is to maximize your oral and dental health while also effectively minimizing the amount of wear and tear on the tooth enamel. We have found that it's best to talk to your dentist about your oral needs and seek out the right products that will meet those needs. We recommended trying all-natural toothpaste and mouthwashes like our Fresh Mint Coral Nano Silver Toothpaste.

Whiter teeth are best achieved with consistent preventative oral care. With the help of nano-silver technology, coral calcium, and our other natural ingredients you can feel secure that you're meeting your oral health needs while supporting a pearly white smile. 

If you've discovered an all-natural whitening method that works for you, feel free to shoot us a message. We love to hear from you!