Teeth whitening

[ColtDan]

Anyone had good results with teeth whitening toothpaste? any ones you'd recommend? i found a lot of it didn't work, tried those expensive whitening strips as well but they were annoying and rubbish, was considering professional teeth whitening, however.. this stuff works brilliantly,

i smoke cigs, drink coffee/tea, eat currys etc, wild long stim and booze benders, my teeth should be stained... but my teeth are gleaming white after using this with an electric toothbrush for a few months. awesome stuff

 

[CHiLD-0F-THE-BEAT]

Most toothpastes don't have enough active ingredient in them to make much of a difference to your tooth shade for any sustained length of time. I definitely recommend seeing a Dentist for reliable teeth whitening. They're qualified so they can handle the decent stuff.

You'll end up paying a lot for toothpastes and other products (whitening strips etc) as you have to continue using it if you want what little effect it has on your teeth to last.

If a professional treats you, you pay one amount and it will generally last for 6 months. Obviously this is impacted by your exposure to colored sodas and cigarettes etc.

TL;DR - it's definitely more cost effective to go to a Dentist.

 

[thujone]

I found toothpaste with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to work best, I think the one I tried was by Arm&Hammer actually but Colgate is my mainstay. I hear negative things about the effects of the strong compounds used by dental hygienists have on tooth enamel. I'm sort of curious to hear more informed opinions about that but I need toothpaste anyway so it doesn't make much diff to just pick up a whitening one.

 

[pammy]

whiter teeth!

Iv not been to the dentist for five long years and so i went finally last week to be told i needed nthree teeth out whilst asleep,three small fillings to be done on April the 16th and then the dentist told me thatn she would scale and polish them so ill have my pearly white smile back i cant wait!

 

[selfassuredfreq+]

Personally I try and stay away from any toothpaste with fluoride, my current residence gets from a well so I don't got to worry about that. There are tons of articles on fluoride compounds, and how bad they can be/are for you. It's actually used in some nerve gases, and Hitler put it in the water of the jews to lower IQ, and make them less aggressive in concentration camps, a little off topic but I mean I really don't think FLOURIDE whitens teeth, and sure as hell isen't worth the extra damage if it does.
I'm sure alcohol based toothpastes would help dissolve off plaque if that helps anything, but then again any information posted on here by anyone is 2ND hand, you should always do your own research. If we/you spend so much time studying the brain, why don't we also study other parts of the body? After all only good can from that, not saying that in a condescending tone, it's only a suggestion of course. I heard baking soda works well too!

 

[Busty St Clare]

Back in your box. You can't quote research on one hand and then sprout unsubstantiated dribble about alcohol and plaque formation the next. I have been a dentist for over 15 years and I can give you plenty of first hand experience after working in plenty of hippy communities over the years. Take you rant to the hundred odd flouride threads that already exists.

I can't see whether this product has a peroxide as well but the baking soda is purely used as an abrasive and as you can imagine would only remove superficial staining suach as nicotine build up (as well as some enamel). As thujone said the use of hydrogen peroxide (or carbamide peroxide) as an oxidising agent is more effective as it penetrates into the enamel and bleaches stains below the surface.

Typically take home kits are weak compared to an in office treatment. Most toothpaste are around 1-2% hydrogen peroxide (this might change between countries and their laws) where as a dentist issued take home trays are approximently 10-15% hydrogen peroxide. (A 15% carbamide peroxide product will breakdown to 5% hydrogen poeroxide so be mindful of what your active ingrediant is). Typically in house whitening uses any where between 25-35% hydrogen peroxide with the added benefit of light energy used to applify the effects. You can see that a typical whitening toothpaste is limited compared to what a dentist can safely apply, and the results match this.

The research on the effects on enamel are limited/inconclusive, and it's not because of lack of trying. As you can imagine white teeth is big business and there are plenty of people wanting to get an edge. Any effects on the enamel are so small that most people wouldn't experience any adverse problems. Hydrogen peroxide irritates the gums so I would imagine that it must have some effect on enamel at a micro level but if it it difficult to research I wouldn't really worry if you are only whitening once a year. Wear or enamel erosion from acidic foods and soft drinks etc are far more destructive, not to mention tooth grinding and generally wear and tear. The real side effects to consider are sensitivity and over bleaching/ patchy response which are normally limited by a decent dentist.

 

[PriestTheyCalledHim]

I found toothpaste with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to work best, I think the one I tried was by Arm&Hammer actually but Colgate is my mainstay. I hear negative things about the effects of the strong compounds used by dental hygienists have on tooth enamel. I'm sort of curious to hear more informed opinions about that but I need toothpaste anyway so it doesn't make much diff to just pick up a whitening one.

I also use toothpaste by Colgate and it's worked fine. I also tried some toothpaste made by Tom's of Maine and that also worked. My teeth aren't that stained considering that I drink 3-4 cups of tea and 1-3 cups of coffee in a day. I don't smoke, and I've never used those whitening kits. I'm actually more concerned about keeping the enamel on my teeth than whitening them since I go to a dentist.

 

[phenmetrazine]

I don't really know all about what whitening products are available but I have taken to brushing my teeth with Biotene toothpaste two to three times a day. Biotene is a toothpaste that is made to treat dry mouth with some kind of enzyme formulation and fluoride. I didn't think I had dry mouth but after using this toothpaste for a couple of months my mouth looked and felt healthier. I also have taken to using 100% xylitol mints after almost every meal. You can usually purchase these at health food stores or online. There is many research articles that suggest that xylitol can prevent the formation of cavities and improve oral health. It works by acting like sugar in the mouth but when bacteria tries to use it for energy, they end up starving instead. These two things combined with flossing(I try to everyday but don't always succeed) have turned my teeth from moderately white to noticeable whiter teeth. I don't know the scale but I would say its a few shades better than it was before at the least. I hope that helps somebody.

 

[lightdancer]

some whitening products are hard on your enamel.

 

[kace]

Have you tried Pearl Drops before? They seem pretty good

 

[cryptix420]

What you really want is a sonicare. Blasted all the brown spots I had on my teeth from years of smoking. I get tons of compliments on how white they are now, true story.

 

[my worst enemy]

Healthy Living?
Second opinion..

 

[modern buddha]

^ Meh, it's suitable in either.

 

[HouseMouse]

I use Arm & Hammer Triple Whitening and my teeth are stark white. They glow in black light... but I also don't smoke or drink coffee. I only "need" to use 1 white strip (single, not a kit) every 6 months or so to refresh them.

 

[Delighted]

don't you think that whitening products damage enamel?

 

[Albion]

Maclean's total whitening is what you be wanting, Dan. I never brushed my teeth from the ages of 10ish-17ish but then restarted. As such, my teeth had never been totally white but I changed toothpaste to that Maclean's last month and now they're practically pearly.

 

[HouseMouse]

I can vouch for the fact that they've damaged my enamel. But so has my 10 year old monroe piercing

 

[Busty St Clare]

I whiten patients every day and can honestly say I never see any enamel damage from even the strongest preparations. That's not to say there isn't some changes at a micro level but to be honest acidic drinks like coke or gatorade are far more destructive.

 

[CHiLD-0F-THE-BEAT]

I don't think any of the posters in this thread have read any of the other responses.

 

[Foreigner]

My dental regimen is as follows.

Brush without any toothpaste. Then floss. Then rinse with 3% hydrogen peroxide diluted by 50% for 30 seconds or so. Then brush with a fluoride toothpaste. If you're not a fan of fluoride, then make sure your diet is high in minerals to compensate.

The peroxide will kill all bacteria along the gum line, and whiten teeth. Mouth washes have peroxide, but they also have alcohol which dries out the gums and causes recession.

Some people use baking soda for the first brush, but I find it too abrasive. If you have sensitive teeth, I don't recommend the peroxide every day because it will corrode your teeth.

If your teeth are soft or yellowish, then your diet is too high in acids and sugars. Bones (including teeth) are comprised of hydroxy-appetate, which is largely calcium and phosphorus. Eating more greens, especially kale, broccoli, romaine, and spinach, will increase the levels of these minerals in your blood, which in turn are secreted in saliva. This will make your teeth harder and shinier. Also very important - if you don't have regular exposure to sunlight, take 2,000 IU of vitamin D each day with food, and this will increase your body's calcium absorption.

You can also apply a topical application to harden teeth. Buy some organic kale and spinach. Take a piece of each and form it into a ball, then chew it in your mouth into a bolus. Pack this chewed bolus into cheeks, either along the upper teeth or lower teeth, and leave it in for as long as possible. Let the saliva fill your mouth and swish it around. If you have a night guard you wear to prevent grinding, you can even pack the veggies into the mouth guard for the night.

Yes, your teeth will look green until you rinse your mouth out, but the minerals in the veggies will help to mineralize your teeth. They'll feel hard after the treatment is done.

This is all stuff I do personally so I know it works!