Sensodyne’s NBC Select Wellness Award-winning whitening toothpaste is one of the most frequently re-purchased varieties among our staff. It’s formulated for sensitive teeth and made with potassium nitrate, an ingredient that helps soothe and relieve tooth pain, says Rawdin. But anyone can use it, making it a great all-around option. Sensodyne’s whitening toothpaste removes surface stains, protects against acid erosion and remineralizes teeth to strengthen enamel, according to the brand.
Colgate’s toothpaste has a smooth texture and offers ten benefits, including surface stain removal, sensitivity relief, enamel strengthening, tartar control and plaque and gingivitis prevention. It also provides whole-mouth antibacterial protection for up to 24 hours after use, according to the brand, because it’s made with stannous fluoride.
After using this toothpaste, NBC Select editorial projects manager Rebecca Rodriguez feels like she just left the dentist. “It makes my breath feel fresh and gives my mouth a deep clean feeling,” she says. “It has a stronger fluoride taste compared to most other toothpastes I’ve tried, which threw me off at first. But it’s grown on me, especially because I feel like I got a professional cleaning every time I brush.” The toothpaste is made with gentle abrasives to remove surface stains and hydrogen peroxide to brighten teeth.
Arm & Hammer’s whitening toothpaste is made with the brand’s dental-grade baking soda, which helps buff surface stains off teeth. The formula also contains peroxide, which can lighten tooth color over time. According to the brand, the toothpaste strengthens enamel to prevent new stains from setting in, removes plaque and controls tartar.
While gentle abrasives remove surface stains from teeth, the stannous fluoride in this toothpaste fights cavities as well as removes plaque to help prevent bleeding gums, according to the brand. It also aids in maintaining the seal between the gums and teeth.
Colgate Optic White’s toothpaste is made with 5% hydrogen peroxide, which penetrates enamel to lighten tooth color and remove stains, especially those from pigmented food and beverages like coffee, tea and wine. It’s safe to use daily and won’t damage enamel, according to the brand.
Beyond removing surface stains via gentle abrasives, Hello’s toothpaste has tea tree oil to freshen breath. The formula is also made with coconut oil, an ingredient that helps reduce bacteria in the mouth, according to the brand.
In addition to being SLS-free, Burt’s Bee’s toothpaste isn’t made with preservatives or artificial flavors and sweeteners. It removes stains with gentle abrasives and protects tooth enamel, according to the brand.
There are two types of tooth stains, says Rawdin: intrinsic stains, which are built into the internal structure of the teeth, and extrinsic stains, which sit on the surface of the teeth. Whitening toothpastes mainly attack extrinsic stains through abrasive ingredients like silica and sodium bicarbonate, which have a grainy, sandy texture. But all toothpastes are mildly abrasive to scrub teeth clean of plaque and grime, says Hewlett. Whitening toothpaste, however, is slightly more abrasive compared to standard toothpaste — it tends to have higher concentrations of the aforementioned ingredients in its formula to remove surface stains from teeth, says Rawdin.
The level and type of abrasives in all ADA-accepted toothpastes are safe and gentle — the agency ensures so when it’s evaluating products, says Hewlett. But if you’re using a whitening toothpaste that’s not ADA-accepted, you don’t know how abrasive it is, so proceed with caution. It’s also important to immediately stop using any dental care product that causes pain or irritation, and consult your dentist.
Some whitening toothpastes also have low concentrations of peroxides like hydrogen peroxide, an active ingredient that bleaches teeth to target intrinsic stains, says Rawdin. Many other at-home whitening products also have low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, like whitening strips and mouthwashes, and the ingredient is used in high concentrations during in-office bleaching treatments. Hydrogen peroxide penetrates tooth enamel to reach the dentin, bleaching it so it becomes whiter, says Rawdin.
No, teeth whitening products like toothpastes cannot make your teeth more sensitive, so long as you’re using them as directed by the brand, says Rawdin. “If you overdo it, you can cause damage to your teeth, although that goes for any dental product,” she says.
If you have sensitive teeth, however, some whitening products can cause pain, but that’s more so the case for those made with high levels of hydrogen peroxide, like certain at-home whitening strips and in-office bleaching treatments. Whitening toothpaste is in contact with your teeth for a very short period of time, so it’s unlikely to cause pain for those with sensitive teeth, says Rawdin.
Many factors cause tooth discoloration, but among them, two are the most common.
You can’t totally prevent tooth discoloration — aging and consuming pigmented foods and drinks, for example, is inevitable. But there are some steps you can take to avoid exacerbating it. Here’s what Rawdin recommends.
No, charcoal toothpaste is not good for your teeth and all the experts I spoke to don’t recommend using it. Charcoal is more abrasive compared to ingredients like silica and sodium bicarbonate, and using it in excess can wear away enamel, making your teeth look more yellow over time, says Rawdin. There’s also no charcoal toothpaste with the ADA Seal of Acceptance to date. Overall, charcoal toothpaste is unregulated and more research needs to be done about its safety and efficacy, so it’s best to avoid.
Purple toothpaste is exactly what it sounds like: toothpaste that’s purple in color. “The idea behind purple toothpaste is all about color theory, and how purple and yellow are complementary colors,” says Rawdin. “Putting purple toothpaste on teeth can sort of counteract the yellow tinge that a lot of teeth develop, and it’s similar to the idea of purple shampoo.” That said, purple toothpaste does not whiten teeth — instead, it masks their yellow color, she says. There’s no ADA-accepted purple toothpastes, so Rawdin says it’s best to avoid due to the lack of evidence pertaining to safety and effectiveness. The purple dye in purple toothpaste may also stain your teeth over time.
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and experience. We also ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
I’m a reporter at NBC Select who has been covering dental care and oral health for over five years. I’ve written articles about numerous types of toothpaste, teeth whitening treatments, whitening strips, mouthwash, floss, water flossers and more. I’ve interviewed dozens of dentists throughout my career, and constantly test dental care products to learn what’s new on the market. To write this article, I talked to three experts about the benefits and limitations of whitening toothpastes, and rounded up a handful of products that align with their guidance.
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