If you are on the search for the best whitening toothpaste, you certainly aren’t alone. People have been joining this search party for a long time -- probably longer than you think. We have some evidence that people in ancient Egypt were actually looking for ways to whiten their teeth and their results were a little strange: they used everything from vinegar and stones to urine. Some people would even file their teeth down!
Thankfully, we live in a world today that isn’t quite so intense, and we’ve been able to develop many different ways to keep our teeth white. The easiest way to do this is by adopting a daily practice of brushing with whitening toothpaste.
But with so many of us searching for the perfect glistening set of pearls, companies are trying to take advantage of us and are looking for ways to sell us products that are overhyped without the ingredients to back up that hype.
Thankfully, there are a few different ingredients that you absolutely want in your toothpaste that are easy to spot with a little practice -- these are the ones that are proven to actually have a whitening impact on your teeth without doing any damage.
So, let’s take a sneak peek at these must-haves in the best whitening toothpaste!
Calprox®? Oh, Yes. Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes.
Let’s start with a real goodie! Calprox® is an ingredient that you are only going to find here at Supersmile. It is a proprietary ingredient invented by Dr. Irwin Smigel, the Father of Aesthetic Dentistry, and the Supersmile team, that gently whitens and cleans teeth without causing sensitivity like some of the other bleaches and abrasives.
This is an extremely powerful whitener that is trusted by many because it removes stains and changes the color of your teeth without increasing sensitivity. If you want that bright, glowing smile, Calprox® is where it’s at!
Fluoride? Yes, Please!
Fluoride is a mineral that you’ve probably heard about before -- a lot of cities in the U.S. even have it in their water.
Fluoride helps to prevent tooth decay by making the enamel of your teeth harder and more resistant to wear from the acidic foods we eat and what we drink.
If you want to check if your toothpaste has fluoride, it may be as easy as simply looking for the word, or it could be written as sodium fluoride, sodium monofluorophosphate or stannous fluoride. These are the best forms of fluoride to enlist to help keep your teeth strong and sparkly white.
Remember that when your enamel wears down, your teeth will look duller and be harder to bring back to life. Even so, you don’t want to have too much fluoride, either: look for around 0.15% fluoride ion, or 1500 parts per million.
Clean Ingredients? Absolutely.
Another thing you want to do is check if your ingredients are clean and allergen-free.
Sometimes, companies will try to sneak some pretty nasty stuff into toothpaste as fillers or preservatives, so you want to ensure that all of the ingredients in your chosen toothpaste are as clean as possible.
Make sure to pay attention to how your mouth feels, and if you notice anything strange, switch to a different toothpaste with cleaner ingredients. All-natural toothpastes aren’t as likely to cause as many problems for your pearly whites as those with a bunch of fillers in them.
Mild Abrasives? As Long As They’re Gentle!
It is true that some abrasives can actually help your teeth, but only if they are mild, according to the Journal of the American Dental Association.
These ingredients help to whiten not by bleaching or changing the color of your teeth, but by abrading the enamel and getting rid of surface stains.
Most people don’t want to use any abrasives at all on their teeth, but if you do, you should only use them about once a week or so. Talk to your dentist before you use anything that is too abrasive.
Hydrogen Peroxide? Say Cheese!
We’ve all heard of this one. One of the most common ingredients that you will see in whitening toothpaste is hydrogen peroxide. It is also the main ingredient in popular “at home” whitening recipes. That’s because hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent that can have a photo-worthy impact on your teeth.
However, you should note that peroxide doesn’t actually remove stains, it simply changes the color of your teeth. You may still notice some staining, though after some time it will have an impact.
Whitening toothpaste has a lot less hydrogen peroxide than you might expect, which is why at home recipes can be so dangerous. Another big reason not to use those recipes is because they just don’t taste all that great.
Glycerol? No Problem!
Another common ingredient in whitening toothpaste is glycerol, but this doesn’t actually help with whitening at all. Instead, it keeps your toothpaste from drying out and gives it a more consistent texture, which can help with the whitening toothpastes that aren’t all that tasty.
Glycerol is also what gives you that smooth application. It’s completely safe for you, as you can even find it in yogurt, peanut butter, and other smooth foods. On your toothpaste, it may go by the names glycerol, glycerin, or glycerine.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate? Definitely No. Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate? Absolutely.
Another key ingredient to be on the lookout for is sodium lauryl sulfate. This is what makes your toothpaste foam in your mouth and gives you that oh-so-clean feeling.
But you don’t have to actively look for this ingredient because it isn’t a good one -- sodium lauryl sulfate, also called SLS, in high quantities can actually cause damage in your mouth. You may get sores or irritation that can hurt quite a bit. So less is more here.
This isn’t to be confused with Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, however, which is the cleaner, all-natural cousin that can give you that foamy cleanliness without the junk. Yes, please!
Carbamide Peroxide? You Bet.
Carbamide peroxide is similar to hydrogen peroxide in that it is a bleaching agent, but the similarities end there. This actually breaks down the components on your teeth that cause staining instead of simply bleaching your entire tooth.
It has become an extremely popular bleaching agent that you can find on other whitening products, including pens, gels, trays, and strips.
Ingredients To Avoid
Now, we’ll be honest, there are also a few ingredients you’ll want to avoid in your whitening toothpaste. These are ingredients that are incredibly abrasive and can cause some lasting damage to your teeth, like charcoal or even microplastics. It’s best to avoid them at all costs.
You also want to avoid things that will dry out your mouth like alcohol or silicas, as those ingredients can cause problems that will lead to duller, not-so-glowing teeth.
You also want to avoid anything that has too many preservatives or ingredients that you don’t understand. Check for any sugars or anything that could actually impact the health of your teeth beyond the whitening powers.
What About Homemade Natural Whitening?
DIY recipes are in – we get it. So, obviously, a lot of people have questions about homemade, natural whitening toothpaste.
Unfortunately, these products are usually far too gritty and cause way too many problems with your oral wellness in general. They typically don’t do enough to really get your teeth clean, and though some will whiten, they don’t actually clean up the bacteria that causes decay.
You see a lot of “natural” products that can help you to get white teeth like baking soda or coconut oil, but they can really do some damage if they are all that you use. Some people will even use acidic products like apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, but those are eating away at your enamel and can cause sensitivity and other issues if you aren’t careful.
You should also know that homemade products tend to take a longer time to work because they aren’t as strong and don’t contain the proper ingredients to really get the job done.
Trust us -- you’ll want to skip the YouTube tutorial for this one and go with time-tested, science-backed teeth whitening instead.
In Conclusion
Sure, we all want to have beautifully glowing pearls that are white enough to see from space, but that isn’t always going to be the reality for most of us. The best thing you can do for your teeth is schedule regular dental checkups, eat foods that don’t stain your teeth, and start with a whitening toothpaste before you notice that your teeth aren’t quite white.
If you’re already noticing that your teeth are yellow or have stains on them and you want a little whitening boost, it may be time to bring out the extra strength products, but only those that contain clean, all-natural ingredients that you can trust, like all of our proven formulas right here at Supersmile.
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6369603/
https://jada.ada.org/article/S0002-8177(17)30095-8/fulltext
https://www.wda.org/your-oral-health/sip-all-day
