Best Whitening Toothpastes To Remove Surface Stains From Teeth
If you wish your teeth were less yellow and had fewer stains, you’re not alone — teeth whitening is a common topic patients ask dentists about, says Dr. Samantha Rawdin, DMD, a prosthodontist at Gallery 57 Dental in New York City. Out of the numerous at-home teeth whitening products you can choose from, whitening toothpaste is one of the easiest options to incorporate into your daily oral hygiene routine. It cleans teeth and helps prevent cavities just like standard toothpaste, plus has additional ingredients that can help remove surface stains. But how well does it work?
“You’re not going to notice anything dramatic,” says Dr. Amr Moursi, DDS, a professor at the NYU College of Dentistry. Whitening toothpaste’s efficacy pales in comparison to a professional whitening treatment, so it’s no guarantee of a sparkling smile. With that said, however, it works well for maintenance after a more potent treatment and is worth a try if you’re curious.
I spoke to dentists about how to shop for whitening toothpaste and what results to expect. I also rounded up whitening toothpastes with the American Dental Association’s (ADA) Seal of Acceptance and options the NBC Select staff tested.
How I picked the best whitening toothpaste
While shopping for a whitening toothpaste, experts recommend considering the following factors.
- Whitening agent: Whitening toothpaste mainly relies on mild abrasives to scrub surface stains off teeth, says Dr. Edmond Hewlett, DDS, a professor at the UCLA School of Dentistry. Common abrasives include silica and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), says Rawdin. Some whitening toothpastes may have bleaching ingredients like hydrogen peroxide in their formulas, but mild abrasives are more common. Learn more about how these whitening agents work below.
- ADA Seal of Acceptance: The American Dental Association’s Seal of Acceptance is considered the gold standard when it comes to dental care products, says Moursi. It means a brand submitted scientific evidence to the ADA showing that their products meet specific safety and efficacy requirements, which the agency validated. This doesn’t mean products without the ADA’s Seal of Acceptance are ineffective — it just means brands have not voluntarily submitted their products for the ADA to review.
- Fluoride: All the dentists I spoke to recommend choosing a toothpaste made with fluoride, a cavity-fighting ingredient. All ADA-approved toothpastes are made with fluoride, so if you’re considering a toothpaste that’s not ADA-approved, read its ingredient label to make sure at least one of the following types of fluoride are included, all of which dentists say are equally effective: sodium fluoride, stannous fluoride and sodium monofluorophosphate.