Here's a look at what's available, what's good... and what's probably best avoided! Which are the very best whitening toothpastes is a personal choice. I hope this page can help make it an informed choice!

Whitening toothpastes can be just simple toothpastes with mildly abrasive ingredients which gently clean the teeth from stains accumulated from foods and drink. There are also plenty of more "advanced formulas" which offer to actually whiten the enamel of your teeth. Some of these wonders are not really that safe and they may also include some ingredients which impact upon the wider environment.

The best whitening toothpastes for effective whitening may not be the best from the perspective of health and green living.

Best whitening toothpastes - some common ingredients

See also for more ingredients, many of which also turn up in tooth-whitening products.

There are some relatively safe and harmless tooth whitening products out there, such as which is quite health and environment friendly - but does contain SLS which some people will not like.

Some safe abrasives used in whitening toothpastes

As noted on how to make toothpaste, there are several quite safe ingredients in many toothpastes which will gently remove stains from teeth. Stains build up from such drinks as coffee and tea. Ingredients such as calcium carbonate (chalk) and silica are hard enough to remove such stains but should not damage the enamel of your teeth, when used in moderation. The best whitening toothpastes will tend to include such ingredients - so moderate use has to be the watchword.

Sodium bicarbonate is another commonly used abrasive which helps remove stains from your teeth. It's found in many tooth whitening products.

Titanium dioxide is also sometimes included for its bright white qualities. It's quite safe but whitens the toothpaste more than it whitens your teeth.

Less safe abrasives

Hydrated silica, found in some tooth gels may accumulate in the environment.

It's worth noting that most commercial teeth whitening products should not be used day in day out. Even natural products such as calcium carbonate may damage your precious enamel if used too much. Dentist use the "abrasive index" to decide which abrasives to use. Pumice, used by dental hygienists for that final polish, has quite a high abrasive index (150) and should therefore only be used occasionally. Calcium carbonate is nearly as high and again, will cause damage if used in too frequent a way.

Chemical whiteners

Hydrogen peroxide

Many tooth-whitening products contain hydrogen peroxide which has a bleaching effect upon teeth.

It may be safe in very small quantit...

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