Question: Do Whitening toothpastes, rinses, flosses, and chewing gums actually work?

Answer: Over-the-counter whitening products such as the whitening toothpastes, rinses, flosses and whitening chewing gums are relatively ineffective at best, and some of these whitening pastes actually cause damage to the enamel. Brushing with whitening toothpaste removes the extrinsic stains by mechanical means; little to no change in color actually takes place. The ‘Whitening’ is deceiving on these products because if it rubs off a little extrinsic stain, does that mean the teeth have been whitened? You need a bleaching agent such as carbamide peroxide, or hydrogen peroxide, in order to intrinsically whiten the teeth. These agents must remain in contact with the enamel for a certain period of time in order to be effective. Even toothpastes that claim to have these agents are not very effective, because they have a mild concentration of peroxide and they are not in contact for long enough duration to make any difference.

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The Dental Expert App has had more than 35,000 downloads so far! One of it’s great features is the “Ask the Expert” function which allows you to send your question directly to Dr. Lazare.

Hundreds of people have submitted questions already, and to get the answers out, before the updates become available, they will be answered here, on our Blog. Here is a question that many people are curious about:

Question: Why do teeth turn yellow?

Answer: Teeth can turn yellow for a variety of reasons, including:

• Aging (years of cumulative stain and the wear of the outer, white enamel layer of the teeth over time)

• Heavy consumption foods and beverages that are more likely to stain (including: red wine, dark teas, coffee, vegetable juices, hot chocolate, soy sauce, etc.)

• Smoking

• Poor oral hygiene (which creates a thick coat of a yellowing plaque or tartar)

• Heavy Grinding (which can wear away the enamel to reveal the yellower layer of tooth structure beneath)

Please note that the most common cause of this yellowing is due to poor brushing, which builds up this plaque and tartar, which is more likely to hold the stain than the tooth’s enamel. Once the teeth are cleaned, the yellow often disappears. Whitening is only effective for brightening the enamel itself, and will not do anything for teeth that are not properly cleaned.

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