Does Whitening toothpaste and mouthwash really work?

Q: Can I really whiten my teeth using whitening toothpaste or whitening mouthwash?

A: Unless you are a smoker or drink a lot of tea or coffee, you probably won’t notice a substantial improvement in the color of your teeth by using these products. Smoking and drinking certain drinks can leave stains on teeth—especially between the teeth. These are usually difficult to remove with normal dental hygiene products. whitening toothpaste simply contains more coarse abrasive than standard toothpaste. This helps in scrubbing off the stains just like using Ajax powder to scrub a white porcelain sink. The actual color of the porcelain doesn’t change, but doesn’t it look brighter when its cleaned? Sometimes there is peroxide in these products, which is what we dentists use to “bleach” teeth, but the concentration is too low to effectively whiten your teeth. The best way to get your teeth brighter is by using proven over-the-counter products like ‘Whitening Strips’ or having them whitened professionally.