Will Tooth Paint Whiten My Teeth?

Whenever your regular brushing/flossing routine isn’t whitening your teeth as much as you want, painting over discolored or stained enamel must seem appealing. However, despite tooth paint seeming like an easy, quick fix for stained or yellow teeth, the full extent of its effectiveness is still up for debate. In the end, you’re much more likely to find success in whitening your teeth with other products. However, if you still need convincing, here is what you should know about tooth paint.

Teeth Whitening

If you have teeth that have been stained by strongly colored drinks or foods or they’re just naturally gray or yellow, then they require some special treatment for lightening the enamel. In order to make teeth enamel whiter, many whitening products have bleaching ingredients, such as hydrogen peroxide. Patients or their dental professionals apply whitening gel onto the teeth, which allows the bleach to penetrate the enamel. After a short period of waiting, the chemicals break the stain molecules up, so they aren’t visible any longer and make the teeth appear whiter.

Tooth Paint

As to how cosmetic tooth paint differs from other whitening products, the teeth only appear whiter after use, with the effect lasting only a short time. Similar to nail polish, tooth paint coats teeth to temporarily cover up discoloration and stains rather than penetrating enamel. Users dry the teeth they want to whiten before applying the tooth paint on with a brush. Once the paint has dried, users can close their lips and go about their day.

Is Tooth Paint Effective?

White tooth paint isn’t likely to work for several reasons, with the greatest being it won’t penetrate the enamel and therefore won’t whiten teeth or reduce stains. Another reason is that it’s not likely for cosmetic tooth paint to stick to teeth enamel’s slippery, hard surfaces. Even when users follow every instruction perfectly, the effects probably will not last very long. Finally, if the tooth paint doesn't have hydrogen peroxide or a similar whitening agent, it can’t penetrate your discolored enamel.

Teeth Whitening Alternatives

If you’re looking for an effective tooth whitening product, those made with bleaching agents like hydrogen peroxide are the better choice. For a single tooth, you can try using products you apply by hand whereas multiple teeth are better whitened with strips or trays—either avenue can be affordable and convenient while getting your teeth at least five shades whiter. Instant teeth whitening would be great if the process were reliable or effective, but tooth paint unfortunately isn’t there yet. For the best results, you should check out other whitening products to get those pearly whites you desire.

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