Ask a Family Dentist in Lisle – Is Whitening Toothpaste Effective?

Everyone has seen countless commercials for whitening toothpastes that claim to take your smile from drab to dazzling in no time flat. The idea that you can buy something from the store and use it just a couple of times a day to whiten your teeth is really appealing. The question is, does it work? Well…yes and no! In this blog, you’ll learn about what a whitening toothpaste can and can’t do and find out why seeing a family dentist in Lisle is your best bet for getting great whitening results.

Does Whitening Toothpaste Really Work?

As mentioned, there’s not really a simple answer to this. While it’s true that whitening toothpastes remove surface stains to give your teeth a cleaner, brighter appearance, they won’t actually whiten your teeth.

Here’s an analogy to help you understand: Imagine a painted wall in your house that’s been stained with fingerprint marks and scuffs. If you clean the wall, you’ll remove the stains on the paint’s surface, but you won’t change the color of the wall. Cleaning it makes it look cleaner and brighter, but you must re-paint it to actually change the color.

Similarly, a whitening toothpaste will remove surface stains that lie on top of your teeth from things like coffee, tea, tobacco and red wine. But to make your teeth a whiter shade, you must have your teeth whitened.

What’s the Best Way To Whiten?

Instead of only removing surface stains, whitening treatments change the color of your teeth from the inside out. Professional treatments from a Lisle dentist are also much more concentrated than store-bought options, so you’ll safely and reliably get the best result possible.

You have two main type of treatments to choose from:

• At-home whitening – With this option, you’ll whiten at home at a gradual pace using custom-made trays and a professional-grade gel. Many people get their final result in about 2 weeks.
• Zoom! whitening – If you want your results as soon as possible, this option is for you. Your teeth will be whitened up to 10 shades in about an hour during an in-office appointment.

Also, everyone will need touchups from time-to-time, depending on your habits and lifestyle. However, using a whitening toothpaste after whitening is a great way to maintain your results!

About the Author

Dr. Frank Marchese is a family dentist in Lisle who provides both restorative and cosmetic procedures. He’s found that whitening is one of his most popular cosmetic treatments because of the outstanding results patients can get in such a short period of time. If you have any questions, he can be reached via his website or at (630) 969-2310.