Do whitening toothpastes really work? We put that to our dentist friend Vincent Mayher, who surprised us: Yes, they do, he said, but be careful how you pick them. Unlike teeth-bleaching trays or strips, Vincent said, whitening toothpastes scour away surface stains with the help of gritty substances like silica hydrate, which can eventually wear away tooth enamel. And if you have sensitive teeth, more grit can mean more pain. Find out just how abrasive your paste is by checking its RDA, or Relative Dentin Abrasivity, by going to 21stcenturydental.com. A paste with an RDA between 100 and 150 is considered highly abrasive; don’t even think about going over 150, Vincent warns. Bottom line: Sand-papering your teeth isn’t the best way to get them white. Stick to a gentler toothpaste—and try trays, strips, or a trip to the dentist to up the wattage of your smile.
—Vincent Mayher, DMD, practices in Haddonfield, NJ. He is the past president of the Academy of General Dentistry.
