Do Whitening Toothpastes Work?

Yes and no. They do work by removing external stains on teeth, but they do not seem to actually 'bleach' the teeth the way peroxide based treatments work. Even the tooth paste formulas that include peroxide may not work well, since peroxide when mixed with toothpaste is not stable and degrades rapidly over time.

The best way to whiten your teeth still involves applying a gel with either hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide on the teeth. There are a number of commercial preparations available over the counter or you can use a technique offered by your dentist. Most dentists offer either chairside whitening(in an hour or so) or can make custom trays that when worn with carbamide peroxide inside will gently whiten teeth over time.