to think whitening toothpastes damage your teeth?

[RattyRoland]

Well they seem to take the enamel off mine anyway, but the toothpaste aisle is bloody full of them. Surely it's better to have clean teeth than white ones falling out? and don't the celebs with their dazzling illuminous white teeth look a bit stupid

[FaffTastic]

My dentist told me that they are more abrasive on the teeth and can wear down enamel.

I'm not sure tbh that whitening toothpastes actually make people's teeth that much whiter anyway get mine bleached

[MerlotAndMe]

Dentisy told me my enamel thin so i avoid them. get teeth cleaned once a year. but tom cruise teeth i do NOT have :-/

[KC225]

I have my teeth zapped with a laser to get them pearly white - why I don't know. I don't smoke, drink red wine or tea or coffee. It barely made any difference and cost a fortune (pre kids) but worst of all it made my teeth really sensitive and those whitening toothpastes make it worse. My new dentist told me if you want Hollywood white smile - veneers

[EmmaBemma]

I really think this thread must win some sort of prize for the least controversial and dullest AIBU ever. Whatever next. "AIBU to think that fridges keep your food cold?"

[bellejar]

A bit mean Emma - surely the dullest thread would be "should I have tea or coffee while watching the washing go round in the washing machine"

Or "should I wear 10 or 15 denier at work today"?

[HeadfirstForHalos]

And yet it still grabbed you enough to read it and post Emma, what does that say about you/your day?

[chocoluvva]

I hate it when posters say nothing more than, 'How Boring' too. If you're bored just don't post at all. Saying something is boring is boring to read.

Some of the whitening toothpastes claim to be gentle, which would imply that others aren't therefore it's probably wise to pick the former - though whether they're as effective as the abrasive ones is another matter.

[chocoluvva]

Saying a thread is boring is just rude.

[chocoluvva]

It's not witty or funny - sorry to rant, but it's one of my MN pet hates.

[mrsjay]

I have hardly any enamel due to medicine when i was a teen I used whitening toothpaste last year gave me raging toothache YANBU

[chocoluvva]

Celebs with very white teeth do look very unnatural.

I'm jealous though as my teeth are healthy but yellow .

[GrowSomeCress]

My teeth are very yellow but I'm scared to use anything for whitening because of all the horror stories

[mrsjay]

celebs with realy really white teeth blind you and they also paid for them they are not real teeth

[AKissIsNotAContract]

I'm a dentist. If you want whiter teeth go to a dentist, have impressions taken for custom made moulds of your teeth and use the whitening gel from your dentist. Make sure you seen a hygienist first as you cannot whiten over calculus and stains.

No whitening toothpaste, or any whitening products you can buy in a chemist will work. Never get your teeth whitened by anyone who isn't a dentist/hygienist/dental therapist. It is illegal and the GDC are cracking down on those who do provide it.

[JamieandtheMagicTorch]

AKiss

So they don't work, but are they damaging to the tooth enamel?

I have started using OralB Pro-Expert, which the dentist gave my DSs as a smaple. Amongst other things, it claims to whiten. Is it damaging? FWIW. I think it makes my teeth feel cleaner, and is satisfyingly medicinal-tasting

TIA

[JamieandtheMagicTorch]

sample

[Naysa]

YANBU but then again so do soft drinks, fruits, you name it, it's wrecking your teeth

[Lovelygoldboots]

It's your gums that need to be taken care of. Mine are knack erred, I'm so miserable, have raging toothache and am on antibiotics and due to have an extraction. I would be really happy with a healthy yellow smile.

[MerlotAndMe]

I use pro-enamel sensodyne and floss. But I learnt the hard way. I had my teeth cleaned a few years ago and it was agony. the sensitivity!!! omg.
then i had root planing and scaling top and bottom at the perio (800 euro) thank you, will remember to floss now.

[DontEvenThinkAboutIt]

I had my teeth whitened twice, once by a dentist (overseas so cheap!) once by a local teeth whitening place. Both times it looked great and didn't cause any discomfort at all.
I can't stand Hollywood smiles though. They look so fake. I don't smoke and my teeth are naturally fairly white so I don't need the whitening gel on for long.

[MerlotAndMe]

lovelygoldboots, have you been to a periodontist. that's like a dentist for gums but more expensive it's only fair to warn you. . still, i'm relieved that i'm being monitored. I feel like it's serious. I want to be sent reminders by my perio every six months. I 'm a reformed character now.

[Want2bSupermum]

White strips are used by a lot of people here in the US. When I asked my dentist about them he said that if you get your teeth cleaned twice a year and have a somewhat healthy diet you shouldn't need to use them. Our dental insurance covers one visit and he charges $40 for the 2nd visit. Works for me and is cheaper than buying special pastes etc.

[Lovelygoldboots]

I have an NHs dentist merlot and will ask him about that when I go. He cleaned my teeth recently and they looked amazing. It's my own fault for not flossing properly. Now have a waterpik and that is ace. The extraction is one he did a deep filling on which has become infected. I hope I can keep hold of my teeth, but years of drinking too much red wine and eating sweets have taken their toll on my 42 year old gums. I am also reformed but I think it is probably too little late. Would a perio do more. What is root planing?

[Want2bSupermum]

Lovely You should def look into seeing a periodontist. Our dentist sent DH to one and he hasn't had any problems with his teeth since.

Here in the US the periodontist was covered by our health insurance and wasn't considered dental treatment (gum disease is linked to a lot of different diseases). It might be worth finding out if you can get treatment on the NHS.

[specialsubject]

whitening toothpastes are right up there with anti wrinkle creams - they do absolutely NOTHING.

dentists can whiten teeth, if you don't mind them being weakened. Enjoy your soup - or failing that, remember that the Hollywood teeth are false, crowns or photoshopped.