Safest Teeth Whiteners
The safest ways to whiten your teeth explained
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Everything We Recommend
Best Overall: Arm & Hammer Advance White Baking Soda & Peroxide Toothpaste
Best with Fluoride: Colgate Cavity Protection Toothpaste with Fluoride (Colgate Regular)
Best for Children: Tom’s of Maine Children’s Toothpaste
Best Salt Formulation: Weleda Natural Salt Toothpaste
Best for Enamel Protection: Rembrandt Intense Stain (Rembrandt Original)
Best for Sensitive Teeth: Arm & Hammer Sensitive Teeth and Gums
Best with Natural Ingredients: Tom’s of Maine Rapid Relief Sensitive Toothpaste
Best Non-Fluoride Option: Boka Ela Mint Toothpaste
Whitening toothpastes tend to lighten teeth in one or two shades and only work on external teeth stains. However, they can also be too abrasive, causing more harm than good in the long run.2,4,5,7
The whitening effects of toothpaste are limited due to:6
NewMouth only recommends whitening toothpaste to supplement other teeth whitening treatments like whitening kits and in-office treatments. This recommendation comes from considering factors like:
Whitening kits and in-office treatments provide better and longer-lasting results, while whitening toothpaste is more effective in maintaining the results from these treatments.
If you’re interested in the best at-home whitening kits, you can read NewMouth’s comprehensive teeth whitening kit review.
NewMouth only recommends whitening toothpaste to maintain the results you can get from teeth whitening kits or in-office treatments. These kits and professional treatments are safer and more effective at lifting tooth stains, also providing longer-lasting results.
Here are some of the best whitening toothpaste we recommend for maintenance:
RDA Value | 42 |
Active Ingredients | Baking soda, Sodium carbonate peroxide |
Price | $23 (pack of 6) |
The Arm & Hammer Advance White toothpaste is one of the best to use for cleaning teeth, with an RDA value of 42. It maintains teeth-whitening treatment results without damaging your enamel.
The toothpaste is formulated with baking soda and peroxide, neutralizing acids that can weaken your teeth's enamel. The fluoride in toothpaste prevents cavities and tartar buildup.
Arm & Hammer also formulates their toothpaste with their patented Stain Defense™ technology. This prevents new stains from setting onto your teeth.
RDA Value | 68 |
Active Ingredients | Sodium monofluorophosphate |
Price | $9.95 (pack of 6) |
Colgate’s Cavity Protection toothpaste is the best fluoride toothpaste with an RDA value of 68. Fluoride protects your teeth against cavities, and Colgate uses a gluten-free formula.
This toothpaste is ADA-approved, meaning the product is guaranteed to be safe, reliable, and high-quality. It also uses mint flavoring to keep the mouth feeling fresh and clean.
RDA Value | 57 |
Active Ingredients | Sodium monofluorophosphate, Calcium carbonate |
Price | $11.97 (pack of 3) |
Tom’s of Maine Children’s toothpaste is formulated so children can enjoy brushing their teeth. It has calcium and silica to gently clean children’s teeth and has an RDA value of 57.
The toothpaste has a fruity flavor, which prevents the usual burning sensation from mint-flavored toothpastes. Tom’s of Maine Children’s Toothpaste is also free of artificial flavoring, color, and preservatives.
RDA Value | 15 |
Active Ingredients | Baking soda, salt |
Price | $6.39 |
Weleda’s Natural Salt Toothpaste is one of the best-ranking toothpaste on the RDA chart with a value of 15. Its gentle formulation is fluoride-free while using sea salt and gentle mineral cleansers.
The salt in the formulation triggers saliva production. Their toothpaste relies on the saliva’s enzymes to naturally flush the mouth clean.
RDA Value | 53 |
Active Ingredients | Sodium fluoride |
Price | $11.95 (pack of 2) |
Rembrandt’s Intense Stain toothpaste removes stains from your teeth with a unique blend of micropolishers. Their toothpaste has an RDA value of 53.
Their formula can remove stains from red wine, berries, coffee, and tobacco. They also use fluoride to strengthen and restore the teeth enamel.
RDA Value | 48 |
Active Ingredients | Baking soda |
Price | $9.99 (pack of 2) |
Arm & Hammer’s Sensitive Teeth and Gums toothpaste has an RDA value of 48. Their formula uses triple enamel protection to neutralize enamel-eroding acids.
Their formula uses Liquid Calcium™ technology, which repairs the enamel surface by filling in the tiny cracks on the teeth. It also restores tooth-strengthening minerals to improve and prevent tooth sensitivity.
RDA Value | 49 |
Active Ingredients |
Arginine bicarbonate (salt derived from arginine), calcium carbonate |
Price |
$17.88 (pack of 3) |
Tom's of Maine Rapid Relief Sensitive Toothpaste is the best toothpaste with natural ingredients. Its RDA value is 49 with a formula specifically for sensitive teeth.
It uses a combination of arginine and calcium carbonate, which are derived from natural sources only.
Arginine and calcium carbonate seal cracks in the teeth, preventing nerve exposure. Tom’s of Maine’s patented formula claims to provide long-lasting protection with continuous use.
RDA Value | <50 |
Active Ingredients | Nano Hydroxyapatite |
Price | $11.99 |
Boka Ela Mint Toothpaste is 100% vegan and cruelty-free. It has an RDA value of less than 50.
Instead of fluoride, the brand uses nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HA) to remineralize teeth and reduce sensitivity. The formula is also sulfate and paraben-free.
The formula uses aloe vera, xylitol, green tea, and mint to help clean teeth while providing a refreshing flavor.
According to Dr. Khushbu Gopalakrishnan, one of New Mouth’s in-house dentists, most whitening toothpastes work through abrasives and/or peroxides.
The peroxide ingredient is usually hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. They’re bleaching agents that chemically break down and remove stains.
On the other hand, the abrasive ingredients in whitening toothpastes mechanically remove stains. Common ones include:
The peroxide content in whitening toothpastes is negligible, so it won’t matter significantly if they have this ingredient.6 Dr. Khushbu also said that, aside from the low concentration of peroxides, the contact time between toothpaste and teeth is too short to be able to give drastic results.
Most kinds of toothpaste have the same primary components. Although, according to Dr. Khushbu, the specific concentration and agent may vary.
The base components include:10
Brands will often differ in their concentration and kinds of whitening agents. Some formulations can be too abrasive, causing unwanted side effects.
The side effects of whitening toothpaste include:2,4,5,7
Demineralization is the early stage of tooth decay, and it occurs when the teeth's enamel is worn away. It results in weakened and more sensitive teeth, making a person more prone to dental caries, discomfort, and pain.14
Remineralization can reverse demineralization to a certain extent. It’s a naturally occurring process in teeth and bone.
Remineralization happens with the help of a few factors, including:15
Saliva is one of the essential biological tools against demineralization, neutralizing the effects of acid exposure. It also provides calcium and phosphate, which maintain the supersaturation of necessary tooth minerals.
Probiotic bacteria are naturally present in the body, but you can also get them from dairy products and supplements. A study suggests that they displace the bacteria that contribute to demineralization.15
Choosing the best whitening toothpaste relies on following dentists’ recommendations and knowing a toothpaste’s relative dentin abrasivity (RDA) value.3
Some dentists prefer recommending the simplest and most affordable toothpaste from trusted brands, regardless of whether they claim to be teeth-whitening.
There isn’t much difference between recommending a standard toothpaste or a whitening one when it comes to teeth whitening. According to Dr. Khushbu, the ingredients would likely be comparable.
In some cases, dentists may recommend products based on specific needs. For example, if a patient is at a higher risk of developing cavities, Dr. Khushbu would recommend high-fluoride toothpaste.
An RDA value measures the erosive effect of toothpaste ingredients. The score ranges from 4 to 250.
Any reputable brand’s toothpaste with an RDA value of 4 to 70 is considered the best because it isn’t abrasive enough to cause side effects.
The chart includes all kinds of toothpaste from reputable brands, including whitening and non-whitening ones. You can refer to it here:
Toothpastes with an RDA value of 101 to 250 can harm tooth enamel. Those with an RDA value of 78 to 100 are moderately risky.
You can prevent unwanted side effects from whitening toothpastes by doing the following:
A study found that, even when paired with highly abrasive toothpaste, manual toothbrushes are not as abrasive as electric toothbrushes.11 However, the specific RDA values of manual and electric toothbrushes have not yet been determined.
Theoretically, electric toothbrushes have a teeth-whitening effect because of their abrasiveness. It’s best to pair it with toothpastes having RDA values between 4 and 70.
Because most kinds of toothpaste have the same base ingredients, NewMouth decided to focus on products with a low RDA value, are dentist-approved, and are from reputable brands.
New Mouth also focused on testing products that were more affordable and accessible than direct-to-consumer toothpaste brands.
After extensive research and product testing, this article also underwent an intensive review process:
If you can’t or don’t want to use whitening kits or get professional teeth-whitening treatments, there are other ways to maintain a bright smile.
Here are some practices you can do to maintain a bright smile without whitening products:
Whitening toothpastes have limited effects. Most dentists would recommend the simplest and most accessible toothpaste, regardless of their whitening effects.
Whitening kits and in-office treatments are more effective, giving longer-lasting results. Whitening toothpastes are best to maintain the results from these treatments.
Depending on the formulation, some whitening toothpastes can be too abrasive, causing demineralization. You can prevent this by choosing toothpaste with an RDA value of 4 to 70.
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