Can I have a healthy mouth and a sparkling smile? When it is time to shop for toothpaste, we want something that will prevent tooth decay and gum disease. We might even look for a toothpaste that can do more. A great example of this is whitening toothpastes.
This article discusses whitening toothpastes. It looks at how they work to be both effective and safe.
Let’s go back to the basics. Plaque is a sticky layer of bacteria that forms on the surface of the teeth. It can make the teeth ‘feel fuzzy’ when they have not been brushed. Calculus is the hard mineral that can build up on the surface of teeth near the gums when the plaque is not brushed away. The plaque takes in minerals from the saliva, turning it into hard calculus. Calculus needs to be cleaned off by a dentist. It cannot be brushed away at home.
Tooth stains can develop on the outside surface of teeth and inside the tooth structure.
Stains on the outside surface of the teeth are commonly caused by the sticky plaque and hard calculus picking up colour from foods, drinks and items that enter the mouth. The colour may be from tea or coffee, red wine, spices such as turmeric, or smoking. The colour gets locked in place when the plaque turns into hard calculus. This creates what is commonly called staining.
Brushing away plaque and preventing calculus from building up can help to create less stains. The best way to do this is by reducing activities and foods and drinks that cause stains and by brushing the teeth well every day. The toothpaste you use can also make a difference.