Should I or should I not use whitening tooth paste?

[thubird]

Hey guys,

It's me again! New to this forum...I read somewhere that you shouldn't use whitening tooth paste all the time when you have braces cause after years of using it, your teeth will become whiter but the enamel below your brackets will be stained. Is this true? I don't want yellow squares on my teeth >.<

Much love xo

[verso]

My orthodontist explained that whitening tooth paste doesn't *actually* whiten teeth in the way that you might think. It removes surface stains. He gave me the OK, but you might want to check with your orthodontist to see what he or she says about it.

[Bracingmyself901]

The teeth behind your brackets will likely remain the same color as the day the brackets were glued to them to the day they come off. So if you aggressively whiten your bracket-less teeth area for the next 1-3 years, those small squares under the glue will eventually have to play "catch up" to get to the same color once they are off. That's why it's generally recommended to avoid whitening treatments during fixed braces treatment.

[Braces47]

When I asked the assistants at my ortho's office about whitening toothpaste, they recommend I not use it. I've been learning that a majority of toothpastes now having whitening in them. Not always easy to find a non-whitening toothpaste.

[verso]

The assistant at my orthodontist's office recently had her own braces removed and explained that she used "whitening" toothpaste all throughout her treatment. No squares.

I'm not an orthodontist, so I'll refrain from giving advice that I'm not qualified to give, but *my* orthodontist said that it was OK, and *I* use "whitening" toothpaste.

[jfriend33]

I almost always use crest pro health whitening. My teeth were already extremely white to begin with. I think when I had a filling they said I had the 2nd lightest shade lol. Sometimes I even use professional whitening gel, just a dab mixed in with my tooth paste to remove stains since I am a coffee drinker. Drinking from a straw does not help!

I can tell you one thing, getting your teeth cleaned every 3 months will make a huge difference. See if you can find a hygiene school near you to supplement your regular 6 month cleanings. I pay 100/yr for 2 sets of cleanings/xrays w/ 75% off any services, and the hygienist school is usually $25 or $15 if they are having a sale.

[samsung95]

Thanks for the info!

[BlondeCam]

I've heard you should not use whitening tooth paste.