Arm & Hammer 100% Natural Baking Soda Whitening Protection Toothpaste, 75ml

Product Information

This toothpaste is vegan, cruelty-free, free of parabens and has hydrated silica as an abrasive whitener. It also contains a proprietary blend of antioxidants and essential oils. It has a mild mint flavor that our tester noted didn't leave their mouth feeling as fresh as other toothpastes but tasted fine. It contains sodium fluoride and is accepted by the ADA for preventing cavities. I do think this toothpaste will do a good job of helping to maintain whiter teeth after using a whitening treatment. I did notice my teeth were whiter immediately after brushing, so it would be good to use right before an event or before taking photos." — Ashleigh Morley, Director of Commerce, Health Group For flavouring and health effects people advocate using very small amounts of essential oils such as peppermint, finely cut dried herbs such as sage or powdered dried aromatics like cloves and cinnamon. An RDA score reflects how erosive a toothpaste can be. Lower RDA scores reflect gentler toothpastes, while higher RDA scores reflect higher levels of abrasive ingredients. This is why whitening toothpastes may cause or increase sensitivity for some—highly abrasive toothpastes can erode your enamel and even expose the dentin (middle layer)of your tooth. I didn't experience any discomfort. My teeth are not particularly sensitive, but my gums can be. The toothpaste went on smoothly and its texture was smooth. The mint did not burn, but had a pleasant minty feel." — Elie Levine, Social Media Editor, Verywell Health

JASÖN, Weleda, Lavera, Kingfisher, Georganics, Truthpaste, Nothing Wasted, A.Vogel*, Green People*, Colgate* While the company has made some improvements since we last updated the toothpaste guide such as bringing out a vegan and organic certified toothpaste and removing triclosan from all its products, with a score of 3.5 it still has a long way to go. It’s also worth saying that while Truthpaste’s toothpastes as a whole were not certified, it did provide full ingredients lists with its products and the majority of these were marked as certified organic. Lavera (company group Laverana GmbH), Sarakan (company group G.R. Lane) , Urtekram (company group Midsona)Enzyme-action: With enzymes usually derived from fruit, this method claims to break down proteins on the teeth that have been linked to teeth staining. Surfactant: Most Americans are accustomed to sudsy toothpaste. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) creates the foaming action in conventional toothpastes. Some dentists believe it helps to clean teeth and the mouth more thoroughly. People who have shared their experiences with homemade toothpaste in internet posts say that the taste may initially feel excessively bitter and/or salty. However, after a few uses, they note that this is no longer the case although children may not be easily convinced.

Pearl Drops*, Sensodyne*, Aquafresh*, Arm & Hammer*, BlanX*, Clinomyn*, Theramed*, Superdrug*, Macleans*, Corsodyl*, Eucryl*, Sarakan*, Polygrip*, Dr Organic*, Biotene*, Boots*.Chemical whiteners: Hydrogen peroxide is a common chemical whitening (or bleaching) agent often found in whitening kits and whitening toothpaste because of its ability to remove stains. “Peroxides, when used the way they're designed to be used, can whiten teeth,” Dr. Hewlett says. He warns, though, that for best results, this ingredient needs to remain on the teeth for longer periods to remove stains. So if you are finding that peroxide-based toothpaste is not giving you the results you want, you might want to consider a whitening kit or professional whitening treatment.Chemical ingredients have a leg up on abrasive ingredients: They can continue to work after you finish brushing—as long as you don’t rinse your mouth out after. These companies also lost half a mark under Pollution and Toxics for having inadequate policies on microplastics and liquid polymers Whitening toothpaste can only accomplish so much when it comes to removing stains from the teeth. “Whitening toothpaste removes superficial staining on the teeth (such as from coffee or red wine) by using an abrasive in the toothpaste,” Dr. Morgano says. “These toothpastes do not make the teeth lighter than their natural shade.” Using whitening kits or professional treatments from a dentist improves the results. “Bleaching can make teeth lighter than their natural shade,” Dr. Morgano says. “There are OTC bleaching kits found at the pharmacy that can be used, and there are professional bleaching kits that can be obtained from a dentist.” One ingredient to avoid is charcoal because of the harm it can cause to the teeth. “Charcoal can be used as an abrasive, but it should be avoided [because it is] too abrasive,” Dr. Morgano says.