Does teeth whitening toothpaste or laser whitening work?

Question

Teeth whitening toothpaste is one of the latest marketing tools or alleged added functions of many brands.

I have also read several blogs or journalists who have had teeth whitening laser treatment and claimed it wasn't "7 shades brighter" or whatever was claimed, essentially claiming they were fooled out of money.

Is there reliable research to back up claims by toothpaste companies or by laser whitening services?

Usually the measuring tool is a card with different shades of white and you measure yourself against one and then after a certain period of time you claim you are now x# of shades lighter.

Answer 1

Here's an article in a peer reviewed journal (granted, not all peer-reviewed journals have the same standards) that compares the efficacy of two at-home bleaching gels (the ones you use in trays): http://jada.ada.org/content/131/9/1269.full

Both CP and HP are effective at-home bleaching agents when daytime bleaching is preferred.

I also found an entire issue of The American Journal of Dentistry (pdf) dedicated to tooth whitening (and, again, I am not a dentist nor a professional researcher, so I can't evaluate the scientific methods employed), but these appear to be valid scientific approaches).

From personal (anecdotal) experience, I've used the bleaching gels (H202 based) for years and they definitely work -- you can see the difference in pictures, for example. I use mine overnight once every 4 months or so for maintenance.