Key Takeaways
- Purple toothpaste products claim an instant whitening effect. The products don’t typically contain any fluoride or other ingredients you’ll find in regular toothpaste.
- Instead of removing stains from teeth, purple toothpaste color-corrects yellowness which creates an optical illusion of a whiter smile.
- Dentists say that purple dental products are a gimmick and won’t benefit your dental health.
A new product that promises a whiter smile concerns dentists, who warn that despite what social media claims, it won’t truly brighten your smile.
Purple toothpaste might appear to whiten teeth at first, but dental professionals worry that it’s easy to misunderstand how these products work and might replace tried-and-true oral hygiene habits with trendy—but ineffective—toothpaste.
Here’s what dentists say about the purple “toothpaste” trend, and why it’s not a quick way to a whiter smile.
The Best Toothpastes of 2023
Optic White—or an Optical Illusion?
When you think of whitening toothpaste, you probably think of brands with powerful names like Colgate Optic White and Crest 3D White. They’re generally marketed toward people who are trying to deal with yellowing or stained teeth.
There are actually two kinds of tooth stains: surface stains on the outside of the tooth (extrinsic) and staining goes into the inside of the tooth (intrinsic). The goal of using a whitening toothpaste is to bust the stains on the surface, and even go deeper into the teeth to help with tougher stains.
Why Are My Teeth Stained?
Discolored teeth are pretty common and are (not surprisingly) often linked to things you eat, drink, or otherwise put in your mouth. For example, coffee and tea, wine, and smoking are common causes of tooth staining.
Even some oral health care products (like fluoride rinses or water additives) can stain your teeth if you use them too much. Factors you can’t necessarily change, like genetics and the medications you take, can also contribute to tooth discoloration.
Morgan Fryer, DDS, a family dentist at Zappia & Fryer General Dentistry, told Verywell that traditional whitening toothpastes usually contain mild abrasives, which can gently help remove surface stain.
“These products also contain varying concentrations of chemical agents such as carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide, which penetrate the tooth and truly bleach them,” she said.
On the other hand, most purple dental products do not contain abrasive ingredients, and some are sold in non-paste formulations, such as serums or foams.
Lauren Becker, DDS
Purple is directly opposite yellow on the color wheel, making them complementary colors. When they mix, they create white.
— Lauren Becker, DDS
Lauren Becker, DDS, of Lauren Becker Dentistry in New York City, told Verywell that the idea behind purple “toothpaste” is simple. But it’s just not truly whitening.
“Purple toothpaste is considered to be ‘color correcting’ technology,” she said, “because purple is directly opposite yellow on the color wheel, making them complementary colors. When they mix, they create white.”
Becker said it’s similar to using color-correcting facial makeup—for example, using green concealer to neutralize red tones. While teeth might look whiter and brighter after the purple toothpaste is applied, they're still the same color underneath.
What Is Teeth Polishing?
Is Purple Toothpaste Worth Trying?
Jeffrey Sulitzer, DMD, Chief Clinical Officer at Smile Direct Club, told Verywell that while your smile may look quite a bit whiter right after you use purple toothpaste, the illusion is short-lived—think a few hours to up to a day. If you eat or drink something, the result may fade even sooner.
While purple toothpaste could be used as a “finishing touch” in your dental care routine, dentists warn against relying on them to clean your teeth, prevent cavities, and promote good oral hygiene.
What Are the Risks of Using Purple Toothpaste?
Purple toothpaste could have some side effects. For example, the products could easily turn your lips and mouth purple (though like the whitening effect, this would only be temporary). However, if you’re allergic to any foods or dyes, it’s important to know that you could have a more serious reaction to a purple toothpaste product.
You might also notice that the staining gets worse, not better. Fryer said some patients noticed that externally stained parts of their teeth looked darker after using these products.
However, experts say the biggest risk of trendy purple toothpaste’s popularity is that it will convince people to use them instead of toothpaste and other oral health products that are approved by the American Dental Association (ADA). Dentists worry that social media influence promotes products that only focus on aesthetic appeal rather than long-term dental health.
“For the limited and (very) temporary whitening effects that they might provide, there is just not enough information or research to support the use of these products,” said Fryer. “The FDA only approves the synthetic colorants in these kinds of toothpaste, but not the overall products, and the American Dental Association does not approve of these products. Instead, we recommend brushing twice daily, flossing daily, and talking to dental professionals about whitening options that will safely and effectively work for you.”
What This Means For You
Trendy purple toothpaste won’t whiten your teeth, even if it gives the temporary illusion of a brighter smile. If you have stained teeth, talk to your dental health provider about how to address the discoloration with tried-and-true, ADA-approved dental care.
4 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus. Tooth - abnormal colors.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fluorosis.
National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus. Dentinogenesis imperfecta.
Wang J, Zou D, Li Y, Liu P, Guo C. Drug-induced tooth discoloration: an analysis of the US Food and Drug Administration adverse event reporting system. Front Pharmacol. 2023;14:1161728. doi:10.3389/fphar.2023.1161728
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By Rachel Murphy
Murphy is a Kansas City-based journalist with more than a decade of health writing experience.
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