OCU tests 13 whitening toothpastes and says none of them work

Using the so-called 'Vitapan' scale, the OCU says only five brands of toothpaste which claimed to whiten teeth did so by just one or two tones – barely enough to notice.

All toothpaste types were tested on at least two different people for a month, and the result is that 'it is not worth spending money' on those that purport to have a whitening effect, because tooth colour changes 'very little or not at all' as a result of their regular use.

Those which do reduce the yellow tinge very slightly are Binaca Blanqueante at the top, followed by Auchan Blancura, and Fluocaril Blanqueador, whilst the one which comes last is Oral B 3D White Luxe Perfection.

The top two still only achieved one star out of five for whitening effect, although the Fluocaril scored two

Others which scored one out of five for whitening were Colgate Total Blanqueador, Denivit Anti-Manchas Intensivo, Colgate Sensation White, Carrefour's own-branded White Blancura Brillante, Sensodyne Blanqueante, Lidl's own-branded Dentalux Complex 5 Blanqueador, Colgate Max White One, Oral-B Pro-Expert Blancura Saludable, Oral-B 3D White Luxe Seductor, and Oral-B 3D White Luxe Perfection.

All scored four out of five for effectiveness of cleaning and stain-removal, except Oral-B Pro-Expert Blancura Saludable and Denivit Anti-Manchas Intensive, which scored the full five.

Nearly all scored just two out of five for abrasiveness – as in, too much so – except the Oral-Bs which scored one.

“All toothpaste brands tested by the OCU have failed, since to pass, they would need to have shown an improvement in at least half of our volunteers who used them regularly for a month – and none has done so,” the organisation revealed.

OCU researchers say consumer authorities need to be 'stricter' and 'more demanding' about 'miracle' claims and should only allow manufacturers and product designers to show the effects which have been proven and demonstrated through rigorous testing.

“Labels should never mix genuine information with fantasies,” the OCU stresses.

Concerning price, toothpastes claiming to whiten teeth range from 86 cents (Auchan Blancura) to €5.80 (Fluocaril) for 100ml tubes.

Unbranded, or supermarket own brand toothpastes are the cheapest, and are 'no worse' or 'less effective' than those sold at top prices in pharmacies, the OCU explains.

As well as their ability to whiten, the OCU tested the level of cleaning efficiency and how abrasive – and thus damaging to the tooth enamel – the different brands were.

None of the 13 were dangerously abrasive, but some of them were 'highly' or 'very highly' abrasive despite dentists' recommendations that daily-use toothpastes should be of a low level of abrasiveness.

Even where volunteers gave high scores for factors such as freshness, flavour, ease of tube-handling and their own view of how effective they were, not one of the volunteers noticed any significant whitening effect.

The OCU says to keep teeth as white as possible, regular and effective cleaning combined with avoiding smoking and consumption of discolouring drinks such as coffee, tea and red wine are the best possible actions.

Whitening kits sold in pharmacies and supermarkets were also evaluated and given 'fors' and 'againsts'.

These contain hydrogen peroxide or carbamide in low concentration levels – whilst dentists use solutions with a higher level of these chemicals - and come in gel format, sometimes with lights which enhance their action and which can cause harm to the teeth, such as increasing the porous nature of the enamel or making the teeth sensitive by opening tiny cavities.

Whitening strips impregnated with gel have to be left on for several hours or even days, creating the risk of the gel being swallowed, resulting in sickness and stomach pain, or irritating the gum if it comes into contact with the flesh – and can make the enamel porous.

Gels combined with LED lights or laser lights to increase effectiveness involve covering the gums with a sheath so as to leave only the surface of the teeth being treated exposed, but can be time-consuming as several cycles are needed, and these can make the teeth more sensitive.