Oral hygiene isn’t rocket science, and yet for many of us, it can be tempting to run after quick fixes we find on social media rather than work on developing positive, productive, healthy habits. Purple toothpaste seems to fall into the former category when it comes to the desire to have a set of perfect, white teeth.
You may have seen TikTok content creators promoting purple toothpaste and touting the logic that “purple neutralizes yellow”, selling you a shortcut to “perfect white teeth” and a gleaming smile. But experts and experimenters have cast doubt on the products’ lofty claims, as people strive to follow modern-day beauty standards.
Purple toothpaste ‘will not achieve sustainable whitening’
Purple toothpaste doesn’t actually whiten yellow teeth. Nor does it reduce tooth stains. That’s according to Jason Cellars, DDS, a dentist at Sea Cliff Dental in California (via Health).
It does, however, give the illusion of white teeth, and it does so using color theory.
“Its whitening effect is mainly superficial,” says another dentist, based in New York, “targeting the appearance of teeth rather than deeply cleaning or bleaching them.” This is in contrast to other – effective – whitening agents, such as hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide, which “penetrate deep into the teeth to brighten their appearance.”
“It works on the surface and does not change the intrinsic color of the teeth,” he adds. “Regular use may maintain the appearance, but it’s not a permanent solution to discoloration.”
“It can be a quick fix for an instant photo but will not achieve sustainable whitening,” Cellars goes on. “Unfortunately, this illusion is short-lived, and your teeth will only appear whiter until the toothpaste fully washes off.”
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How is purple toothpaste supposed to work?
The Action Lab ran experiments using yellow objects (including a banana) and a purple screen to test the promotional videos they’d seen that purported to prove the effectiveness of purple toothpaste.
The Lab’s video goes into the science of subtractive color mixing and additive color mixing, and essentially argues that the best purple toothpaste can do is “remove the intensity” of discolored teeth. It can’t un-discolor them. For a detailed explanation of why the logic behind the claim that “purple neutralizes yellow” is faulty, or at least irrelevant, find the video below.
Like purple shampoos that take advantage of color correction to reduce the yellowing of white-blonde hair, purple toothpaste counteracts the yellowness of discolored teeth by coating them in purple pigment.
Purple is opposite yellow on the color wheel – see above. Mixing complementary colors can create white. But the rub is that this isn’t exactly true. Mixing two colors together never creates a lighter color, unless you’re mixing colored light rather than pigments.
So it’s a gimmick, but is it safe?
The American Dental Association (ADA) has not approved any purple toothpastes for safety and effectiveness.
However, this doesn’t mean it’s unsafe to brush with purple paste. Like other whitening toothpastes, it may cause side effects such as gum irritation and tooth sensitivity. But if you follow the instructions on the packaging, it’s unlikely that purple toothpaste would be any more or less ‘dangerous’ than regular toothpaste.
If you’re allergic to artificial dyes like Blue 1, Red 40 and Red 33, you may be at risk of eczema flare-ups, swelling and/or hives.
Finally, be aware that “quick fixes” are rarely decent substitutes for good practice. Purple toothpaste and similar products may provide temporary aesthetic benefits, but they shouldn’t replace regular professional dental care and hygiene practices, emphasizes New York-based dentist David Chen.
Brush twice daily, floss regularly, and visit the dentist every once in a while. Purple toothpaste is not a permanent solution to discoloration. Nor is it the devil in disguise.
