Kim Kardashian says it’s her secret to a brighter smile. It’s not quite a toothpaste, but a serum made by Hismile that promises to correct any yellowing of your teeth. You use the water-soluble serum after you brush your teeth. The strange thing is that the serum is purple. It’s based on color-correcting theory, where you use the opposite of the color wheel to reduce that color. Since purple is the opposite of yellow, the result is white teeth.
The other product on the market, Popwhite, claims to be a teeth whitener and toothpaste. This product is meant to replace your regular toothpaste and is free of fluoride, peroxide, and charcoal. Popwhite uses the same color-correcting theory as Hismile, but it also says that the xylitol and coconut oil “support dental whitening.” Although the ingredients in both products won’t do damage to your teeth, a London-based dentist said on TikTok that using Hismile after your toothpaste brushes away the necessary fluoride from your regular toothpaste that can strengthen your enamel and protect against tooth decay. Because the American Dental Association’s Seal of Acceptance requires toothpaste to have fluoride, Popwhite or Hismile might not be good for your oral health. But do they whiten your teeth?
Color-correcting treatments can work temporarily
While some users on TikTok love the purple color-correcting serum, others aren’t convinced. Writing for Bustle, Wendy Rose Gould shared that she used purple toothpaste and mouth rinse twice a day, and saw that her teeth appeared a little whiter. (It’s worth noting that these products can be used on veneers, crowns, and dentures, unlike whitening toothpaste.) But while she noticed that her teeth looked great right away, the white effect reportedly faded as she went about her day. Her lips and tongue also turned purple.
Dentist Miles Madison said on TikTok that he gets asked about purple toothpaste by his patients. Although he says it works, he added, “It’s an optical illusion and it only lasts for about maybe 20 to 30 minutes.” He says it’s fine if you’re going to take a quick picture, but not good if you plan to go out on a date. In another TikTok video, he shared that while it gets rid of yellow, it does nothing for brown stains.
Purple toothpaste doesn’t whiten teeth
According to Lucy Stock, a dentist at Gentle Dental Care in Belfast, purple color-correcting treatments are temporary because they don’t contain anything that whitens teeth (via Irish News). The peroxide in tooth-bleaching products and treatments breaks up the stains on the teeth (rather than covering them up) to reveal the white in your teeth.
Purple toothpaste, mouth rinses, and serums also might not make your yellow teeth white if the acid in your diet has worn too much of your tooth enamel away. Hismile says on its website that its purple color-correcting serum works best on teeth that are already somewhat white. It recommends using teeth-whitening products before using the color-correcting serum.
Because these products only correct yellowing teeth, they don’t do much for teeth that have a gray tint, according to CBC. Graying in teeth typically occurs with age because the dentin beneath the tooth’s surface begins to spread as the tooth’s pulp recedes. Per Irish News, gray teeth can also be the result of smoking. Ultimately, if you really want whiter teeth, use whitening strips or see your dentist (via TikTok).
