There’s a new toothpaste called “AP-40.” What do you know about that?

Dr. Jackson: It is a new whitening toothpaste that is being marketed frequently on social media websites. The biggest thing to be aware of is that the dental community doesn’t know much about it. It is a whitening toothpaste, and they do not disclose all of the ingredients or how it is effective. It is something that I would not recommend for patients to use. The reason being is that dentists don’t know what type of effects it has on people’s teeth.

From what I understand out there, just from what has been put on social media, there are some mineral oxides in it. What they do is attach to your teeth, and they are white in appearance, so they make your teeth appear whiter. However, they can also be very abrasive so, as you’re brushing your teeth, they can abrade the enamel. We don’t really have any studies to say if it’s too abrasive for your teeth.

If people are interested in any type of whitening, I would recommend something that’s approved by the ADA or the American Dental Association and has the ADA seal on the package. Those are products that have been tested. We know that the effects are not something that’s going to be harmful to your teeth, not something that’s harmful to the enamel, or something that could cause scratching or irreversible damage to your teeth.