Thus, the stains are embedded in your enamel. Unlike the other whitening or bleaching procedures discussed on this site, whitening toothpastes do not penetrate the stain. Whitening toothpastes merely scrub away surface stains.

With the flood of whitening toothpastes on the market,

it's hard to know which one to choose - and if they even work at all. You already know that the yellow stains on your teeth are from years of ingesting discoloring foods.

Unfortunately, in the process of scrubbing

away the surface stains, whitening toothpastes are often scrubbing your enamel right away with it! Whitening toothpastes often contain harsh abrasives that take the enamel right off your tooth. If you're intent on using a whitening toothpaste, choose one with very little abrasives. They will do the same job (scrub away surface stains to reveal a whiter smile) - but do not mistake whitening toothpastes for a bleaching procedure in any way.