Menu
eMediHealth Logo
Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
eMediHealth Logo
Subscribe
No Result
View All Result

Home > Health News > 6 Surprising Benefits and Uses for White Toothpaste

6 Surprising Benefits and Uses for White Toothpaste

April 26, 2023
9 min read
By Sarita Sanke, MD | Dermatology

In this article:

  • Surprising Ways of Using White Toothpaste
  • What Kind of Toothpaste Should I Use to Clean My Shoes?
  • Final Word

Toothpaste is a must in everyone’s daily routine as an oral hygiene product to clean the teeth. It helps in sustaining your oral health by removing bacteria and food remains from the teeth. It also aids in concealing and preventing bad breath while also discouraging tooth decay and gum diseases.

surprising uses and benefits of white toothpaste
Advertisements

The surprising news is that, besides strengthening your oral health, toothpaste delivers a broad spectrum of other unordinary uses and benefits. Read on to know more.

Surprising Ways of Using White Toothpaste

Here are some unheard but handy uses of white toothpaste you may not know about.

1. Helps deal with acne and pimples

In one study, applying toothpaste topically was found to be the most effective in treating pimples in 10 human volunteers.

Advertisements

However, fluoride, which is added to most toothpaste formulations, can cause dermatitis in some people, so it’s best to use toothpaste with the lowest possible fluoride content or no fluoride at all.

Also, normal toothpaste is better than gel toothpaste because the former acts like a mask for oily skin. When applied to a whitehead pimple, it dries it out and absorbs the oil, whereas gel toothpaste does not have the same effect. (1)

Note: Based on research, using toothpaste as a treatment for pimples may not be effective for all types of pimples. It only works well for pimples that have already developed into whiteheads.

It may not be helpful for blackheads or pimples that are still just red spots. Using toothpaste on such pimples may actually aggravate the skin condition and cause more redness because it dries out the pimple, which can be harmful if the pimple is not yet ready. (1)

How to use toothpaste for acne and pimples:

  1. Cleanse your face gently with water and pat it dry.
  2. Take a pea-sized amount of white toothpaste and apply it to the affected area.
  3. Rinse it off with water after a few hours.
  4. Repeat for a few days till the acne is resolved.

2. Helps deal with insect bites and bee stings

white toothpaste can be used to deal with insect bites and bee stings

Some cases of insect bites and bee stings can result in a lot of distress. They can immediately present as redness, swelling, pain, and itching in the affected region.

There is an overload of conventional home remedies that have been recommended for insect bites and bee stings, and one of them is toothpaste, which can help resolve some of the symptoms. (2)

How to use toothpaste for insect bites and bee stings:

  1. Apply a small amount of white toothpaste to the affected region.
  2. Let it stay for a couple of hours.
  3. Rinse it off with water.
  4. Repeat, if needed.

3. Whitens nails

Experts explain how everyday use of nail polish can make your white and healthy nails look yellow, which can lead to dull-looking nails and hands and affect your confidence. They further suggest whitening toothpaste as a product or remedy for yellow nails.

This may be because of the presence of whitening agents in the toothpaste like hydrogen peroxide or activated charcoal.

Advertisements

According to research, it takes at least 7 days for hydrogen peroxide to show its whitening effects, so you need to be consistent with the remedy to see the results. (3)

How to use toothpaste for nail whitening:

  1. Apply a little quantity of white toothpaste to your nails.
  2. Let it stay on for around 10 minutes.
  3. Scrub your nails gently.
  4. Wipe away the toothpaste.

4. Helps deal with foot blisters

white toothpaste can help deal with pain from blisters

Toothpaste has drying properties, which make it fit for drying out and managing acne. (1) This property can also be helpful in dealing with the pain arising from blisters.

However, do not use toothpaste with a flavoring agent or fluoride as it can cause skin irritation.

How to use toothpaste for foot blisters:

  1. Apply a tiny amount of toothpaste to the affected area, i.e., the blister.
  2. Let it stay for a couple of hours or overnight.
  3. Rinse it off with water or wipe it off with a damp cloth.
  4. Moisturize and repeat, if needed.

5. Helps in polishing silver

When silver items or objects plated with silver come in contact with air or sulfur-containing things, they start to tarnish. This is because when silver combines with sulfur, it forms silver sulfide, which is a blackish substance.

Advertisements

So, as a thin coating of silver sulfide appears on the surface of silver, it darkens the silver and makes it look black.

Since toothpaste contains abrasives, it can help in making silver shine by rubbing off the silver sulfide. Abrasives are an important component of toothpaste because they give the toothpaste its cleaning power. (4)

Advertisements

How to use toothpaste for shining silver items:

  1. Mix your toothpaste with lemon juice and salt to form a paste.
  2. Use this paste to gently scrub and clean your silver items with an old discarded toothbrush.
  3. Rinse off the silver item with water and dry it using a clean cloth.

6. Removes stains from the skin and other common items

white toothpaste can also be used as a stain remover

Toothpaste keeps your teeth clean by removing the stains from your teeth. Recently, there has been progress in creating toothpaste that has other functions apart from just cleaning teeth. Some toothpaste formulations now can remove stains and calculus buildup. (5)

Toothpaste removes stains using chemical and physical stain removers. Chemically, whitening agents such as sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium lauryl sulfate, and PVP are effective in removing external stains, whereas silica acts as an abrasive agent that physically removes stains.

Whitening agents allow cleaning of hard-to-reach areas that may be missed by abrasives alone. (6) So, using toothpaste as a stain remover is a valid option backed by scientific evidence.

Removal of dye stains from the skin

Even when you’re extremely careful, you may stain your skin such as with hair dyes. To remove dye stains from your skin:

  1. Apply a reasonable amount of toothpaste on the stained region.
  2. Let it stay there for 10 minutes.
  3. Gently scrub and clean the stained region of the skin.
  4. Rinse the area with water.

Removal of mirror stains

To clean mirrors:

  1. Use a clean cloth to wipe the fog off the mirror.
  2. Rinse the mirror with water.
  3. Apply a little toothpaste to clean the surface of the mirror.
  4. Wipe away the remaining toothpaste with a damp cloth.

Removal of iron plate stain

To clean any dirt off the iron plate of your clothing iron:

Advertisements
  1. Rub toothpaste on the bottom iron plate.
  2. Scrub it all over the plate using a cloth.
  3. Let it sit for a few minutes.
  4. Wipe it away with a damp cloth.

Cleaning your sneakers

To clean your dirty sneakers:

  1. Put a little toothpaste on an old toothbrush.
  2. Use the toothbrush to apply the paste and scrub it on the dirty spots.
  3. Let the toothpaste stay on the shoes for a few minutes.
  4. Wipe it away with a damp cloth.
  5. Repeat, if needed.

Cleaning hair straighteners and curling irons

To remove the gunk coating from your heat-styling tools:

  1. Put a little amount of toothpaste on a cloth.
  2. Use this cloth to clean and wipe your heat-styling tools to tackle the gunk.
  3. Wipe with a damp cloth.

What Kind of Toothpaste Should I Use to Clean My Shoes?

To clean your shoes, you should try using non-gel whitening toothpaste.

Final Word

The very toothpaste that you employ in your oral hygiene routine to clean your teeth can be very useful in cleaning a lot of other things around the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and even closet.

Toothpaste is a gentle abrasive that can help clean a lot of surfaces, even shoes! This abrasive action of your toothpaste removes gunk and stains on many things.

Advertisements
References
  1. Anti-acne activity of toothpaste: An emerging pimple treatment – IJCPA. https://www.ijcpa.in/articles/antiacne-activity-of-toothpaste–an-emerging-pimple-treatment.pdf.
  2. Common questions and answers on Mosquito bites and Bee Stings – pestworld. PestWorld.org Your Partner in Pest Prevention. https://www.pestworld.org/news-hub/pest-health-hub/qa-with-dr-parada-on-insect-bites-and-stings/.
  3. Aydin N, Karaoglanoglu S, Oktay EA, Ersöz B. Determination of the whitening effect of toothpastes on human teeth. Odovtos – International Journal of Dental Sciences. https://www.medigraphic.com/cgi-bin/new/resumenI.cgi?IDARTICULO=104597.
  4. Pinzani IF. Chemistry is all around us project. https://chemistry.pixel-online.org/EP_home2626.html?id=02&tp=02.
  5. Vranić E, Lacević A, Mehmedagić A, Uzunović A. Formulation ingredients for toothpastes and mouthwashes. Bosn J Basic Med Sci. 2004;4(4):51-58. doi:10.17305/bjbms.2004.3362.
  6. Efficacy of Three Toothpastes in Iron Stain Removal from Primary Teeth. https://www.ijcpd.com/doi/IJCPD/pdf/10.5005/jp-journals-10005-1580.
  • Was this article helpful?
  • YES, THANKS!NOT REALLY
Spread the Love❤️
Advertisements
Advertisements
Advertisements

You Might Also Like

Nutrition

Turmeric: Nutrition and Benefits

By Laura Krebs-Holm, MS, RD, LD

Read more
Advertisements

Newsletter

Get our BEST updates delivered to your inbox:



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Categories

  • Nutrition
  • Wellness
  • Oral Care
  • Eye Care
  • Heart Health
  • Skin & Beauty
  • Women’s Health
  • Ear, Nose & Throat
  • Respiratory Health
  • Web Stories

Links

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Cookie Policy
  • Editorial Policy
  • Advertising Policy
  • Subscribe to Newsletter
eMediHealth

This site provides content for informational purposes only. The information provided is not intended for use as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. In case of a medical concern or emergency, please consult your healthcare provider.

This website is certified by Health On the Net Foundation.

Our Network: Little Extra

© 2019 eMediHealth. All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Nutrition
  • Skin & Beauty
  • Wellness
  • Yoga & Meditation
  • Women’s Health
  • Heart Health
  • Allergy & Immunology
  • Bones & Joints
  • Child Health
  • Digestive
  • Ear, Nose & Throat
  • Eye Care
  • Glands & Hormones
  • Health News
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Mental Health
  • Nervous System
  • Oral Care
  • Pain Management
  • Respiratory Health
  • Sleep Disorders
  • Urological Health
  • Web Stories

© 2019 eMediHealth. All rights reserved.