A big part of cosmetic dentistry is teeth whitening. In March of 2006, Colgate announced a new teeth-whitening product, Colgate Visible White, available to patients only through dentists. Colgate claimed that their product whitened teeth in three days. The trays are to be worn 30 minutes, once a day. A trendy, handy kit and mint or melon flavors appeal to consumers. One kit has 12 days worth of product, and touch-up kits have 6 days worth. But does it work?
According to the original press, "It is scientifically formulated to prevent dehydration of the teeth and it has a neutral pH for safe whitening. Colgate Visible White is formulated with potassium nitrate and fluoride and is available in 5%, 7% and 9% hydrogen peroxide (comparable to 17%, 23% and 30% carbamide peroxide respectively.)"
A study at the University of Puerto Rico-MSC, School of Dentistry Research Center compared Colgate Visible White with Opalescence (20% carbamide peroxide) in a 14-day, double blind study. The results? "Colgate Visible White provides a statistically significant tooth whitening improvement over Opalescence after 5 and 7 days; both products have a similar whitening effect after two weeks of use."