system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5 does whitening toothpaste actually work? if it does, how?

do the whitening ingredients work like bleach, white dye, or something else?
gpt
The majority of whitening toothpastes/strips all use hydrogen peroxide, or a form of peroxide mixed with an abrasive compound.  The abrasive compound polishes surface stains and the h2,02 in peroxide is a strong oxidizer which attacks the tiny stain particles stealing their electrons causing them to fall apart.