There’s no lack of home remedies for teeth whitening on the internet. However, did you know that many of the popular remedies you see on social media (like activated charcoal) can actually wear away your enamel?
Once you lose enamel, it’s gone for good, which is why it’s important to always ask our teeth whitening dentist in about safe ways to whiten teeth. Continue reading to learn the 3 myths about natural teeth whitening that can actually harm your smile.
Myth #1: All Household Staples Safely Whiten Teeth
While eating fruit is good for your health, you should never allow acidic fruit juice to sit on your teeth for prolonged periods of time. The acid in lemons and other fruits can wear away the outer layer of your teeth called enamel.
Enamel not only makes your teeth appear white, but protects the sensitive layer of dentin underneath. Once you wear away the enamel, you’re more vulnerable to tooth sensitivity and decay.
Lemon juice and baking soda do not safely whiten your teeth. Unlike toothpaste, baking soda is abrasive and will wear away your tooth enamel over time. Likewise, lemon juice is too acidic to sit on the surface of your teeth. You’re much better off using fluoridated toothpaste approved by the American Dental Association to strengthen enamel and whiten teeth.
Since lemons are highly acidic, it’s difficult to know how much baking soda is needed to cancel out the acidity of the lemon juice. Rather than risking your oral health, we highly recommend scheduling an appointment with our Troy, MI teeth whitening dentist to learn how to safely whiten teeth.
Myth #2: All Natural Substances Are Healthy
Activated charcoal is a black powder made of peat, olive pits, coconut shells, slowly burned wood, and other natural ingredients. However, it’s important to remember that “natural” doesn’t always mean healthy.
For example, tobacco is natural and known to cause lung cancer. Activated charcoal hasn’t been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or the American Dental Association for .
There’s no scientific evidence proving activated charcoal is safe or effective for teeth whitening. In fact, using abrasive scrubs can actually wear away the protective outer layer of your teeth and reveal the yellow dentin beneath. Once this happens, your teeth will actually look yellower, not whiter. You want to whiten your tooth enamel, not scrub it away.
Myth #3: You Can’t Whiten Sensitive Teeth
This one goes out to everyone with sensitive teeth. Maybe you’re thinking, “I want to whiten my teeth but they’re really sensitive. What should I do?” Don’t worry, you too can have your teeth whitened.
First we recommend that you schedule an appointment so we can figure out what options are best for you. There are a lot of different options so the sensitivity level of your whitening treatment depends on how sensitive your teeth are.
Your dentist may lean more towards a peroxide, a fluoride, or a potassium nitrate (an active ingredient in Sensodyne) based treatment, but these aren’t the only options. Hydrogen peroxide is a common ingredient in whitening treatments used for it’s oxidizing ability. However, peroxide is the main suspect in whitening sensitivity making it an unlikely candidate for sensitive teeth whitening.
Myth #4 Oil Pulling is Effective
Oil pulling is the practice of swishing a teaspoon of edible oil (typically coconut) around your mouth to achieve white teeth. While proponents claim that oil pulling helps remove the bacteria responsible for plaque and tartar, there’s currently no evidence to support this theory. While anecdotes can be compelling, they don’t replace scientific evidence.
It’s important to understand that many factors affect teeth whitening, such as smoking, eating staining foods, and neglecting oral health. While it may appear that oil pulling helps whiten teeth, the difference could be due to something simpler like reducing how much coffee you drink.
What’s the Best Way to Whiten Teeth?
It’s much easier than you think to maintain healthy white teeth. The American Dental Association recommends you brush your teeth twice a day and floss once daily.
You should also see our Troy, MI dentist for a teeth cleaning and oral examination at least every 6 months. Following these recommendations will help remove plaque and tartar from the surface of your teeth, which helps your smile stay white.
Limit coffee, tea, and other staining foods that could dull your smile. You should also avoid using tobacco products to avoid staining your teeth over time. In the end, good oral hygiene habits make the best home remedies for whitening teeth.
We understand the appeal of whitening your teeth from the comfort of your own home, which is why we often recommend custom teeth whitening trays for our patients.
Unlike abrasive scrubs you can concoct in your kitchen, custom whitening trays have been proven to effectively whiten teeth without destroying your enamel. We also offer in our office for noticeably whiter teeth in one appointment.
Request an Appointment
Dr. Kelly M. Giera is a teeth whitening dentist in Troy, MI. To request an appointment for GLO teeth whitening, or to learn more about our custom whitening trays, call Mosaic Dental at (248) 528-2270.
Teeth Whitening