There’s no lack of home remedies for how to get whiter teeth on the internet. However, did you know that many popular methods 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 ask our Troy, MI, cosmetic dentist about the safer alternative: professional teeth whitening.
In the meantime, here are 4 natural whitening myths that can actually harm your smile.
Myth #1: Delicious Fruit Safely Whitens Teeth
While eating fruit is good for your health, rubbing fresh fruit (or the peels) over your teeth and letting the juice sit there for longer periods of time to make them brighter is not the smartest move. Fruits used for this method are naturally acidic and often include lemons, oranges, or pineapples. These acids can in turn 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.
Learn More → 7 Common Causes of Sensitive Teeth
Combining lemon juice and baking soda also does not safely whiten your teeth. Unlike toothpaste, baking soda is abrasive and will wear away your 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 to strengthen enamel and pursuing teeth whitening treatments inside our Troy, MI, dental office to properly 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 local cosmetic dentist to learn more about our in-office teeth whitening, like , and at-home whitening trays.
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 purposes.
There’s no scientific evidence proving activated charcoal is among the safe or effective ways to whiten teeth. 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 choose to undergo teeth whitening procedures.
First, we recommend that you schedule an appointment so we can figure out what is best for you. We proudly offer a few different options so the sensitivity level of your whitening treatment depends on how sensitive your teeth are.
Our teeth whitening 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 its 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. First, start by practicing a routine where you brush your teeth twice a day, floss once daily, and optionally, swish with an anti-cavity mouthwash.
You should also see our dentist for a professional 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 prevent 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, teeth 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 Today
Our , can help you brighten your smile the right way. To request an appointment for a consultation and learn more about any of the options we offer, call Mosaic Dental today at (248) 528-2270.
This blog post has been updated.
Teeth Whitening