Wanting whiter teeth is an easy way to freshen up
your appearance and even make you look younger. More people are looking
for a natural approach to dental care and may try out some "natural home
remedies," many of which have been passed down from generation to
generation. With the invention of commercial toothpaste between 1800 and 1850,
Americans concerned with dental health and whiter smiles had their first
"go-to" product. In the 1960s, years of studying the element fluoride
yielded another significant advance with cavity-fighting and
teeth-whitening fluoride toothpastes.
And,
in the 1980s, another
important step forward was taken -- recently stabilized hydrogen
peroxide formulas meant that true whitening toothpastes could be
developed and then sold to a public eager for whiter, brighter smiles.
In the 1990s and 2000s, extremely effective whitening systems based on
carbamide and hydrogen peroxide formulas became available to the public.
Now, whitening systems based on this formula continue to innovate at a
very fast rate.
Even with a wide variety of teeth whitening
toothpastes and wildly popular whitening kits, strips, lights, and
other procedures, some people are still turning to those so-called home
remedies, primarily for budgetary reasons. But do they really work? And
more importantly, could they actually be dangerous?
1. Whitening Teeth With Lemon Juice
Some
people advocate brushing or rinsing with lemon juice to whiten teeth,
but lemon juice is actually citric acid and can harm teeth, causing them
to lose calcium
(which gives teeth some of their off-white color). Once calcium is
lost, it’s irreplaceable. Lemons have a pH of 2.3, which is very low.
The lower the pH, the more acidic it is. If you put lemon juice directly
on your teeth, it starts causing damage immediately. It is quite common
for dentists to deal with tooth destruction caused by people sucking on
lemons.
And combining lemon juice with baking soda -- sometimes
also recommended -- is another bad idea. Not only will the acid of the
lemon juice (which has been shown to dissolve actual bone) leech calcium from teeth, the baking soda will erode tooth enamel with the potential to cause permanent damage.
2. Whitening Teeth With Strawberries
This
is another "home remedy" purported to help whiten teeth, but can be
dangerous. Strawberries get their power to brighten teeth from ascorbic acid
-- and acids are harmful to teeth. If someone chooses to brush with
strawberries, they should be sure to brush their teeth immediately
afterwards with fluoride toothpaste, and then floss.
3. Whitening Teeth With Apples
Whitening
your teeth by crunching on an apple? While apples have plenty of
wholesome and healthy attributes, whitening your teeth safely isn't
among them. Apples are fine as a snack, but not as a substitute for oral
hygiene like brushing and flossing. And any brightening that might
occur is the result of an apple's slight amount of naturally-occurring
malic acid -- only you’d have to eat so many apples to see any
difference that you’re running the risk of acid-based damage again.
4. Whitening Teeth With Baking Soda
Baking soda
won't bleach your teeth, but it can remove plaque, as it is an
abrasive. Be warned, though -- because of this abrasive quality, if you
use baking soda too frequently, it will damage tooth enamel. Most
commercial toothpastes will remove stains as effectively as baking soda,
and do so without the side effects or risks.
5. Whitening Teeth Using Wood Ash
Can
you believe some folks claim that brushing your teeth with wood ash
from your fireplace is a safe way to whiten teeth? The reason wood ash
whitens teeth is because it contains potassium hydroxide, also known as
lye. Only hard wood ash contains significant concentrations of potassium
hydroxide; soft wood ash does not. Whitening with wood ash is
dangerous. The harshness of the potassium hydroxide could significantly
damage your teeth over time.
6. Brushing Teeth With Sea Salt
Some
folks also advocate the use of a paste or a "rub" of sea salt, combined
with water or even an acid, such as cider vinegar, to whiten teeth. The
use of abrasive compounds along with the acid-based vinegar will
probably brighten teeth a bit, but no more so than a commercial
application. Plus, with repeated use of the salt/vinegar paste, you will
experience tooth damage through decay or increased sensitivity.
7. Be Safe, Not Sorry
The primary reason you should avoid whitening home remedies is that they're subject to misapplication. There are no formulas or procedures created to assure safe usage, so there's a real risk of severe and permanent tooth or gum damage. No dentist reviews your oral health before you begin to use them, so there's no way of knowing how any specific home remedy would affect your particular teeth or gums.
On the other hand, companies spend thousands of hours testing their commercial teeth whitening products and methods to determine a standardized application protocol that's safe for most people. Additionally, when you choose a teeth whitening method that requires dental supervision, you can be sure your dentist will evaluate your dental health before proceeding, adding a second level of care and caution to prevent damage or discomfort.
Since people have been trying to whiten their smiles for thousands of years, there are undoubtedly hundreds of goofy and implausible concoctions designed to do the job. Happily, we live in the 21st century, where reliable and affordable answers can be found in every drug or grocery store. So, do yourself a favor -- head for the dental care aisle and stay away from the fruit section.
The primary reason you should avoid whitening home remedies is that they're subject to misapplication. There are no formulas or procedures created to assure safe usage, so there's a real risk of severe and permanent tooth or gum damage. No dentist reviews your oral health before you begin to use them, so there's no way of knowing how any specific home remedy would affect your particular teeth or gums.
On the other hand, companies spend thousands of hours testing their commercial teeth whitening products and methods to determine a standardized application protocol that's safe for most people. Additionally, when you choose a teeth whitening method that requires dental supervision, you can be sure your dentist will evaluate your dental health before proceeding, adding a second level of care and caution to prevent damage or discomfort.
Since people have been trying to whiten their smiles for thousands of years, there are undoubtedly hundreds of goofy and implausible concoctions designed to do the job. Happily, we live in the 21st century, where reliable and affordable answers can be found in every drug or grocery store. So, do yourself a favor -- head for the dental care aisle and stay away from the fruit section.
Dr. Claudio A. Sorrentino
