Let’s face it; most of us want whiter teeth. It seems easy enough that your first inclination may be to check online to see if there are any quick, do it at home fixes to make your smile whiter. Many of these DIY whitening solutions you find online or in magazines might seem ok because they tend to use natural ingredients that you can find in your kitchen. Don’t believe the hype. These DIY treatments can do more harm than good. Let’s debunk some of these teeth whitening myths.
Sucking On Lemons
A common DIY whitening technique that gets bandied around is using an acidic fruit, such as a lemon, and sucking on it for a prolonged period of time. The principle behind it is that the acid from the lemon will eat away at the discoloration. This is all-around false. Keeping an acidic food like lemons on your teeth for an extended time will actually wear down your teeth’s enamel, which is a thin outer coating that protects your teeth from cavities and tooth sensitivity.
Oil Pulling
Another common DIY treatment is swishing oils, such as coconut oil, in your mouth, otherwise known as oil pulling. Although this may not necessarily have any negative effects on your teeth, there has not been any reliable scientific proof that this technique actually does anything to whiten your teeth.
Activated Charcoal
It’s a myth that scrubbing your teeth with activated charcoal will make your smile whiter. In fact, it can actually make your smile appear even more discolored and also wear away at your enamel.
What’s not a myth is your dentist can provide you with an in-office whitening treatment using professional-strength fluoride gel that can give you a brighter smile after just one visit.
Whiten Your Smile Today!
Our dentists provide a number of cosmetic dentistry services to beautify your smile. Schedule an appointment today. Contact us at our local Austin, TX office at 512-250-9444.
