
“Do-It-Yourself” Teeth Whitening
The widespread desire for whiter teeth in today’s society combined with internet culture has given rise to several DIY whitening methods. You can easily do a quick search on the internet and find tons of ‘promising’ Hollywood like smiles from supposed DIY tooth whitening methods. While some of these tricks might seem like great life hacks, often these ‘recipes’ are more for disaster rather than success.- Oil Pulling – Oil pulling is a folk remedy and while in some cases it has been effective in slight degrees, there is no scientific evidence or consistent track record to back up its claim for health benefits, especially when it comes to whitening teeth.
- Lemon Juice – Lemon juice is probably one of the worst ideas we have seen in terms of teeth whitening as you are essentially brushing your teeth with strong citric acid. Any acid is harmful to your teeth, but a strong acid such as lemon juice applied directly to your teeth will strip your teeth of its protective layers and enamel. Tooth enamel is highly vulnerable to acids and enamel loss is permanent. We strongly urge you against this method as it can cause permanent damage to your teeth.
- Activated Charcoal – Activated charcoal has been exceptionally popular recently and though it may absorb stains and toxins from your teeth, there are strong debates on its brightening qualities. Charcoal is an abrasive substance that might scrape away enamel as it removes stains from your teeth leaving them in a dangerous position. Hold off on buying any products that are not ADA approved and do not try to make your own mix.
- Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide – These two household products can often be found in pantries or medicine cabinets in most homes. This DIY method came from the idea that because hydrogen peroxide is used in professional whitening methods and baking soda is a common ingredient in many ADA approved toothpaste, that combining the two would be a safe option in terms of removing stains/whitening teeth. While both are used in ADA products and procedures, that does not mean they are safe chemicals to apply directly to your teeth unsupervised.