5 Natural Teeth Whitening Myths
Many people desire a bright, white smile, but everyday foods and drinks often lead to stains and widespread . While countless DIY and natural teeth-whitening remedies are circulating online, it’s important to ask: are these methods safe or proven effective? Unfortunately, though they are enticing, many can harm your enamel and lack approval from trusted organizations like the American Dental Association. If you’re considering teeth whitening, consulting with our Canton cosmetic dentists is the safest and most reliable option.
To help you navigate the myths, here are 5 common misconceptions about naturally and how these practices can impact your dental health.
Myth #1: Activated Charcoal is Safe for Teeth
Activated charcoal, a fine black powder made from natural materials like coconut shells, olive pits, and burned wood, has become a trendy ingredient in DIY whitening treatments. However, just because it’s “natural” doesn’t mean it’s safe or effective for teeth whitening.
For instance, tobacco is also natural, yet it’s a well-known cause of lung cancer. Similarly, activated charcoal hasn’t been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the American Dental Association (ADA) for teeth whitening. Scientific studies have not proven it to be a safe or effective way to brighten your smile, making it a risky option.
A Better Choice → A Guide to Understanding Professional Teeth Whitening
One major issue is that activated charcoal’s gritty, abrasive texture may temporarily remove surface stains, but it can also erode the enamel, the protective outer layer of your teeth. Unlike other parts of your body, enamel cannot regenerate once it’s worn away. This damage can expose the yellowish dentin layer beneath the enamel, causing your teeth to look darker rather than whiter. Even worse, thinning enamel increases your risk of tooth sensitivity and decay.
Instead of relying on unproven methods like activated charcoal, consider safer, more effective options like professional teeth whitening. Our cosmetic dentists can recommend an procedure or customized take-home teeth whitening trays designed to brighten your smile without damaging your enamel. These proven methods use our dentist-approved formulas that target stains while protecting your teeth, ensuring long-lasting and safe results.
Myth #2: Lemon Juice & Baking Soda Won’t Harm Enamel
While fruits like lemons are great for your overall health, allowing acidic fruit juice to sit on your teeth can have serious consequences. The acid in lemon juice, and other citrus fruits, can erode the enamel—the protective outer layer of your teeth—leaving them more susceptible to staining, sensitivity, and decay.
Learn More → Causes & Remedies for Sensitive Teeth
It’s a common misconception that you can safely whiten your teeth with a mixture of lemon juice and baking soda. While baking soda may temporarily scrub away surface stains, its abrasive nature can gradually wear down your enamel, similar to sandpaper on wood. Combine this with the high acidity of lemon juice, and you have a recipe for serious enamel damage rather than a brighter smile.
Another issue is that determining the right balance of lemon juice and baking soda to neutralize the acid is nearly impossible. This makes it even riskier to experiment with such DIY methods. Instead of relying on unapproved, untested remedies, using a fluoridated toothpaste approved by the American Dental Association (ADA) is a much safer option. Fluoride helps strengthen your enamel while gently whitening your teeth.
Our local cosmetic dentists can also walk you through the teeth whitening treatments that we offer inside our Canton, MI, dental office so you don’t have to risk your oral health with abrasive and acidic DIY trends.
Myth #3: Oil Pulling is 100% Effective at Whitening Teeth
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 solid evidence to support this theory.
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.
Myth #4: Sensitive Teeth Cannot Be Whitened
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 will work 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.
Our dentists 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 .
Myth #5: Strawberries & Other Fruits Can Help Bleach Teeth
A common natural whitening myth is that rubbing strawberries, citrus fruits, or other acidic fruits on your teeth can brighten your smile. Proponents claim the natural acids and enzymes in fruits help dissolve stains and lighten the color of teeth. While this may sound appealing, it’s far from safe or effective.
The truth is that the high acidity of fruits like strawberries, lemons, and pineapples can erode your enamel over time. As mentioned above, enamel is what gives your teeth their natural shine and white appearance, and once it’s damaged, it cannot regenerate. If you’re looking for a safe and effective way to achieve a brighter smile, professional teeth whitening is the answer.
A dentist-supervised teeth whitening procedure uses specially formulated, proven products that target stains without harming your enamel. For added convenience, take-home teeth whitening kits prescribed by our dentists provide the same level of care and safety, allowing you to brighten your smile outside of the office.
Healthy Teeth Whitening Habits
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 dentists for teeth cleanings and oral examinations at least every 6 months. Following these recommendations will help remove plaque and tartar from the surface of your teeth, which helps you keep a white smile.
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 often recommend custom teeth whitening trays because we understand the appeal of whitening your teeth from the comfort of your own home. Custom whitening trays are proven and effective teeth whiteners that don’t destroy your enamel, unlike those harsh scrubs you can put together in the kitchen.
Schedule a Teeth Whitening Appointment
Do you want whiter teeth? Our experienced cosmetic dentists in Canton, MI, are accepting new patients. To learn if you’re a candidate for teeth whitening, call Hometown Dental today at (734) 667-4941 or contact us online.
This blog has been updated.