Desember 05, 2011

Natural Teeth Whitening

There is a good deal of information on "natural teeth whitening" out there. Some of these teeth whitening home remedies are downright dangerous to your teeth while others may be worth your time. The most common of these home remedies are detailed below.

lemons are bad for teeth whiteningLemon Juice

Brushing teeth with lemon juice, or rubbing the peel across the teeth, is one of the most frequently mentioned ways to whiten teeth naturally. Unfortunately, it is also one of the worst.
The way lemon juice works (if you can call it that) is by robbing your tooth enamel of calcium from the citric acid in the juice. Not good, considering that teeth will decay much faster without the right amount of calcium. Lemon juice can also strip away the tooth enamel until it is damaged beyond repair. Lemon juice for teeth whitening…not a good idea.Strawberries
Another fruity remedy (forgive the awful pun), involves mashing strawberries into a pasty pulp and brushing your teeth with them. This tastes nice, but may be almost as harmful as lemon juice for the same reasons. Strawberries also contain acid, and the seeds can damage your gums or even your teeth if you brush too hard. If you do chose to use strawberries for teeth whitening, be sure to brush your teeth or rinse your mouth shortly afterwards.

Crunchy Vegetables

Vegetables such as celery, carrots, broccoli, and cucumbers are naturally abrasive and act like little toothbrushes that scrub away stains.

Wood Ash (Lye)

The potassium hydroxide found in hardwood ash is a bleaching agent and will whiten teeth. A popular home remedy is brushing with the wood ash on a regular basis. Potassium will harm the enamel in your teeth over time and this has to taste awful. It's best to stay away from this one.

Baking Soda

The process of brushing teeth with a baking soda and salt mixture has been around for a long time, and for good reason. It can actually be effective in removing stains, especially with the help of peroxide. Baking soda will also help to kill bacteria which causes plaque, and reduce acids which can harm tooth enamel.
Baking soda is safe to use and easily obtained. If you do use a baking soda mixture, brush gently around your gums so you don't irritate them.

Peroxide

Gargling with peroxide is said to whiten teeth. This is true to some extent, but keep in mind that over-the-counter peroxide is not nearly as concentrated as the peroxide found in effective teeth whiteners.
The popular peroxide remedy has you brush your teeth normally, swish peroxide around your teeth, and then rinse with water. This is safe, however it may irritate the gums and cause tooth sensitivity over time.

Baking Soda & Peroxide Combined

This may be one of the best home remedies for teeth whitening and regular tooth maintenance. Dr. Paul Keyes, founder of the International Dental Health Foundation, has a mixture which many people seem to find helpful. You can find it Here. The mixture recipe is located at the bottom of the page.

The Bottom Line

While natural teeth whitening remedies are inexpensive and the ingredients are easy to come by, most are completely ineffective, take too much time, and can be downright dangerous to your teeth. If you want painless, dramatic results, your time would be better spent on a proven whitening product.

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