Just like we have fad diets, there are also many dental fads out there.
If you ask our dentists in Armadale, the best way to look after your teeth is with regular brushing, flossing and a healthy diet.
And if the goal is to restore your teeth to their shiny white state, calling our team for teeth whitening in Armadale is the way to go.
That said, we understand why these dental fads are taking off. Who wouldn’t want a quick and easy way to whiten their teeth, or restore them to their former glory?
There’s nothing wrong with wanting the best possible results for your teeth – dental health is very important, after all.
However, it’s equally important that you choose remedies and supplements that actually work, and which don’t end up harming your teeth!
In particular, you’ll want to be wary of…
Activated charcoal
Activated charcoal toothpaste. It’s everywhere now, popping up in hamburger buns, makeup face masks and increasingly, in dental care products.
Purported to be highly absorbent and porous, the idea is that activated charcoal binds to toxins and odors, helping to lift them.
It’s thanks to this quality that activated charcoal has made its way onto store shelves in toothpaste, teeth whitening kits or even standalone.
But how well does it actually work?
For starters, there’s not much in the way of evidence supporting charcoal’s ability to whiten teeth.
What’s more, some suggest that charcoal may actually have the opposite effect!
Charcoal is an abrasive substance. It’s coarse, with a tough texture, which can damage teeth by wearing down the tooth enamel.
It gets worse: according to some research, charcoal may penetrate the enamel and reach the dentin underneath. This results in your teeth developing a grey shade – the exact opposite of what you want.
Our verdict: avoid
Hydrogen peroxide
Many take-home teeth whitening kits use hydrogen peroxide as their primary ingredient – in fact, it’s the substance that our dentists in Armadale use during in-chair teeth whitening procedures.
As such, many have taken to using hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash, or creating a hydrogen peroxide-baking soda paste and applying it to their teeth.
However, just because dental professionals use it doesn’t mean you should try and cut out the middleman by drenching your teeth in the stuff!
When using hydrogen peroxide in whitening kits or in-chair whitening, it’s crucial that we get the perfect dilution.
That’s because hydrogen peroxide is highly corrosive – after all, hydrogen peroxide is one of the main ingredients of bleach.
Improper usage can damage your gums, or cause irritation in your mouth, while using mixtures with a higher concentration can also wear out your enamel layer. Finally, accidentally ingesting stronger mixtures can also result in stomach upsets.
Our verdict: avoid (unless part of a reputable whitening kit, or in-chair whitening treatment at your Armadale dentist)
Oil pulling
Oil pulling is an ancient technique, that’s been traced back thousands of years to ancient folk medicine in the Indian subcontinent.
The idea is simple: by swishing a tablespoon of coconut oil around your mouth, you’ll help sweep away or dissolve bacteria in your mouth. Some preliminary studies suggest that oil pulling could possibly reduce plaque (just remember, it’s still early days).
However, we weren’t able to find any evidence suggesting that it can help whiten your teeth.
Not to mention, there’s also a “proper technique” you’ll have to employ if you want to see results. Additionally, many proponents of the oil pulling method also recommend swishing it around in your mouth for 20 minutes.
20 minutes… at that stage, it would be easier to just brush normally!
Our verdict: harmless, but probably not worth it
Using fruit to whiten your teeth
If you ask us, everybody should be eating more fruit.
Using fruit to whiten your teeth however? That’s not something we recommend.
If you’re active on Instagram, you’ve probably seen this one pop up from time-to-time. The logic goes as follows:
- Take some strawberries
- Put them into a bowl with some baking powder
- Mash them together to create a paste
- Brush like normal
Others suggest using orange or lemon as improvised whitening strips, using the logic that acidic nature of these citrus fruits will cut right through tooth stains.
The truth is, there’s little evidence supporting the strawberries-as-toothpaste technique.
Additionally, the acids in citrus fruits can be extremely damaging.
Depending on how long you apply them to your teeth, you could accidentally – say it with us – damage the enamel exterior of your teeth.
Plus, it’s a waste of perfectly good fruit!
Our verdict: avoid (and just eat fruit normally!)
Our final verdict: want teeth whitening? Leave it to the professionals!
Call our dentists in Armadale for whiter teeth
If the goal is whiter teeth – and frankly, who wouldn’t want a shinier smile? – then you need to get in touch with Dental Care Group.
In addition to general dentistry, our dentists in Armadale can also help you enjoy a shinier smile with our teeth whitening procedures.
We offer a range of effective teeth whitening techniques… and unlike these dental fads, our cosmetic procedures work, and are completely safe.
If you’re interested in learning more about our teeth whitening techniques, get in touch with our team today.
Call our Armadale dentists on (03) 9509 1500, or click here to book an appointment.
