Lemon for Teeth Whitening
Could I whiten my teeth at home with lemons?
Karen
Dear Karen,
Please don’t do this. Lemon is a citrus fruit, which contains a lot of citric acid. While there are videos talking about how lemon will whiten teeth, what they do not tell you is that the acid etches the enamel on your teeth, permanently damaging them.
The etching on the teeth, will mean your teeth will pick up stains much quicker, which is the opposite effect that you are likely going for.
If you want to whiten your teeth safely and effectively, I recommend you do it with a dentist. There are over-the-counter teeth whitening products that will work. Their only real downside is that they are not very strong. Because of that, you will have to do many kits to get the same amount of whitening you would get with your dentist.
This blog is brought to you by a Douglas, AZ Dentist Dr. Gilberto Tostado.
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Whitening Teeth with Household Bleach
Is there any reason why I could not use regular old household bleach to whiten my teeth? I could dip my toothbrush in it and brush or gargle it around my mouth. It seems like a much more affordable option than what they do at the dental office.
Brent
Dear Brent,
Please don’t do this. It is actually a very bad idea. Even though we call it teeth bleaching, dentists do not actually use bleach. Instead we use a specialized peroxide gel. Bleach, including household bleach, is a strong base. If you remember some of your basic chemistry from high school, you will know this is very corrosive, like Lye.
In fact, it is so corrosive that dentists sometimes use it during a root canal treatment. The active ingredient in bleach is sodium hypochlorite. This can be used to dissolve and clean out all the dead, organic debris from inside the cleaned-out root, while simultaneously disinfecting the area.
If it can eat away and dissolve tissue inside a tooth, imagine what damage it could do to the outside of your tooth along with your soft tissue. Additionally, if bleach comes in contact with certain other chemicals, it reacts in a way that turns it into a chlorine gas, which is toxic.
Your safest way to whiten your teeth is through a dentist with professional strength teeth whitening gel. Not only can they effectively whiten your teeth, but they use special custom-fit trays that will protect your gums and other soft tissue in your mouth.
This blog is brought to you by Douglas, AZ Dentist Dr. Gilberto Tostado.
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