Popular Teeth Whitening Myths - Dana Walters DDS Hilliard Ohio

Everyone wants a beautiful smile. One of the signs of a great smile is healthy, white teeth. Many people constantly search for ways to make their teeth whiter. However, when it comes to teeth whitening, there are a lot of myths that continue to circulate. With that being said, here is a look at some popular teeth whitening myths.

You Just Need Whitening Toothpaste For White Teeth

While there are ingredients in whitening toothpaste that could make your teeth whiter, the chemicals must be in constant contact with your teeth. You’ll have to brush your teeth for a substantially long period of time before you see any results. Whitening toothpaste can definitely help maintain white teeth, but they have shown to have a minimal impact on whitening teeth. They can’t make a drastic change overnight.

You Can Use Baking Soda

It’s true – baking soda can remove stains from your teeth. However, baking soda can also damage your tooth enamel. Research has shown that baking soda can impact the bacteria in your mouth, which could cause plaque to build up. So, we wouldn’t recommend using this method often.

Crowns Can Whiten In A Similar Manner To Teeth Whitening Procedures

Getting a crown can make that tooth appear whiter, but your dentist will usually try to match the color of your crown to your existing teeth. So, we would recommend whitening before getting a crown or filling to ensure that it matches your already-white teeth.

Strawberries Can Whiten Teeth

Strawberries contain the necessary acid to help get rid of plaque that causes your teeth to become discolored. However, strawberries do not have the necessary bleaching ingredient to change the color of teeth. You should also be aware that consuming too much acid from strawberries and other fruits may damage tooth enamel.

You Can Use A Homemade Gel

Using a homemade whitening gel can cause damage to your teeth. Remember that the materials that you are using were not designed for tooth whitening specifically. There are specific concentrations and rations of hydrogen peroxide and other chemicals used in professional teeth whitening products. You can’t just guess what ratio to use to achieve the same result and in doing so, you may damage your teeth or gums. We recommend getting a safe whitening gel from your dentist that he or she can give you with custom-made whitening trays for the best results.

The Whitening Process Is Permanent

The brightening impact of teeth whitening may last for years, but your teeth will also age as you do. Teeth can become discolored due to age, foods and drinks, lack of good oral hygiene, and other factors. While professional whitening treatments give you great results, your teeth may still begin to turn yellow as you age. However, you can slow down the process by avoiding different foods and drinks and maintaining good oral health routines at home.

Banana Peels Can Whiten Teeth

Banana peels can remove surface stains, but they cannot whiten your teeth. If you do this often without proper oral care, they could actually cause your teeth to rot because of the amount of sugar in them!

Lasers Sometimes Used During The Whitening Process Are Dangerous

The instrument often used is actually a safe LED light that is the catalyst for the bleaching products applied to your teeth. This light helps penetrate the teeth and make those chemicals work faster. Research has shown that laser treatment allows people to see whitening results in a quicker amount of time compared to other alternatives.

Everyone Can Go Through The Whitening Process

Children should not go through the whitening process. Whitening will not fix other oral health issues you may have, such as gum disease, and we would not recommend it for people that need to fix more serious dental problems first. There are other treatment methods that may benefit you and help your teeth last that we may initially recommend instead of going through the whitening procedure. For healthy teeth, however, whitening is a great option we would recommend if you want a brighter smile!