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Want a whiter, brighter smile? Skip the natural teeth whitening methods featured on social media and schedule an appointment with our cosmetic dentist in South Bend, IN. Unlike many DIY methods, professional teeth whitening won’t scrub away your enamel and leave you with sensitivity.
Here are the top three . If you have any questions about teeth whitening, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our dental office in South Bend, IN. We’d be more than happy to help!
Myth #1: Activated Charcoal is Safe for Your Teeth
Activated charcoal is a black powder containing peat, olive pits, coconut shells, and slowly burned wood. While these are all natural ingredients, that doesn’t mean that they’re safe for whitening your teeth. In fact, neither the American Dental Association nor the US Food and Drug Administration have approved activated charcoal for teeth whitening.
Abrasive scrubs tend to wear away your enamel, which is the white outer layer of your teeth. When this happens, your teeth will start to look yellower and will feel more sensitive to heat and cold.
The bottom line is that there is no evidence showing that activated charcoal or other scrubs are safe or effective to use on your teeth. Our recommendation is to consider our teeth whitening services in South Bend, IN.
Myth #2: Lemon Juice Won’t Damage Enamel
Searching for a natural solution to dental whitening? Eating fresh fruits can help improve your diet and overall health. However, we don’t recommend that you let acidic fruit juice sit on your teeth for an extended period of time.
Acid will wear away the enamel with prolonged exposure. Once you lose enamel, you may notice more tooth sensitivity to heat and cold. You’ll also have a higher risk of cavities.
Lemon juice has a pH of about 2, which makes it very acidic. Baking soda, on the other hand, is very basic with a pH of about 9. However, this doesn’t mean that baking soda completely neutralizes lemon juice in a DIY whitening paste. It’s very difficult to calculate the correct ratio of acid to base. The result is often permanent damage to the enamel.
Our advice is to avoid using . Try our teeth whitening treatment instead!
Myth #3: Oil Pulling Works for Teeth Whitening
There is no evidence that shows that swishing oil around in your mouth is effective for teeth whitening. For this practice, people generally use sunflower oil, sesame seed oil, or coconut oil. However, regardless of the type of oil you use, you’re not likely to experience any improvement in the whiteness of your smile. For the best results, we recommend scheduling an appointment with our teeth whitening dentist.
Schedule a Teeth Whitening Appointment
Dr. Michael Gasko is an experienced . He’s also accepting new patients and would be more than happy to help you explore your options for cosmetic dentistry. To schedule a teeth whitening consultation, please call Select Dental Associates at (574) 232-8888. You may also fill out our online contact form and someone from our team will reach out to you soon.
This blog post has been updated.
