Other harmful whitening ‘hacks’ like rubbing your teeth with an orange

Who doesn’t want their teeth whitened? On the other hand, who wants to spend the time and money volunteering for an extra dentist visit? Luckily, Pinterest and TikTok have swooped in and offered an alternative. none That’s one of the better ideas.

don’t rub your teeth with orange peel

One of the most popular teeth whitening hacks these days says you should rub an orange peel on your teeth. Some versions also allow you to hack lemon peels or banana peels instead.

Orange peels are acidic, and some say it’s important to expose your teeth to citric acid to clean them. The only problem: Acid is terrible for your enamel. , saturating your teeth with fruit acids is not a good idea,” said a spokesperson for the American Dental Association. told USA TodayAcid can dissolve tooth enamel, which is actually irreversible damage.

Don’t expect coconut oil to whiten your teeth

Sprinkling melted coconut oil around your mouth is a traditional oral care routine called “oil pulling” that many swear by.this Can probably serve a similar purpose to mouthwashbut it does nothing magical and is not known to whiten teeth.

Don’t expect big results from peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is well known for its bleaching properties, and ultra-concentrated versions are commonly used for bleaching hair.It is also used in professional whitening products.

You can buy 3% hydrogen peroxide water at drugstores, so why not whiten your teeth with a toothpaste or rinse?Unfortunately, there is no evidence to support the idea that it is a safe and effective tooth whitener. can It does whiten teeth over time, but it takes a very long time to work and whitens very little. You may not notice the difference. )

Do not use strawberries and baking soda

There are many toothpaste recipes. Baking soda is used in some whitening toothpastes and, when used sparingly, is effective as a mild abrasive (scraping away stains).However please Do not mix baking soda with strawberries or other acidic fruits such as lemon juice or kiwi. Acid is bad for your teeth.

Do not make toothpaste with abrasives

If a little abrasive of baking soda helps whiten your teeth, it’s no surprise. more Abrasiveness should get your teeth even whiter. right?

You can probably guess what’s wrong with this logic. When it comes to shaving the tooth surface, more is not always better.Found a TikTok recipe to combine with baking soda lemon juice and salt,and brush your teeth with charcoal powder, both considered by dentists to be overly abrasive.American Dental Association pointed out Abrasive products can damage teeth more Thinning or removing enamel makes it yellow, and abrasive toothpastes can also damage the soft tissues of the mouth.

Of all the TikTok recipes, I have to admit my favorite. This one A woman combines several ingredients in her DIY teeth whitening hack. , eats the concoctions they made. “Thanks for looking at the tzatziki recipe!”