DIY Tooth Whitening
There are so many D.I.Y (do-it-yourself) ideas out there from making your own furniture to cutting your own bangs. Recently beauty experts have taken a "use what you already have" approach to brighten your skin, shrink your pores, and now even whiten your teeth. We've listened to your questions and have done some research and here is our stance:
Fruit & Baking Soda
Many people have the idea that because it's natural it must be safe. Thus came the idea of using acidic fruits such as lemons and oranges (or the essential oils of) and applying them directly to the teeth, or mixed with an abrasive agent like baking soda and rubbing into the teeth. It is true that this can whiten your teeth at first, but it is done at the expense of your enamel. The acidity actually etches the enamel causing it to appear whiter. The next step is it can actually etch off or destroy the enamel exposing a yellow appearance of the dentin.
Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal, traditionally found in air filters and in hospitals to treat poison victims, is increasingly being marketed to whiten your teeth. The American Dental Association has found no evidence to support this claim. Furthermore, this ingredient is highly abrasive and can cause more harm than good when used on a regular basis.
Spices/Oils
Coconut oil "pulling" and brushing with tumeric has also become a fad in tooth whitening. Both of these products have natural antiseptic/antimicrobial properties. The American Dental Association has found no research to support that they whiten teeth. However, we see no reason to believe they would do any harm either.
AP 24 Toothpaste
This is a new toothpaste on the market sold and distributed by a multi level marketing company. It does contain fluoride which we like, however it is very abrasive. We recommend Pronamel at our office. It has RDA (relative dentin abrasion) score of 34. This Ap24 has a RDA of 70-80 (although some independent testing score it at a 108). This means that it does give the appearance of whiter teeth initially by scouring the enamel, but can scratch the enamel leading to more staining and sensitivity. It does NOT have the ADA seal of approval which we do recommend when looking for a new toothpaste.
-Dr. Tomei's Office-
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1-734-261-7555