Who doesn’t want dazzling white teeth without spending a
fortune at the dentist? Especially when you can spend next
to nothing to get them sparkling white? Old wives’ tales?
Well, according to websites devoted to the unlikely fruits,
spices and oils which promise to give you a knock-them-
dead smile at a fraction of the price dentists charge. This
is not so far fetched. But as for Dr.Uchenna Okoye, a
clinical director at London Smiling Dental Group, a bit of
caution is advised before you make your teeth worse than
they are. He then gives his opinion on the various ‘wonder
cure’ for yellowing teeth.
Strawberries: Claim - Mash up a ripe strawberry, dip your
toothbrush in it and brush carefully over teeth. Within two
weeks, your teeth will be whiter.
Dentist’s Verdict: True - Strawberries contain citric acid,
which can weaken the surface hardness of your teeth. But
it also contains the more gentle malic acid, and the riper
the strawberry becomes, the higher the concentration of
malic acid compared to the more harmful citric acid. So
choose a really ripe strawberry, rub it on your teeth and
just like exfoliating the skin, it does remove superficial
debris. The malic acid won’t actually break down the stain
molecules, but the surface clean gives your teeth a whiter
appearance. A gentle and effective natural whitener.
Orange Pith: Claim - The white part of the orange skin,
between the surface and the flesh of the fruit, contains a d-
limene, which can help remove stains from your teeth after
using it for three weeks. Peel the orange, keeping as much
of the white pith as you can. Rub the white part of the peel
over your teeth, and let the juice sit on your teeth for three
to five minutes. Brush your teeth thoroughly to clean away
pulp and peel, and after several weeks the chemical will
have whitened the appearance.
Verdict: False - The advice I give all my patients is to be
very wary of fruit juices and drink them with a straw (if
they have to drink juice at all). So this claim goes against
every piece of advice and scientific evidence I can think of.
The citric acid within the orange causes tooth enamel to
dissolve. This erosion can lead to tooth decay, and once
the erosion has reached the soft, inner layer of your teeth
known as dentine, you’ll experience sensitivity and pain.
Avoid.
Banana Peel: Claim - High levels of potassium, magnesium
and manganese in bananas can help remove stains from
teeth. Simply peel a ripe banana, and rub your teeth with
the insides of the peel for about two minutes. After three
weeks, your teeth will have whitened.
Verdict: True - If you rub the skin, it can act as a gentle
exfoliator and will remove some surface stains, but the
banana will not reach the inside the pores on the surface of
your enamel - so no true ‘deep’ clean will take place.
However, I like the idea that you can eat a banana and give
your teeth a quick healthy buff before running off to a
meeting.
Cider Vinegar: Claim - Rinsing with apple cider vinegar
(mixed two parts of water) will make teeth whiter and
protect teeth and gums from bacteria.
Verdict: False - Cider Vinegar is a favourite of ‘detox’
devotees. Once swallowed, it mixes with pancreatic
secretions in the intestines and turns alkaline, but when it
hits your teeth, it is an acid, albeit a weak one. This makes
the enamel on your teeth less resistant to damage - like
wetting a chalk and then scraping off the surface. A low
acid level - such as the malic acid in strawberries - won’t
harm your teeth. But this will buff away a deeper layer of
enamel, and should be avoided.
Coconut Oil: Claim - A 3,000-year-old Ayurvedic way to
clean teeth is to swish a tablespoon of oil (usually coconut,
sesame or olive oil) around your mouth for 20 minutes
every morning. The coconut oil sticks to the oil in the cell
membrane of any bacteria in your mouth, so when you spit
it out, you are ridding your mouth of unwanted micro-
organisms. Used by stars including Gwyneth Paltrow, who
claim it whitens teeth and improves complexion.
Verdict: False - There is no scientific evidence at all that
‘oil pulling’ as it’s called, will whiten teeth, or even remove
bacteria. It’s possible that the act of swishing the oil
around your mouth will dislodge some bacteria or debris,
so followed by a careful brushing session, your teeth may
look cleaner. But no science shows that oil pulling will
make your teeth any whiter.
Bicarbonate of Soda: Claim - Bicarbonate of soda is a mild
abrasive which effectively removes stains on teeth caused
by coffee, red wine and tea. In a cup, mix half a teaspoon
of bicarbonate of soda with half a teaspoon of water, mix
to form a paste, dip your toothbrush into the mixture and
brush teeth for one to two minutes. After just a few days
you will notice a difference.
Verdict: True - Bicarbonate of soda - otherwise known as
baking soda - is somehow considered natural but it is
actually a chemical, and used commercially in some teeth -
whitening products and toothpastes. It does effectively
remove plaque and debris in the surface of the teeth to
make them appear brighter, and it also can neutralise
bacteria/acids in the mouth. But it is an abrasive
compound and, as such, will damage the enamel
protecting the teeth if used too much. Try it three times a
year to lift those surface stains, and to avoid damaging the
enamel, use your finger to rub it on or a flannel.
Lemons: Claim - Suck on a slice of lemon for several
minutes each morning, or rinse your mouth with lemon
juice squeezed into a glass of water. The acid from the
lemon will deep-clean even the tiniest of molecules lodged
in your teeth.
Verdict: False - Lemons have such a high concentration of
citric acid that their juice is acidic enough to corrode
enamel. Lemon juice has no place in the mouth at all.
Lemons are more acidic than vinegar. Far from whitening
your teeth, they’ll dissolve them away. I have seen patients
who such lemons and are left with the imprint of a lemon
slice on their teeth - requiring bonding and veneering to
cover it up. Avoid this at all costs - it is the same as
bathing your teeth in a glass of cola.
So which is best? Strawberries beat them all hands down!
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