Home Remedies vs. Professional Treatment
Homemade teeth whitening remedies seem to be pretty trendy at the moment. Celebrities like Catherine Zeta Jones and famous T.V. doctors, like Dr. Oz, have all endorsed their own solutions to stubborn stains. Strawberries and baking soda, lemon juice and baking soda, just plain baking soda have all been touted as cost-effective ways to brighten your smile and skip that pesky trip to the dentist’s office.
They are cost-effective, no doubt about that. But are they worth your time? I suppose it never hurts home remedy teeth whitening to try, but if you want professional results, be prepared to see a professional. Celebrities and T.V. doctors aren’t dentists, so we might need to exercise some discretion when it comes to accepting home remedies as proven methods for a professional smile. The jury is still out on the effectiveness of some of these applications.
Dr. Oz’s lemon juice and baking soda concoction could actually do more harm than good. Lemon juice is highly acidic and, even though this is what is breaking up the stains, it can make your enamel more porous. This effect combined with the abrasiveness of baking soda can leave your teeth feeling rough (probably not what you’re going for). Dr. Oz even says that if you leave it on for more than a minute that you can damage your teeth.
I guess the moral here is to take celebrity advice and home remedies at face value. It’s worth trying, and it might even work. But it might not. If you’re really concerned about the shade of your pearly whites, go consult a dentist and discuss your options. A qualified dentist will provide much better advice for your dental health, complete with a range of possibilities to fit your budget.
Click here to learn more about Salt Lake City teeth whitening.
