Natural Tooth Whitening Ideas From Dr. Jorgensen

Natural Tooth Whitening

Who wouldn’t like a whiter smile?  And if it could be done without chemicals or damaging your teeth, all the better!  That’s what Natural Tooth Whitening is all about.  This is a topic that is full of debate and opinion, so let’s talk about some facts and pros and cons of the different whitening methods you can choose from.

Why do teeth darken in the first place?  There are two very different causes.  The first is staining inside the tooth.  After years of eating dark foods, these stains get deeper into the tooth and don’t come off with brushing.

The second cause is a little harder to correct.  Each tooth has two layers – the outer enamel that is see through, and the inner dentin that has the color.   If the enamel thins from acid erosion or tooth wear or even just use, the dentin is more visible.  This is why people say their teeth get more yellow as they get older. 

Now that you understand why teeth darken, the whitening solutions will make more sense.

Natural Whitening methods:

1. Activated charcoal – this is a crazy way to whiten your teeth – brush them with black charcoal!  The charcoal absorbs the stains and whitens the teeth over time.

2. Oil pulling – The procedure is to put 1-2 T of oil in the mouth and swish around for 15 minutes.  This “pulls” bacteria and stains out of the teeth

3. Hydrogen peroxide or baking soda for brushing – Both baking soda and hydrogen peroxide work to alkalize and oxidize, but work better when allowed to sit on the teeth.  When brushing, the contact time isn’t very long, so the effect may be minimal.

Professional Whitening methods:

1. Most professional whitening is done with Hydrogen or Carbamide Peroxide gels.  The gel stays in contact with the tooth so it works for a longer time and has more effect.  The biggest caveat is the strength of the gel.  The higher concentration of peroxide, the faster the whitening, and the more sensitivity potential. 

2. Whitening lights – I don’t recommend boosting whitening with lights because it works faster and can lead to a lot of tooth dehydration and sensitivity.

 Strengthening the enamel will make the teeth appear more white.

1. Remineralization – rebuild the enamel with herbal horsetail and homeopathic cell salts.

2. Strengthening -  Add Vitamin D3 and K2 to pull calcium into the teeth.

With all of these options, you should be able to find a whitening method that you feel good about for a brighter smile!