Can I Whiten My Teeth With Lemons
Posted by Annmarie SanSevero
I’ve been looking into all the uses of lemon. It says they work for household cleaning, even nasty microwaves, deodorizing, an ant repellant, lightening your hair, and teeth whitening. It is the teeth whitening I wanted to ask you about. Would I use the juice or the rinds? I am getting mixed instructions from articles online, so thought I’d just go straight to a dentist to ask.
Camille
Dear Camille,
I am glad you wrote. There is no end of advice you can find on the internet. Some of it is useful, but most of it… well, let’s just say you have to be very discerning. A friend and I were talking about the internet just the other day. They were around when the internet first came into existence. It was originally developed for scientists around the world to be able to corroborate and share ideas and results. Back then, getting something from the internet carried authority. Today, not so much.
This is one of those ‘not so much’ categories. Lemons are citrus fruits, which means that they will contain citrus acids. This will etch the enamel on your teeth. While that might cause the teeth to look a bit whiter at first, the damage done by the etching will actually cause your teeth to pick up stains much more often after that.
If you’re just looking for something to do yourself without going to the dentist, there are over-the-counter whitening products that will work, though they are much weaker than what you’d get with professional teeth whitening, so expect it to take a LOT longer.
If you’re not opposed to professional care, you have two great options to get your teeth whitened. The first is just teeth whitening with your dentist. You can get amazing results quite quickly. This is ideal if all you are hoping to change is the color of your teeth. A second option is porcelain veneers. However, this is only useful if you want to change more about your smile than just the color. Veneers are a complete smile makeover and can change the shape, size, and color of your teeth. They are much more expensive, though, so if whitening is all you’re really after, go with the simpler procedure.
This blog is brought to you by Franklin, TN Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Christopher Weber.
