Lemons for Teeth Whitening

We answer a lot of questions about DIY Teeth Whitening. We’re not the only ones. I had a peer recently point out a blog that was answering dental questions and they had someone ask about whitening your teeth at home with lemons. I won’t share the blog, because while some of the information was good other parts were incorrect, but I will address the question in case some of you wondered about something similar.

One thing the blog got correct was that any whitening effects were going to only be temporary, but the were wrong about why. The first thing you should know is that lemons, as citrus fruits, contain citric acid. This causes a problem with your teeth. The blog said it was because the citrus thins the enamel. This isn’t quite accurate. If repeatedly used, yes, it will thin the enamel, the same way that someone who is bulimic will end up with thinned enamel because of the acid in their vomiting.

What does make it temporary is two-fold. One, the citrus only gives it the appearance of whitening because it has an etching effect which can give it a frothy appearance. It’s the etching that is the real problem. This will make it much easier for your teeth to pick up stains.

Another issue with the blog post was that it said the citric acid in the lemon would kill bacteria, which they claimed is what made the teeth whiter. Stains on your teeth don’t come from bacteria. They come from pigments in food and drink. Some food and drink are more likely to stain your teeth than others. As for the bacteria, toothbrushing removes plaque, which contains bacteria. You should be doing that already.

If you want to upgrade your smile, there are safer and more effective ways to do that. If all you need is to whiten your smile, professional teeth whitening is your best option for a couple of reasons:

• Professional teeth whitening gel is MUCH stronger, which allows you to whiten much faster. Even the over the counter options that work will require so many treatments that you’ll almost certainly end up paying more.
• You are under the care of a dentist so you are safer than people who aren’t. They will make sure you don’t have any exposed parts of teeth which put you at risk of irritation or worse. I know of one case where a woman with a compromised tooth ended up needing a root canal treatment while using Crest Whitestrips.

If you want to change more about your smile than just their color, you can have porcelain veneers done. These can change as much about your smile as you want. In addition to the color, it can change the shape, size, and character of your teeth, giving you a stunning smile. It’s the procedure those Hollywood celebrities go to for their smile makeovers. You will need a expert cosmetic dentist for veneers though, not just a family dentist.

This blog is brought to you by a gentle dentist in Naples, Dr. Andrea Cameron. Click here to learn about our holistic options.