Dentist on why teeth whitening at home is dangerous

Procedure that harms teeth

The dentist explained that certain procedures promise to make your teeth whiter and brighter, but in reality, the opposite happens.

In her opinion, these tricks cause more harm than people realize. In some cases, the damage can be permanent.

"If you use lemon juice, baking soda, charcoal, or anything else that's abrasive to your teeth, it actually makes your teeth more yellow," Manouchehri said.

She explained that the idea behind using an abrasive element – essentially a homemade polish – is that it's supposed to remove stains from your teeth. However, while that might be your intention, these chemicals often have a different effect.

Why is teeth whitening harmful?

Temporarily, it might work a little. But this abrasive element is so active that it can remove the surface enamel along with the stains.

Enamel is the whitest part of the tooth. Below it is dentin, which naturally has a more yellow color. Wearing down this enamel exposes the dentin, which gives an undesirable yellow hue. Beyond appearance, exposing dentin can also lead to tooth pain.

Tooth enamel cannot regrow, as there are no living cells in enamel. That's why dentists emphasize the importance of strengthening and preserving what you already have on your teeth.

The safest thing you can do is to get your teeth professionally whitened by a dentist.

"I know it’s an investment of time and money, but you’ll get predictable, safe results, and you only need to do it once. So honestly, just go to your dentist for professional teeth whitening, and you’ll be grateful," the doctor concluded.

This material is for informational purposes only and should not be used for medical diagnosis or self-treatment. Our goal is to provide readers with accurate information about symptoms, causes, and methods of detecting diseases. RBС-Ukraine is not responsible for any diagnoses that readers may make based on materials from the resource. We do not recommend self-treatment and advise consulting a doctor in case of any health concerns.