Teeth Whitening Facts—Beyond Fruits

A concoction of strawberry and baking soda is believed by many to be an effective teeth whitening solution. While it’s true to certain degree, a recent study now shows otherwise. It cannot give you the same kind of result that a teeth whitening treatment by a cosmetic dentist can give. The failure is attributed to the concoction’s lack of hydrogen or carbamide peroxide, the key ingredients in tooth whitening products.

Other fruits believed to have teeth whitening properties, like apples and lemons, also do not contain hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide, which would suggest that they would be equally lacking in effectiveness as teeth whiteners. It was revealed that the citric acid content of strawberry may reduce teeth hardness by 10 percent, because of its corrosive effect.

While the whitening agents hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide may also have erosive effects, their concentration in teeth whitening products are not high enough to cause serious damage. According to the American Dental Association, dentists whiten teeth with hydrogen peroxide at concentrations between 25 and 40 percent. Approved over-the-counter whitening products have around 10 percent carbamide peroxide or 3.5 percent hydrogen peroxide.

A cosmetic dentist is trained to determine how much of these ingredients a patient's teeth may need, and how to apply the solution without the risk of causing more damage. Additionally, the kind of treatment you can get from dental offices whitens teeth from the inside, thus getting rid of stains that may have formed on teeth’s inner layers.