5 Things You Didn’t Know About Cosmetic Teeth Whitening

1. At-Home Whitening can be challenging

Local pharmacies and social media sites alike are drowning in at-home teeth whitening products. The issue is that the results are not always impressive. It’s all about the active ingredients, the method of application and the frequency, with many products simply falling short on all three accounts. Make sure to do your research and buy from a trusted brand with a long history of providing whitening products.

2. Knowing the Differences Between Stains and Discolorations

It is important to keep one’s expectations in line when considering your teeth whitening options. Stains can get removed through teeth whitening appointments, such as those provided by our Naturawhite trained business partners.

Discolorations on the other hand, cannot. A good way to look at this is; stains are usually caused by exposure to smoking, red wine, coffee and tea. Discoloration is caused by tooth traumas, age, and certain dental conditions.

If you are in doubt speak to our friendly and knowledgeable team first and we will be happy to help you to determine the right course of action.

3. Don’t Fall For Social Media Teeth Whitening Myths

If you are in doubt speak to our friendly and knowledgeable team first and we will be happy to help you to determine the right course of action.

4. Teeth Whitening Is Not For Everyone

If you have highly sensitive teeth, ongoing dental work, tooth decay or gum disease. It is not a good idea for you to seek cosmetic teeth whitening. The reason being that either the products will cause discomfort, or that the efficiency of the products will decline. Additionally it is not recommended for expecting mothers to seek teeth whitening treatments. Unfortunately not all teeth whitening distributors will inform you of this, which gives our industry a bad name.

5. Beware of DIY teeth whitening tips

As we mentioned earlier, social media crazes are rampant when it comes to teeth whitening. These ‘natural’ DIY tips can be at best harmless but ineffective, and at worst can be causing extreme long term damage to your teeth. Here are 3 tips we caution you to avoid:

Baking Soda Toothpaste: Toothpastes that contain the active ingredient bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) are easy to find. However this ‘tip’ advocates making your own at home. Whilst it is true that baking soda naturally whitens teeth the problem with this is that baking soda is an abrasive agent. Regular use, over time will weaken your enamel, resulting in tooth sensitivity and increase in dental cavities.
Lemons/lemon juice: citrus fruits are highly acidic and the logic behind this ‘tip’ is that the acid will remove the stains from your teeth. The truth is that whilst acid can help remove stains, this method does not take into account the concentration and duration that one should apply this strong acid. The result is that you can easily start to remove enamel, which is irreversible and can cause you to have sensitive teeth.
Coconut oil/oil pulling: Lastly we have this mainly harmless ‘tip’. The method requires one rinsing their mouth with an oil (usually coconut oil). It is rumored to “pull” stains out of the teeth, however this is not true and we imagine the experience is not a particularly pleasant one.