About 82.5% of people said they saw a major difference after getting their teeth whitened by a dentist. However, people will often try different at-home remedies to make their teeth whiter. If that means brushing your teeth more often and avoiding black coffee, that's great! However, a dentist from Washington is warning that a popular DIY teeth whitening cure may be more harm than help.
Dr. Larry Kuhl from Delta Dental of Washington says that many people are using charcoal to make their teeth crisp and white. He says that charcoal has been around for many years, but has recently made its way into the beauty market. Body washes, soaps, facial cleansers, and plenty of other beauty products now include charcoal, which can be a great ingredient when used correctly.
Charcoal scrubs and toothpaste promise to rid your teeth of built-up stains from red wine, tea, and coffee. Dr. Kuhl says that yes, charcoal may whiten your teeth, but only temporarily. He also says that applying charcoal to your teeth is risky as it can cause the enamel to wear off over time.
Dr. Kulh suggests that anyone looking to try this treatment at home should consult their dentist prior to application. For those who have been using charcoal as a teeth whitener for a while now, Dr. Kulh warns they should stop what they're doing and reach out to an actual dentist for further approval.
Along with charcoal, essential oils are fast becoming another popular home remedy for oral health. Millions of people now use essential oils every day for household needs, dietary needs, and now, even oral health needs.
The concept of using essential oils to help your teeth is simple. Take a few drops and add it to your toothpaste. Essential oils are said to help with inflammation of the gums, decrease plaque build-up, relieve bad breath, and even improve blood flow. You're supposed to take the toothpaste and oil mixture and get to brushing.
Of course, your mileage with these home remedies will vary, and dentists can't guarantee that this DIY treatment is safe. However, Dr. Kulh does note that even though he can't say for sure, he does see some potential benefits from mixing essential oils with toothpaste.
Dr. Kuhl spoke with Q13 Fox about the potential benefits of using essential oils for oral health.
He says, “You have the mint which is an essential oil and that would control the bacteria of bad breath. It could also help control some of the bacteria in the plaque which helps produce decay and periodontal disease,” Dr. Kuhl said.
That being said, cosmetic procedures are usually performed in the safety of a doctor's office or medspa for a reason. If you're attempting a DIY teeth whitening procedure, proceed with caution.
I have always been leary about essential oils and I have heard so many people say that they are NOT safe for ingestion despite the fact that so many people do ingest them.
It’s definitely better to have your dentist give you the options instead of doing things yourself. There’s nothing better than having a specialist help you take care of your teeth, of course.
I love essential oils, but only a high quality brand, Young Living. There are only a couple of brands that are actually safe for consumption, and YL is one of those. (nope, don’t sell it, only buy it!) We use EO’s for a lot of different reasons because we’ve seen how they work on our family. However, I would never use them in place of something else, unless they worked better than something else.
DIY teeth whitening has always freaked me out. It just seems like something a dentist should do. Now I am all for oil pulling but that’s about it. I am always on the fence about consuming EOs.. I like them but I have heard a lot of negative about consuming them
Um…. charcoal? That just sounds crazy! People will try anything. I’m not really on the essential oil train either, but at least I get why people try that.
These are really useful tips! I agree that it’s not always safe to try a new beauty procedure.
I am so glad to hear you shouldn’t try these things! I am so weird with putting things on my teeth, it worries me that I am going to mess up my teeth more!
Oh dear… I see so many crap pins on pinterest saying bicarb soda and soda water can magically whiten your teeth! I’ve used whitening toothpastes over the years with little success, and I recently tried oil pulling although it didn’t do anything for the whiteness of my teeth. Then, I got a take home whitening kit from my dentist and my teeth are white and shiny like new. It’s always a good idea to go with the profressionals!
I’ve heard of people using activated charcoal for teeth whitening. But I’ve never heard of using essential oils. You have to be so careful with essential oils because not all of them are actually safe to ingest.
It is important to reduce the risk of cavities and so make sure your whitening toothpaste has some sort of preventative treatment, too. Great post. I am going to check my whitening toothpaste for charcoal.
messing with my teeth really scares me. I’ve always since the day I got my first tooth had issues with my teeth so I try to brush, floss and rinse… and leave the rest to the professionals!
Love this post. I am not big on store bought teeth whitening products because of the chemicals involved. These seem like a much safer option.
I know so little about essential oils that I could not trust myself to try anything like this at home. Thank you for the cautions!
I have never thought of using essential oils in my toothpaste. I am interested in teeth whitening so good tip on the charcoal.
At home whitening treatments, whether DIY or purchased, can be very bad for your teeth and gums. I’m glad to see more dentists speaking out about them. I have tried the Charcoal treatment at home but I don’t do it everyday, only when I feel I need a little extra cleaning. it does make some difference but nothing dramatic, which is fine by me because I don’t want my teeth to look like Chicklets.
I want to whiten my teeth but it’s def not on the top of my to-do list. Thanks for the info!
I have always felt a little weird about the DIY teeth whitening hacks! I’ve never actually used essential oils but everyone swears by them!
I had no idea that charcoal whitening could wear away the enamel. I like the sound of using essential oils to whiten my teeth as I have always wanted whiter teeth!
Never been a fan of home remedies to whiten your teeth. Enamel polishes work really well with the dental whiteners, and I do like the sound of the essential oils.
You can search DIY whitening and get so many different suggestions and ideas. It’s good to know that many of these if not all are not a good idea to try. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve used a charcoal teeth whitening product in the past, but I did plenty of research of the brand and product before using it. You have got to be so careful what you use these days, and like you say it is important to consult with professionals.
I would never do something like this on my own with a DIY treatment. Stuff like teeth whitening should be done only with professional assistance.
I have come across so many DIY tooth whitening remedies and have been tempted to try. But, I am too scared about the enamel being worn away to commit to anything like that.
I actually have doubts about these DIY teeth whitening tricks seen all over the world of internet and yes, good thing, I saw this!!
This is an excellent post! So many are using charcoal for different beauty reasons and I haven’t read anything negative about it before this. I have very sensitive teeth and always have cavities. I can’t imagine how much worse that would be if I rubbed off enamel!
I would love to be able to whiten my teeth and get the amazing results you see in the photo above. My mother took antibiotics for bronchitis when she was pregnant with me and one of the side effects was that they stained the upper part of my teeth.