Sydney dentist sheds light on weird and wonderful whitening hacks
If you did a quick Google search for whitening hacks, you’d be greeted with a long list of miracle cures and professional treatments. With so much information around, it can be difficult to know what’s right and what’s likely to be rubbish. Given the demand for bright, white smiles, Sydney cosmetic dentist, Dr Luke Cronin has shed some light on some of the weirdest and most wonderful whitening techniques.
Dr Cronin started by talking about the trend that is sweeping social media, using charcoal toothpaste. Endorsed by numerous celebrities on sites like Twitter, the manufacturers of charcoal toothpaste claim that it possesses incredible whitening and stain removing properties. In reality, Dr Cronin believes that it’s impossible to rate this treatment as a high performer because there is very little evidence to back up the claims, and there are also fears about the safety of using charcoal toothpaste, as it may be too abrasive for the enamel.
Oil pulling is another technique made famous by celebrities, but it is actually an ancient Ayurvedic technique. The theory is that swishing oil around the mouth draws out toxins and cleanses the mouth. Dr Cronin isn’t sold on the idea, but said there are no known harmful effects, so if people want to try it, they shouldn’t experience any adverse reactions.
Another trend Dr Cronin has been left unconvinced by is using fruit peels to remove surface stains. The idea is that rubbing skins onto the teeth eliminates stains. Although using banana skins to clean the teeth may not be harmful, Dr Cronin has warned against using lemon or lime skins due to the acidity.
In short, it would seem that most of the fads aren’t going to set the world of modern dentistry alight and the advice from dentists is to make use of proven professional treatments.
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