Is it possible to use lemons or lemon essential oils to whiten your teeth? I’ve been looking at ways to whiten my teeth at home without having to use the Zoom Machine that my dentist has. It makes your teeth super white and I am looking for something more subtle and natural because of my age. I’m going on 72.
Penelope
Dear Penelope,
The problem with using any type of lemon product for whitening your teeth is that it will contain citric acid. If you rub it on your teeth, it will etch them. While it may make the teeth look a little whiter by removing some surface staining, this will only be temporary. That is because the etching damages the surface of your enamel, which will cause the teeth to pick up more stains. In fact, I recommend not brushing immediately after drinking a citrus drink for that very reason. You will grind the acid into the enamel with your toothbrush. If you must brush immediately after, do yourself a favor and swish some water around in your mouth in order to neutralize the acid first.
The safest way to whiten your teeth is with professional tooth whitening through your dentist. While it is true that Zoom Whitening will get your teeth very white, it is not your only option. There are take home bleaching trays that you can do.
Your dentist will custom fit the bleaching trays to your exact bite and provide you with professional strength whitening gel to wear in them. If you don’t want your teeth very white, that is no big deal. You simply wear the trays until you get to the level of whitening you are comfortable with. Once you reach the level you wanted, you simply stop wearing the trays.
It is hard to get a precise color, but you can get close. If you are looking for something precise, you could get porcelain veneers. These can be made to any color you want. However, they are more designed for complete smile makeovers. Porcelain veneers are fantastic if you want to change more than just the color of your teeth, such as the shape and size. However, if all you want to do is whiten them, veneers would be overkill and way too expensive.
This blog is brought to you by Marietta Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.