Are You Who doesn’t want a beautiful, white smile? If a wedding or a high school reunion is on the horizon, whitening your teeth is likely a top priority. The internet is full of seemingly miraculous and inexpensive do-it-yourself life hacks that promise to improve your smile. But before you jump on the BuzzFeed bandwagon, let us save you some regret. Be sure to avoid these “amazing,” but actually harmful, DIY whitening tricks.
Using These Dangerous DIY Whitening Tricks?
Whitening Toothpaste Yes, even “official” home whitening methods can cause more harm than good. Whitening toothpaste erases extrinsic stains and discoloration caused by tea, wine, coffee, smoking, and other bad oral habits. However, whitening toothpaste works by literally scrubbing away the stains with tiny abrasive particles. In addition to the stains, this toothpaste also scratches off your enamel. And once your enamel is gone, it doesn’t grow back. So, what are you supposed to do if you’re longing for a brighter set of pearly whites? Give us a call! We can recommend in- office and over-the-counter treatments that can help whiten your teeth without destroying them in the process.
charcoal may be able to whiten your teeth to some degree, the abrasive substance can easily damage your teeth and gums, leading to enamel deterioration and tooth erosion.
Strawberries Many beauty blogs recommend using strawberries to whiten teeth. Ran Kwon, a teeth-whitening researcher at the University of Iowa, decided to
put the claim to the test. In her research, Kwon determined that while brushing with a strawberry mixture might remove superficial debris and plaque, it has no real whitening effect. In fact, the malic and citric acid found in strawberries actually erodes teeth and can reduce surface hardness by up to 10 percent.
Charcoal Not to be mistaken for the bricks you toss on the barbecue, activated charcoal has the uncanny
ability to absorb toxins. Found in everything from
hand soap to face masks, charcoal even made its way into toothpaste. But in reality, dentists warn against scrubbing the black stuff all over your teeth. While activated
A Sweet Way to End the Year Support Our Troops With Operation Gratitude
Cavity-Free Club Winners for the quarter! Congratulations, Olivia and Graham! They each received $25 gift cards.
As 2017 drew to a close, Briarfield Dental teamed up with Operation Gratitude, an organization that sends care packages to our servicemen and women currently deployed overseas. Our Candy Buyback program in early November 2017 was organized to give our patients the opportunity to support this great cause by donating their leftover Halloween candy. With your help, we collected 126 pounds of candy to be sent in care packages. During the event, we took pictures, played games, held contests, and provided supplies for kids to make their own cards for service members. In addition to the candy, we also received 64 wonderful thank-you cards to be sent along with the care packages. A special congratulations to Isabelle, who won our drawing after donating her candy. Isabelle won a Crest Vitality Power Toothbrush gift set! Since Operation Gratitude first began in 2003, they have sent over 2 million care packages to active duty members (as well as their children), first responders across the country, vets, and wounded heroes. We were honored to be a part of such a noble endeavor. Thank you to everyone who helped make our candy buyback such a fun, successful event. It was a great way to end 2017, and we look forward to doing even more good in 2018!
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