Can Banana Peels Whiten Your Teeth? Exploring DIY Whitening Treatments

Want to have whiter teeth but aren’t sure about professional teeth whitening?

If you scroll the web for more than 10 minutes, you’ll probably find thousands of articles with DIY whitening techniques like banana peels.

These methods promise great results at a fraction of the cost of whitening treatments. Moreover, a lot of DIY whitening methods use natural ingredients, which at first look like a safer alternative than professional whitening.

In this article, our local dentist will go over some of the most common DIY whitening treatments and whether they have any actual effect on your teeth. 

How Does Professional Teeth Whitening Work?

Whitening treatments use bleaching agents such as peroxide to break down the molecules that cause stains on the surface of your teeth.

When your enamel is exposed to these products, the stains are removed and the tooth color is lifted a few shades, depending on how many sessions you take part in.

After whitening, it’s common to experience some heightened sensitivity, though the discomfort usually goes away by the next day. Professional tooth whitening is completely safe because it’s closely monitored by your dentist.

DIY Teeth-Whitening Hacks: Do They Work?

There is a lot of fiction about DIY teeth-whitening hacks. Here are some of the most common ones and what they can do for your teeth: 

• Banana peels: Rubbing banana peels won’t remove stains or whiten your smile, but it can remove some minor stains or debris from your teeth. However, brushing your teeth will have the same effect.

• Baking soda: As a mild abrasive, it can remove some mild stains, which is why it’s present in a lot of toothpaste. You can use it on its own, though the experience isn’t pleasant, and overusing it could hurt the tooth enamel.

• Oil pulling: Swishing some oil in your mouth won’t actually whiten your teeth. But it most likely won’t damage your oral health either, though it will be far from pleasant.

• Charcoal: Like baking soda, it’s a mild abrasive and can remove minor stains. But you might be better off using toothpaste formulated with charcoal rather than using it on its own to avoid being too harsh on your enamel.

• Hydrogen peroxide: This is an ingredient commonly found in professional whitening solutions. But the hydrogen peroxide you purchase over the counter is very diluted, so don’t expect any major results.

Whitening Your Teeth in Sunbury

If you want an effective and safe way to whiten your teeth in Sunbury, DIY hacks are not your first option.

Instead, you can see our Sunbury cosmetic dentist Dr. Katelyn Miller for an appointment to access professional whitening solutions that can give you the results you want.

Conveniently whiten your teeth at home with a professional kit or stop by Shine Dental for in-office sessions; it’s up to you.

Schedule a consultation online or call us at (740) 936-3083 to find out more.