Thinking about teeth whitening, but scared to make the commitment? You’ve heard about whitening toothpaste, foods that can whiten teeth, and seen viral videos of people using LED devices to whiten their teeth.
But in our world of exaggerated claims and marketing hype, how do we know which of these methods work?
Here at Zenyum, we’ve made it a mission to debunk these misleading teeth-whitening myths – and get down to the truth of the matter.
Sit back and get your fill of some of the craziest myths about teeth whitening.
Myth 1: Whitening toothpastes are super effective for whitening teeth
A friend was having lunch with a few friends one day in the corner of a cosy Italian restaurant when they started talking about which whitening toothpaste was the best.
To her horror, they began comparing their smiles to see who had the whitest teeth.
At that moment she had never felt so self-conscious about her teeth.
The next day, she got a new whitening toothpaste.
Two weeks later, she scrutinised her smile in the mirror. Sure, her teeth were slightly whiter, but she didn’t see a significant difference.
In fact, dentists say most whitening toothpaste include mild abrasive substances that remove surface stains on your teeth.
However, they do not whiten the internal structure of your teeth.
Even if these whitening toothpastes contain hydrogen peroxide, an ingredient that you can find in gels used in professional teeth whitening, it is present in low concentrations and doesn’t come into contact with your teeth long enough to be effective.
Moral of the story: Don’t listen to everything people say.
People who care about white teeth might also be using whitening strips or go for teeth whitening at a dentist regularly.
Correlation does not equal causation.
Myth 2: Yellow teeth are unhealthy
While plaque can make your teeth more yellow, your teeth aren’t unhealthy just because they’re yellow.
Some people naturally have thinner enamels that allow dentin in your teeth to show through. And dentin is yellow.
“Whaaaat? Then why do people pick on yellow teeth so much?”
Long story short, white teeth are commonly portrayed in the media as the be-all and end-all of a beautiful smile.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go for teeth whitening.
Having healthy, white teeth can go a long way to improving your confidence and getting people to take you seriously.
If you’re one of those people who never smile with their teeth in photos because you feel incredibly self-conscious, investing in teeth whitening can do wonders for your self-confidence.
Myth 3: Brushing with salt can whiten your teeth
Sometimes the people who love you the most can hurt you the most. We know someone who shall be known as X. One day, her mother put a container of salt on the bathroom sink, and said,
“Your teeth are very yellow. You need to start brushing your teeth with salt.”
Ouch, mum.
After spending a ridiculous amount of time in front of the mirror questioning whether she had lost friends or romantic prospects because of her teeth, she decided to test this out.
Guess what? There is no scientific evidence that brushing with salt has any whitening effect on teeth.
Salt does remove stains from teeth because it works as an abrasive, but you might be destroying your teeth because salt can wear away the layer of enamel.
Enamel protects your teeth from bacteria, so if it is worn away, bacteria can get in and cause tooth decay and cavities.
Remember this: Enamel does NOT grow back.
Myth 4: Strawberries, oranges and lemons can whiten your teeth
This is another surprisingly popular natural teeth whitening remedy.
If you do a Google search, a surprising number of websites recommend using strawberries, oranges and lemons.
They claim that these fruits contain substances that can whiten your teeth such as malic acid or citric acid.
What they don’t tell you while these acids can remove stains from your teeth, the acid also dissolves some of the enamel on your teeth over time.
An University of Iowa researcher rubbed a mixture of strawberries and baking soda on recently extracted teeth and found that there was no real whitening caused by the strawberry mixture.
In fact, the surface hardness of the teeth had decreased due to the erosive effect of acids in the fruit.
We’re not training you to be a skeptic, but too many people and websites simply don’t thoroughly check their facts anymore.
Always do your research and make sure the home remedy you’re about to try is backed by scientific evidence.
Myth 5: LED whitening is the best method for teeth whitening
You might have been dazzled by all the videos of influencers using LED teeth whiteners and showing off their pearly whites. It’s flashy, it’s new, but the million-dollar question is: does it work? (Hint: no)
“If so many people are using LED teeth whiteners and they’re showing us that it works…. It must be effective, right?”
Wrong. Dentists say the LED light does not make a significant difference to the effectiveness of teeth whitening.
The devices that influencers are using work because of the whitening gel being used!
In fact, you might be endangering your teeth by using LED whitening.
- Burned gums,
- Corroded teeth enamel and
- Sensitive teeth
These are just a few of the risks you’re subjecting your teeth to if you use LED teeth whitening.
If all these solutions don’t work, what does?!
Medical-grade teeth whitening gels under the supervision of a dentist.
ZenyumBright™ Teeth Whitening gel contains carbamide peroxide, an ingredient that is proven to whiten teeth.
It’s simple and backed by science – it just works. Best of all, it’s 70% more affordable than other whitening solutions.
Want Whiter Teeth In Just 5 Days?
ZenyumBright is a teeth whitening kit containing the key ingredients of carbamide peroxide and sodium fluoride.
There’s no question about it. It works.
