Natural Teeth Whitening: Everything You Need To Know

Natural teeth-whitening methods forgo the chemical bleaching solutions that in-office, take-home and over-the-counter whitening products rely on. Instead, users of natural teeth whitening methods opt to either employ the acids in fruits or use scrubbing agents such as charcoal or baking soda to polish teeth.

Regardless of whether you go the natural route or choose the priciest in-office procedure, you should start your teeth-whitening process with a cleaning and thorough exam from your dentist. Certain conditions—such as periodontal disease or damaged teeth—can cause unpleasant side effects from whitening. If you have previous dental work like bridges, crowns or veneers, you need to talk to your dentist about those, too, since they can’t be lightened the same way as real teeth.

To understand whether natural teeth whitening is right for you, it helps to know exactly what your shiny white enamel is and the role it plays in tooth structure.

“Tooth enamel is a crystal,” says Matthew Messina, D.D.S., assistant professor for dentistry at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, and a spokesperson for the American Dental Association. “Under magnification, it looks like chain link fencing. Over time, stains get embedded in that.”

That layer of enamel matrix (that is, the “chain link fencing”) protects the darker colored dentin underneath it and the living pulp inside the tooth. The enamel layer is extremely thin, says Messina, sometimes less than half a millimeter.

“Enamel is pretty precious,” says Messina. “It doesn’t grow back, whether we wear it away or dissolve it away.” There are also a lot of different causes of tooth discoloration, Messina notes: “If you have gum disease, whitening won’t make your teeth whiter.”

Likewise, natural compounds can’t polish away darkening of teeth caused by issues such as physical trauma or use of tetracycline antibiotics, known as “intrinsic staining.” If you have “extrinsic staining,” or surface discoloration caused by coffee, tea, red wine, prescription mouthwash or tobacco use, however, you may be able to improve or maintain your smile between regular visits to the dentist for professional cleaning and polishing.

If you’re considering using a natural teeth-whitening method, though, you should know that there are a lot of claims, but not a lot of documented scientific proof that they are either safe or effective. And, worse yet, some of them may actually have the exact opposite effect of what you’re seeking: They may make your teeth less white over time and even cause painful sensitivity.

Let’s take a look at the claims and sort out the facts from the fiction—and maybe save you some pain and tooth damage along the way.

Apple Cider Vinegar

People in natural health circles often tout apple cider vinegar as a kind of cure-all. It’s a fermented product, meaning it has probiotic properties, which are responsible for many of its alleged health benefits. But that’s a quality that may help your gut, not your teeth.

In fact, its sharp taste and strong odor make clear apple cider vinegar is very acidic. And acidic compounds, whether produced by the breakdown of sugars in the mouth or by acids you consume, dissolve tooth enamel, leading to tooth decay.

Contact with food acids like vinegar is safe for the short amount of time they stay in your mouth as you eat, but using them to brush or rinse with isn’t a good idea because prolonged contact erodes enamel.

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Try it or skip it? Skip swishing around apple cider vinegar.

Fruits and Vegetables

Although the notion that crunchy produce can scrub plaque off your teeth is unfounded,  it’s true that some fruits contain natural acids that affect the teeth—lemons and strawberries in particular. And, as with apple cider vinegar, those fruit acids that remain on your teeth break down the enamel, darken the teeth and encourage decay.

Papayas and pineapples, on the other hand, contain enzymes that may be effective at whitening teeth by combating staining, according to one clinical study. When combined in toothpaste formulas, these enzymes (papain and bromelain) loosen plaque that make teeth appear discolored. There’s no evidence, however, that eating the fruit, or brushing with a paste made from the pulp, whitens teeth.

Meanwhile, whole fruits and vegetables are helpful in maintaining healthy, white teeth when they’re part of a good diet. Research shows that eating an apple reduces the amount of decay-promoting bacteria in the mouth, which is important in keeping your teeth in good shape, especially if you’re not able to brush right away.

Try it or skip it? Toothpaste that contains the fruit enzymes bromelain and papain may help whiten teeth, so perhaps you want to try it. But skip the DIY fruit acid pastes or rinses.

Charcoal

Charcoal is having a moment as a health and beauty star, with claims including toxin-removal and virus elimination. However, it’s the natural method most likely to harm your teeth. That’s because homemade activated charcoal preparations can be very abrasive: Scrubbing your teeth regularly with charcoal can rub the enamel right off, leaving the darker dentin layer exposed.

“I’d put the super-abrasive charcoal toothpastes at the top of the list of products likely to cause harm,” says Messina. He notes that while some charcoal toothpastes are tested and ADA-approved as safe, many are not.

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Try it or skip it? Skip the DIY charcoal preparations. Try an ADA-approved charcoal toothpaste if you want to experiment with a charcoal-based formula.

Oil Pulling

Coconut oil is another natural product that’s in vogue, due to its unique fatty acid structure that supposedly boosts metabolism (from the inside) and its hydrating properties (on the outside).

However, “oil pulling” actually has a long history as a practice in ayurvedic medicine. This ancient Indian technique involves vigorously swishing oil, usually coconut oil, around your mouth and between your teeth (just as you would with a mouthwash) for 15 to 20 minutes at least once and up to three times a day, followed by brushing your teeth. The idea is that it promotes dental health by discouraging the growth of decay-promoting bacteria and reduces inflammation in the gum tissues.

While there does seem to be some basis for these claims, there’s almost no evidence it brightens teeth, although a single study suggested it might. “There’s no fundamental danger to oil pulling, unless people defer other treatment,” says Messina. In fact, the only caveat regarding oil pulling is not to spit the oil down the drain, because you may clog your pipes. Use the trash can instead.

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Try it or skip it? Oil pulling might be worth a try. Just don’t inhale or swallow the oil, or spit it into the sink.

Baking Soda

Much less abrasive than charcoal (or kaolin clay, another popular natural abrasive), baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) has a long track record as a dental hero. Its combined properties of being a very mild scrub and an alkaline compound means that it can reduce tooth staining while also promoting a mouth environment that’s less friendly to harmful bacteria.

You can choose a conventional baking soda toothpaste or make your own paste by mixing the powder with water, but you won’t have the advantage of added fluoride for cavity prevention if you go the homemade route. (Don’t mix in mashed strawberries, charcoal or any of the other unproven natural ingredients you may see recommended elsewhere. The baking soda will neutralize the fruit acids, so the strawberries won’t have any effect and other abrasives are too rough). Messina also recommends that if you go the DIY teeth-whitening route, follow brushing with a fluoride rinse to further strengthen teeth against decay.

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Try it or skip it? Try it. In this case, DIY and commercial baking soda toothpastes are equally safe, although commercial pastes have the advantage of added fluoride.

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Sources

Gambon DL, Brand HS, Veerman EC. Erosion by apple cider vinegar. Dutch Journal of Dentistry. 2012;119(12):589-91.

Debunking the health benefits of apple cider vinegar. University of Chicago Medicine. Accessed 03/04/2021.

Rubido S, García-Caballero L. Effect of chewing an apple on dental plaque removal and on salivary bacterial viability. PLoS One. 2018.

Kwon R, Meharry M, Oyoyo U, Li Y. Efficacy of Do-It-Yourself Whitening as Compared to Conventional Tooth Whitening Modalities: An In Vitro Study. Operative Dentistry. 2015.

PK Chakravarthy, S Acharya. Efficacy of Extrinsic Stain Removal by Novel Dentifrice Containing Papain and Bromelain Extracts. Journal of Young Pharmacists. 2012.

Yiming Li. Stain removal and whitening by baking soda dentifrice: A review of literature. The Journal of the American Dental Association. 2017.

Woolley J, Gibbons T, Patel K, Sacco R. The effect of oil pulling with coconut oil to improve dental hygiene and oral health: A systematic review. Heliyon. 2020.

Kumar V, Shanbhag L. Oil pulling for maintaining oral hygiene: A review. Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine. 2017.