Teeth whitening is nothing new, and over the last 30 years, the industry has seen an increase in products and natural remedies that claim to whiten your teeth. Coconut oil has been getting a lot of attention recently for the multiple health benefits that it provides, but does oil pulling whiten teeth? Your teeth are the first feature that people notice, so keeping a white smile is ideal. Is oil pulling the way to go to whiten your teeth? We discuss the process of whitening teeth below.
Oil pulling comes from Indian culture. It’s been around for thousands of years and was used in ancient times to purify the body by using oil. The oil used would pull toxins out of the body through the gums and mouth as the oil was extra absorbent. Oil pulling is the practice of putting edible oil in the mouth and swishing it around the teeth and gums for five to 20 minutes. It can be tough to keep the oil in the mouth for that long due to saliva buildup during that timeframe but people believe it helps remove stains from their teeth. Does oil pulling whiten teeth?
People will use different types of cooking oils like sunflower, sesame, or the most popular, coconut oil. By taking a tablespoon of the oil and swishing it around, they hope to erase years of teeth stains. One thing that this practice does, is potentially reduce harmful bacteria in your mouth and it gives you fresh breath. Does oil pulling whiten teeth? No, it does not. There has been no correlation or scientific evidence to suggest that oil pulling whitens teeth despite the popular myth.
There are a few reasons why oil pulling doesn’t whiten teeth. Oil pulling may help remove the biofilm from your teeth or remove plaque by continually swishing it over those areas, but it won’t brighten the shade of your teeth. Your enamel is stained after every meal and drink. Harsh liquids like coffee, tea, and wine have sticky compounds in them called tannins. These tannins stick to your teeth and eventually turn your teeth darker shades. Poor oral hygiene and smoking can also turn your teeth into dingy colors like yellow and brown. Teeth are whitened by removing these stains, not by removing biofilm and plaque as oil pulling does.
To remove surface-level teeth stains that have worked their way into the enamel, you will need a professional and proven method with premium ingredients. You can do this through a variety of methods. You can schedule an appointment with your dentist who will professionally whiten your teeth with a blue light. While this method works, it can be costly and will require you to make an appointment that will disrupt your schedule. At-home whitening treatments have vastly improved over the last two decades with whitening pens, blue lights, toothpaste, and strips. These methods do whiten your teeth but they won’t give a full treatment to all of your teeth.
Only one teeth whitening method gives a complete and full treatment that you can do from the comfort of your home. Custom teeth whitening trays are crafted from impressions of your teeth and will encase your entire smile whitening each tooth including the front, back, and crevices. You could have your dentist craft you them but that is a big bill.
SportingSmiles offers custom whitening trays at typically half the cost of the dentist and with no need to leave the comfort of your home. By ordering from SportingSmiles you’ll receive the patented impression kit and take easy-at-home impressions before sending them back with free 3-way shipping. Our expert dental lab techs will craft you whitening trays that when paired with foaming gel will erase years of teeth stains in just a few treatments.
Does oil pulling whiten teeth? No, it doesn’t but it can offer some benefits like removing biofilm and harmful bacteria from your mouth. If you want your teeth whitened, you would need stronger ingredients found in professional whitening products like custom whitening trays. Oil pulling does not provide the proper strength or ability to remove teeth stains.
