Fact Check: Brushing with lemon, coffee and turmeric won’t make teeth pearl white

Hyderabad: A Facebook post has gone viral on social media that claims brushing with a combination of coffee, lemon, toothpaste and turmeric can make teeth pearl white.

Keep scrolling to know why you should not blindly follow such 'home remedies'.

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is false as most ingredients in the Facebook post can damage teeth.

What lemon can do to your teeth?

According to Dentaly, “Lemon is a natural product, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe for your teeth. Lemon is highly acidic with a low pH of 2.3, and acidic food and drink can cause enamel erosion over time. In short, it may whiten your teeth, but you risk wearing down the enamel that protects your teeth.”

It further added, “If you use lemon as a teeth whitener too much or too frequently, it can wear down the outer layer of your enamel, increasing the possibility of tooth sensitivity and decay.”

Hence, while lemon can be a cheap natural tooth-whitening remedy, it can do more harm than good if you use it too frequently.

What about turmeric?

According to Healthline, “Turmeric is an enduringly popular natural teeth whitener. When used properly, turmeric is a safe option. Although evidence of its teeth-whitening properties is only anecdotal, studies do show that it brings oral health benefits that other natural remedies — and over-the-counter remedies — don’t.”

A study concluded that, “Chlorhexidine gluconate as well as turmeric mouthwash can be effectively used as an adjunct to mechanical plaque control in prevention of plaque and gingivitis. Both types of mouthwash have comparable anti-plaque, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties. Turmeric mouthwash was biocompatible and well accepted by all the subjects without side effects.” “Substantivity of turmeric mouthwash is required to be studied in the future,” it added.

Hence, turmeric may be an option to maintain oral health but it can’t be used for teeth whitening.

Lastly, let’s see how coffee works.

According to Healthline, “Coffee can cause bacteria to grow in your mouth which can lead to tooth and enamel erosion. This can cause your teeth to become thin and brittle. Coffee can also cause bad breath, or halitosis because it sticks to the tongue. To avoid these problems, eat food before you drink coffee, and use a tongue scraper and toothbrush after you finish drinking.”

Also, too much coffee can stain tooth brown.

So, what is the right way to achieve the goal of white teeth? Consult your dentist for a professional and relatively permanent and safer solution.