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Advanced cosmetic and general dentistry

Do Lemons Whiten or Darken Your Teeth?

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Closeup of a woman's mouth and teeth holding a lemon slice, portraying lemons and teeth whiteningAre lemons safe and effective for teeth whitening? When you search online for natural ways to whiten your teeth, you will find dozens of articles on using lemons. One blog post mentions rubbing lemon essential oil or peels on your teeth.

Do Lemons Work for Teeth Whitening?

Lemons contain citric acid, which one blog post claims kills bacteria to whiten teeth. However, teeth stains come from pigments in what you eat and drink—not bacteria. Regular flossing and brushing remove plaque and bacteria.

Will Lemons Eventually Damage Teeth?

Applying lemons juice, peels, or oils to your teeth will eventually damage them because it repeatedly exposes them to acid. But that is true of any excessive acid exposure on your teeth.

Darker Tooth Enamel

The blog post also mentions that lemons might eventually darken teeth. But the darkening doesn’t come from thinning tooth enamel, as the article suggests. Citric acid etches teeth enamel, roughens it, and causes teeth to attract stains.

Thinner Tooth Enamel

Sucking on lemons or rubbing acidic peels on your teeth will thin tooth enamel. The same occurs with bulimia when stomach acid from vomiting repeatedly comes in contact with teeth.

Beware of Teeth Whitening Kits with Citric Acid

Some teeth whitening kits may contain citric acid to etch tooth enamel, creating a frosty surface on teeth. The whitening kits may include a titanium dioxide substance with a white pigment attached to the etched tooth enamel. When the titanium dioxide wears off in a few days, the result is darker teeth in the long term. However, the tooth enamel is still rough, which increases the risk of attracting stains.

 

Conclusion

Do-it-yourself teeth whitening—including whitening with lemons—is risky. Although Crest Whitestrips will give you some improvement, it is less effective than professional whitening from a dentist.

Why Do My Teeth Look Worse After Whitening?

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Why do my teeth look worse after whitening? My dentist recommended whitening after braces left white spots on my teeth. My teeth are super white, but the areas from braces look brighter than ever. Now my teeth are blotchy. My dentist said that maybe she could try bonding. I feel like a guinea pig in a clinical trial. What treatment should I ask my dentist to use next? Thank you. Miranda from Charleston, SC

Miranda,

Thank you for your question. Without advanced cosmetic dentistry training, a dentist may not understand how to treat spotted or stained treat based on the cause of the discoloration.

Will Teeth Whitening Improve White Spots?

Teeth whitening usually makes white spots worse. The bleaching gel removes stains embedded in teeth but does not improve uneven discoloration, stains, or spots.

How Can You Treat White Spots on Teeth?

Treatment for white spots on teeth depends on their cause. Decalcification around brackets on braces can cause white spots. These factors cause decalcification:

  • Food debris or bacteria trapped beneath braces or around brackets
  • Plaque buildup decreases the calcium that teeth need
  • Calcium depletion that causes white spots

Treatment options

A cosmetic dentist may recommend remineralization, microabrasion, or dental bonding for white spots on teeth.

  • Remineralization – Fluoride treatments or remineralizing gels can improve teeth over time.
  • Microabrasion – After removing discolored tooth enamel and applying an abrasive substance to your teeth, a cosmetic dentist will clean, rinse, and polish them.
  • Dental bonding – A cosmetic dentist can remove areas of decalcification and apply dental bonding to replace them. Cosmetic dentists have an inventory of bonding materials and tools to achieve a perfect match and blend the bonding with your tooth color.

We recommend scheduling an appointment with an advanced cosmetic dentist for an exam and an explanation of your treatment options.

Before and after dental bonding photos from Lowell, MA cosmetic dentist Dr. Michael Szarek

Dental bonding photos from Dr. Michael Szarek of Lowell, Massachusetts

Lowell, Massachusetts, accredited cosmetic dentist, Dr. Michael Szarek, sponsors this post.

 

Is Whitening the Right Way to Remove Brown Teeth Stains?

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Over the past two years, I began to get brown stains on my teeth that are increasing. I see my dentist twice yearly, and she notices the stains, too. My dentist recommends whitening my teeth, but neither of us knows what is causing the stains. My dentist says the source is probably not serious because I am in my 50s, and the stains are just developing. I asked my primary care doctor about the stains, and he told me to check with my dentist first. I feel like I am stuck in a loop. Yesterday, a friend mentioned that I could research dental bonding if whitening does not work. Should I let my dentist whiten my teeth or get a second opinion? Thank you. Omari from CT

Omari,

Thank you for your question.

We are unsure why your dentist has not tried to identify the cause of the stains and recommend treatment. But you can ask her what might be causing the stains to understand why she recommends whitening your teeth.

Types of Tooth Stains that Develop in Adults

When stains develop during adulthood, they are either internal or external stains.

  • Internal stains – Internal stains can form as your teeth absorb pigments from foods and drinks, such as tea or coffee. Internal stains are even in appearance and affect the entire teeth, and bleaching can break them down. Some prescription medications can cause external stains, too.
  • External stains – External stains appear around your gumline and between your teeth. Some toothpaste brands, such as Supersmile, remove the sticky film (protein pellicle) from your teeth and stains that stick to it. Also, Supersmile toothpaste works because it removes the protein pellicle on your teeth and the stains that adhere to it. Your dental hygienist can remove surface stains.

Identifying the Cause of Tooth Stains

Sometimes a health condition or medication can cause discoloration in teeth. Ask your dentist to review your medical and prescription histories. If neither health nor medication is a factor, your dentist’s recommendation makes sense.

Will You Need Teeth Bleaching or Dental Bonding?

Teeth bleaching gel applied to teeeth

A cosmetic dentist can identify the cause of, and treat, brown teeth stains

Whether a dentist uses teeth bleaching or dental bonding depends on the cause of the tooth stains. If your teeth stains come from coffee or tea, whitening from your dentist will break them down. Dental bonding is usually not necessary unless internal tooth stains develop from medication, fluorosis, or a medical condition.

Teeth whitening from a dentist is safe and can help your smile look younger. If your dentist is not willing to identify the cause of the stains, you can look for a dentist with cosmetic dentistry training to help you.

Lowell, Massachusetts, accredited cosmetic dentist, Dr. Michael Szarek, sponsors this post. His office is convenient to Andover, Dracut, Chelmsford, Tewksbury, and surrounding cities.

 

My Wisdom Tooth Socket Is Still Sensitive to Warmth and Heat

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Man holding his mouth, perhaps with wisdom teeth sensitivity to heatAn oral surgeon removed my two wisdom teeth in June. The surgical sites look fine, but one tooth sometimes aches and is sensitive to warm and hot foods and drinks. Does it take this long for sensitivity to go away? I’ve had to delay teeth whitening while waiting for the sensitivity to calm down. My dentist does not want to whiten my teeth while I still have some irritation. Should I be concerned about the sensitivity? Thank you. Simeon C. from Long Island

Simeon,

Thank you for choosing our office for your question.

Should You Feel Sensitivity in Wisdom Teeth Removal Sites?

Wisdom teeth removal sites may ache with exercise or physical exertion. And you may feel sensitivity to cold temperatures or foods for a few weeks after surgery. But sensitivity should not linger for months. When air, cold, or heat causes sensitivity for months, an exposed tooth root from an adjacent tooth often drives it.

Sensitivity to cold

Tooth irritation can cause mild sensitivity to cold. But if sensitivity persists for months without treatment, you have a progressive infection that will cause sensitivity to heat eventually.

Sensitivity to heat

When the pulp tissue inside a tooth begins is inflamed and infected, the bacteria release gas. And trapped gas inside the tooth causes pain. Root canal treatment will remove the infection.

Finding the Cause of Wisdom-Tooth-Socket Sensitivity

Your dentist should take an x-ray to look for signs of tooth infection in the tooth adjacent to the wisdom tooth extraction site. Sometimes, an endodontist (root canal specialist) can see signs of infection that your dentist cannot detect. So, if necessary, ask for a referral to a specialist.

After your dentist or specialist treats the problem tooth and it heals, you can begin teeth whitening treatment. Otherwise, bleaching gel would further irritate the tooth and create more sensitivity.

Michael Szarek, DMD, an accredited cosmetic dentist in Lowell, MA, sponsors this post.

 

What are my options for whitening one gray tooth?

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My upper left incisor is getting grayer each year. My dentist referred me to an endodontist who says the x-ray shows a possible horizontal fracture. She recommended a root canal, but I am wondering about cosmetic options. Will regular teeth whitening or internal bleaching help? – Thank you. Irina

Irina,

Thank you for your question.

Dr. Szarek would need to examine your x-rays, but root canal treatment is unnecessary unless you have a tooth infection, and it will not lighten the tooth. If you have a tooth fracture, root canal files that clean out the tooth might worsen a horizontal fracture.

What Else Can Cause a Dark Tooth?

If your tooth is not infected, it might be turning dark from trauma to the tooth that happened years ago. As your body responds to tooth trauma, it builds secondary dentin beneath your tooth enamel, which can darken a tooth.

Whitening a Dark Tooth

Teeth bleaching gel applied to teeeth

A cosmetic dentist can determine how bleaching gel will affect your teeth

Internal bleaching, dental bonding, and porcelain veneers are ways to whiten teeth, but their purpose varies.

  • Internal bleaching – The procedure follows root canal treatment for a tooth that a dentist has already opened from the crown. If you do not need root canal treatment, opening your tooth for bleaching is not recommended.
  • Teeth whitening – Bleaching gel breaks down stains from external factors that darken your teeth, like smoking or drinking coffee or tea. But if your tooth is dark from the inside out, bleaching gel may have limited results. A cosmetic dentist can explain the results you can expect with this option depending on the cause of the discoloration.
  • Dental bonding – A trained cosmetic dentist can blend dental composite (resin and glass), layer it on your tooth, harden each layer, and conceal the discoloration. Only a cosmetic dentist can perfectly match the bonding to your natural tooth color.
  • Porcelain veneer – A custom-made shell of porcelain covers the front of your tooth. An artistic cosmetic dentist and master ceramist must create the veneer to mimic the natural translucence of your teeth while hiding the gray beneath it.

Any treatment option that hides discoloration within a tooth is challenging for most general dentists to achieve beautiful results. We recommend looking for an advanced—preferably accredited—cosmetic dentist for natural-looking results.

Michael Szarek, DMD, an accredited cosmetic dentist in Lowell, MA, sponsors this post.