Natural Teeth Whitening by Jerry Brainum 9/22

 

Although it's considered politically incorrect to judge people on their appearance, it's hard to not notice bad teeth. Although many things can cause what dentists call "poor dentition," a lack of teeth or teeth that looks bad because of stains or discoloration casts a bad first impression on most people. Teeth have always reflected overall health, even in primitive societies. In an early issue of Applied Metabolics, I wrote an article called "Kiss your dentist goodbye" that discussed a preventive dental program developed by a respected dentist. This program, if followed correctly, is able to prevent most dental problems that can result in a loss of teeth and also help to make the teeth appear more attractive. I've been using this program myself for about 8 years and still do. Although it's often suggested that you make regular dental visits, after starting that program, I haven't needed to go to a dentist in all that time. The program is available in the online article archive.

The "Kiss your dentist goodbye" program is more of a dental preventive program that helps to protect against gum disease that is the major cause of tooth loss. And while aspects of it can make the teeth appear whiter, the focus is not on cosmetic appearance, but rather preventive maintenance of the teeth. Most people seek whiter teeth because it presents a more attractive appearance in anyone. I've seen surveys where men and women were asked what they noticed first in another person, and teeth were always at the top of the list. I strongly doubt that a person with missing or discolored, rotten-looking teeth would appear attractive to anyone of sound mind. Whiter teeth are a reflection of overall health, so it sends a subtle message to anyone that this person is healthy, which alone makes a person more attractive. The desire for whiter teeth has resulted in a branch of dentistry called "cosmetic dentistry." Of course, these dental specialists deal with more than just teeth whitening procedures, but also correct missing teeth or crooked teeth. However, professional teeth whitening is a large part of their usual activity.

If you don't want to shell out the bucks for professional teeth whitening, other options are available. These include various teeth whitening strips that you put on your teeth, as well as teeth whitening toothpaste. Both of these products usually contain some form of hydrogen peroxide, a whitening agent. Most of them may reduce superficial teeth stains, such as occurs with smoking or drinking coffee, but the effect is short-lived. The various teeth whitening products come with a few notable problems that most people aren't aware of. For example, they can thin the enamel on the surface of the teeth, and expose the dentin portion below it. The problem with that is that the dentin portion of teeth is naturally yellow, so thinning the tooth enamel . . .