Sometimes yellow or dark-looking teeth aren’t simply caused by surface stains.
Discoloration can result from aging, certain medications, tobacco use, food and drinks, dental decay, trauma or changes within the tooth itself.
Professional dental cleaning can remove certain types of surface buildup and staining, while a dentist can determine whether whitening is appropriate for your teeth.
Remember that whitening treatments work on natural teeth and do not whiten tooth-colored fillings, crowns or other restorations in the same way.
What Should You Do Instead?
For a healthier and brighter smile:
- Brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste.
- Clean between your teeth regularly.
- Limit frequent consumption of staining drinks such as coffee, tea and cola.
- Avoid tobacco products.
- Consider an evidence-based whitening toothpaste or whitening product.
- Follow whitening-product instructions exactly.
- See a dentist if discoloration is new, severe or accompanied by pain or sensitivity.
The Bottom Line
Strawberries and baking soda may sound like a harmless natural teeth-whitening recipe, but the evidence does not show that the mixture produces the dramatic whitening results promised in viral posts.
Baking soda can play a useful role in some professionally formulated toothpastes for removing surface stains, but that is very different from scrubbing your teeth with a homemade strawberry mixture.
If your goal is a noticeably whiter smile, choose a tested whitening product or speak with a dental professional rather than relying on dramatic “before and after” claims from social media.
