Have your tried a turmeric latte yet?
I have, and while I’m yet to be a convert, I’m happy to say it’s an interesting alternative to coffee with appealing health benefits. Alongside the usual ‘superfood’ claims (yes - it's championed as a strong antioxidant, an anti-inflammatory, protects the liver, reduces cholesterol, improved circulation, antimutagenic and antimicrobial) as a dentist I was interested to find out about the “teeth whitening” claims.
Given its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties it’s not surprising that, in many developing countries, turmeric is used as an easily affordable and accessible remedy for toothache and gum disease. What did surprise me were claims of use in tooth whitening.
The common saying we have is “if it stains your clothes it can stain your teeth” - and turmeric is well known for its yellow colour. WIth this adage in mind turmeric as a whitening agent did surprise me so I looked into it.
Researching further I can understand that it’s probably the abrasive properties and antimicrobial properties that help to remove build-up on teeth making them appear whiter. Removing build-up will help them appearance and teeth closer to their naturing clean colour, however it cleaning alone cannot brighten or whiten the actual tooth material.
To brighten and whiten tooth material, we find that modern whitening techniques are the most effective and when done with professional guidance they are very safe. For a good clean mouth keep up your brushing and flossing and nothing beats a professional clean to remove stains and build-up.
If after a clean you still feel you’d like a brighter, whiter smile - have a chat to your dental professional about your suitability. The natural starting colour of your teeth, fillings, veneers and other restorations as well as some biological factor can all impact the efficacy of whitening so it’s important to get a professional assessment of your case.
That’s why we offer a 20 minute complimentary cosmetic consultation in which you can explore your suitability and options before you make a decision.
So by all means try turmeric latte as an coffee alternative - but I still suggest that for whitening, regular cleaning is far more important.
To take advantage of our 20 minute complimentary whitening consultations, call bcdental on 03 9589 2675