Want sparkling white teeth? Clean them with banana peel!

By Bunmi Sofola

Who doesn't want dazzling white teeth without spending

a fortune at the dentist? Especially when you can spend

next to nothing to get them sparkling white? Old wives'

tales? Well, according to websites devoted to the unlikely

fruits, spices and oils which promise to give you a knock-

them-dead smile at a fraction of the price dentists

charge. This is not so far fetched. But as for Dr.Uchenna

Okoye, a clinical director at London Smiling Dental Group,

a bit of caution is advised before you make your teeth

worse than they are. He then gives his opinion on the

various 'wonder cure' for yellowing teeth.

Strawberries: Claim - Mash up a ripe strawberry, dip your

toothbrush in it and brush carefully over teeth. Within two

weeks, your teeth will be whiter.

Dentist's Verdict: True - Strawberries contain citric acid,

which can weaken the surface hardness of your teeth.

But it also contains the more gentle malic acid, and the

riper the strawberry becomes, the higher the

concentration of malic acid compared to the more

harmful citric acid. So choose a really ripe strawberry, rub

it on your teeth and just like exfoliating the skin, it does

remove superficial debris. The malic acid won't actually

break down the stain molecules, but the surface clean

gives your teeth a whiter appearance. A gentle and

effective natural whitener.

Orange Pith: Claim - The white part of the orange skin,

between the surface and the flesh of the fruit, contains a

d-limene, which can help remove stains from your teeth

after using it for three weeks. Peel the orange, keeping as

much of the white pith as you can. Rub the white part of

the peel over your teeth, and let the juice sit on your

teeth for three to five minutes. Brush your teeth

thoroughly to clean away pulp and peel, and after several

weeks the chemical will have whitened the appearance.

Verdict: False - The advice I give all my patients is to be

very wary of fruit juices and drink them with a straw (if

they have to drink juice at all). So this claim goes against

every piece of advice and scientific evidence I can think

of. The citric acid within the orange causes tooth enamel

to dissolve. This erosion can lead to tooth decay, and

once the erosion has reached the soft, inner layer of your

teeth known as dentine, you'll experience sensitivity and

pain. Avoid.

Banana Peel: Claim - High levels of potassium,

magnesium and manganese in bananas can help remove

stains from teeth. Simply peel a ripe banana, and rub your

teeth with the insides of the peel for about two minutes.

After three weeks, your teeth will have whitened.

Verdict: True - If you rub the skin, it can act as a gentle

exfoliator and will remove some surface stains, but the

banana will not reach the inside the pores on the surface

of your enamel - so no true 'deep' clean will take place.

However, I like the idea that you can eat a banana and

give your teeth a quick healthy buff before running off to a

meeting.

Cider Vinegar: Claim - Rinsing with apple cider vinegar

(mixed two parts of water) will make teeth whiter and

protect teeth and gums from bacteria.

Verdict: False - Cider Vinegar is a favourite of 'detox'

devotees. Once swallowed, it mixes with pancreatic

secretions in the intestines and turns alkaline, but when it

hits your teeth, it is an acid, albeit a weak one. This

makes the enamel on your teeth less resistant to damage

- like wetting a chalk and then scraping off the surface. A

low acid level - such as the malic acid in strawberries -

won't harm your teeth. But this will buff away a deeper

layer of enamel, and should be avoided.

Coconut Oil: Claim - A 3,000-year-old Ayurvedic way to

clean teeth is to swish a tablespoon of oil (usually

coconut, sesame or olive oil) around your mouth for 20

minutes every morning. The coconut oil sticks to the oil

in the cell membrane of any bacteria in your mouth, so

when you spit it out, you are ridding your mouth of

unwanted micro-organisms. Used by stars including

Gwyneth Paltrow, who claim it whitens teeth and

improves complexion.

Verdict: False - There is no scientific evidence at all that

'oil pulling' as it's called, will whiten teeth, or even

remove bacteria. It's possible that the act of swishing the

oil around your mouth will dislodge some bacteria or

debris, so followed by a careful brushing session, your

teeth may look cleaner. But no science shows that oil

pulling will make your teeth any whiter.

Bicarbonate of Soda: Claim - Bicarbonate of soda is a

mild abrasive which effectively removes stains on teeth

caused by coffee, red wine and tea. In a cup, mix half a

teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda with half a teaspoon of

water, mix to form a paste, dip your toothbrush into the

mixture and brush teeth for one to two minutes. After

just a few days you will notice a difference.

Verdict: True - Bicarbonate of soda - otherwise known as

baking soda - is somehow considered natural but it is

actually a chemical, and used commercially in some

teeth - whitening products and toothpastes. It does

effectively remove plaque and debris in the surface of

the teeth to make them appear brighter, and it also can

neutralise bacteria/acids in the mouth. But it is an

abrasive compound and, as such, will damage the

enamel protecting the teeth if used too much. Try it three

times a year to lift those surface stains, and to avoid

damaging the enamel, use your finger to rub it on or a

flannel.

Lemons: Claim - Suck on a slice of lemon for several

minutes each morning, or rinse your mouth with lemon

juice squeezed into a glass of water. The acid from the

lemon will deep-clean even the tiniest of molecules

lodged in your teeth.

Verdict: False - Lemons have such a high concentration

of citric acid that their juice is acidic enough to corrode

enamel. Lemon juice has no place in the mouth at all.

Lemons are more acidic than vinegar. Far from whitening

your teeth, they'll dissolve them away. I have seen

patients who such lemons and are left with the imprint of

a lemon slice on their teeth - requiring bonding and

veneering to cover it up. Avoid this at all costs - it is the

same as bathing your teeth in a glass of cola.

So which is best? Strawberries beat them all hands down!

What You See Is All You Get! (Humour)

During a wild weekend in Edinburgh with the lads, Vinnie

declares; 'I'm going to wear a kilt out clubbing tonight.'

The others laugh but Vinnie insists embracing the

traditional costume will get him lots of female attention.

That night, Vinnie's kilt swishes around his bare knees as

they swagger into a club. Immediately a beautiful woman

sways up to him. 'Hey, handsome,' she says with a wink.

'Is there anything worn under that kilt?' 'Oh no,' Vinnie

declares hastily. 'It's all in perfect working order.'

Do It Yourself! (Humour)

One night, Alex is in the mood to make love to his

beautiful wife, Gail. Not wanting to sound too blunt, he

whispers: 'Would it be OK for me to put my letter in your

post box?'

'No, it would not!' she fires back. An hour later he's still

feeling frisky. 'Any chance of posting my letter in your

post box now?' he murmurs. 'No! Go to sleep,' Gail replies

firmly.

But as time ticks by, she relents and says huskily: 'OK,

you can put your letter in my post box now ... ' 'Forget it,'

Alex snaps. 'It's been delivered by hand.'