Can tea tree oil be used to whiten teeth?

Over time, tooth enamel begins to darken, losing its natural tone. Most people think about ways to whiten their teeth at home.

There are many ways to do this yourself.

One of the safe, affordable and effective remedies is tea tree oil.

General information

Melaleuca is an exclusively Australian plant. After water distillation, valuable essential oil is obtained from the juice of the leaves. It is a clear, light yellow liquid with an odor combining camphor and wood.

Containing a huge number of terpineols, it has powerful antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, wound-healing, and soothing effects. Aborigines have used it since ancient times to cure serious illnesses, skin diseases, bites and burns.

Today its beneficial properties are used in medicine and cosmetology. It is an integral component of many cosmetics and medications.

The main use of the oil was as a teeth-lightening agent. Their tone changes when plaque is removed, which often causes the enamel to darken.

Rinsing

One of the most common ways to prevent plaque from settling and give freshness to your breath.

Rinse your mouth after every meal. If this is not possible, rinse your mouth at least 2 times a day.

The composition is very simple to prepare: add 5 drops of essential oil to 200 ml of warm boiled water. Stir with a teaspoon and rinse your mouth 3 times.

The benefits of this remedy

The oil has long been used as a remedy to eliminate redness, rashes and cracks on the skin. But few people know about its beneficial effects on the condition of the oral cavity. In addition to the whitening effect, it has a number of other properties useful for dentistry:

Affects the condition of the mucous membrane : bleeding and increased sensitivity disappear due to a pronounced sedative effect.
Relieves gum swelling and inflammation. It has been used for a very long time as the main remedy for combating many gum diseases. It easily fights fungi and viruses, affecting them from the inside.
Eliminates tartar . The special composition of the product allows it to be used in the prevention of formation and getting rid of minor plaque or already hardened plaque that has turned into stone.
Relieves bad breath . The cause of its appearance is fungi, viruses and pathogenic microorganisms present in the oral cavity. Having a strong antiviral effect, the oil suppresses their activity, providing a sanitizing effect.
Used as a preventive and therapeutic agent against caries. The development of bacterial microflora in the mouth is the main cause of caries and enamel destruction. Its antiseptic effect eliminates pathogens and prevents their reappearance.

Regular use of oil will help keep your teeth healthy and beautiful.

Composition of toothpaste

The basis. Almost any toothpaste is based on water and a mixture of glycerin and sorbitol, which acts as a binding component;
Abrasives. Any paste contains abrasive particles in one quantity or another. In ordinary pastes there is a minimal amount of them, in pastes with a whitening effect they make up the largest part of the composition. Most often, silicon oxide derivatives are used as such abrasive particles;
Foaming agents. The foam formed during the process of brushing teeth allows you to most effectively remove even microscopic particles removed from the surface, acting as a kind of dirt trap;
Thickeners. These components are necessary to impart uniformity to the composition, making the paste convenient to apply to a toothbrush and distribute over the surface of the teeth;
Excipients. Such substances include dyes, flavors, sweeteners and therapeutic and preventive additives that give an attractive color, in cases where we are talking about pastes with a targeted effect.

Having considered the composition and principle of action of toothpaste, you can reasonably select product options and make a decision: what can replace toothpaste with .

Contraindications

Although it has many beneficial properties, the oil has several contraindications for use. You should avoid using it for teeth whitening in the following cases:

if the enamel is thin, fragile or prone to thinning, its use leads to even greater thinning;
when carrying a baby and breastfeeding, the entry of the active components of the drug into the general bloodstream can have a detrimental effect on the child’s condition;
age up to 18 years - until this time the enamel is not strong enough, since the process of its mineralization has not yet been completed, and many chemical components of the oil can cause its destruction;
If you are allergic to thyme and celery, you may also have a reaction to the oil. This coincidence is explained by their similar component composition.

The absence of these restrictions allows the oil to be used to lighten enamel, provided that it is of high quality and does not contain additional impurities.

We invite you to study dentist reviews of ultrasonic toothbrushes in our next publication. And here you can see photos before and after fang extensions.

Secret #3: Determine which enamel pigment needs to be removed

Be sure to take into account this fact: if you naturally have yellow or gray enamel, and also have diseases such as fluorosis or hypoplasia, a wedge-shaped defect, then this drug will not help whiten it. After all, it does not act on the pigment itself, no matter how hard you try, but only helps to destroy and soften deposits and soft plaque resulting from smoking, eating colored foods and drinks. Therefore, in this case, a correctly set goal is already 50% success. Otherwise, purchasing the product will simply be impractical.

The photo shows dental fluorosis

Ready-made recipes

There are several ways to help lighten enamel by 1-2 shades with tea tree oil. Each of them has its own application features and advantages.

Cleaning

One of the simplest and most effective ways. First, use a toothpaste used every day to brush your teeth, and then rinse your mouth with warm water. Apply 2-3 drops onto a clean brush. oil and treat teeth for 2 minutes. The final stage of the procedure is rinsing.

This method is not recommended for daily use. It is enough to carry out the procedure twice a week.

This recipe is described in the following video:

Rinsing

This method is also effective, but it will not be possible to achieve the desired result quickly. It will take at least a month for the results of the procedure to be noticeable.

Rinse every day before brushing your teeth in the morning. Prepare a solution: add 3-4 drops of oil to 0.5 cups of warm water. After rinsing your mouth with this solution, it is rinsed several more times with clean water.

Important: to avoid irritation of the gastric mucosa, try not to swallow the solution while rinsing.

The lightening effect is based on the gentle effect of substances present in the oil on plaque. They soften it, and subsequent brushing removes it more effectively.

Instead of regular water, you can use mineral water (without gases!). This method is suitable for lightening the teeth of experienced smokers.

Lemon mixture

Before using this recipe, brush your teeth with paste and rinse your mouth thoroughly. Apply 2-3 drops to the brush. main product and only 1 drop. lemon oil.

The combination of these agents enhances the antiseptic effect of the mixture and allows you to quickly remove plaque. It is not recommended to use it more than 2 times within 7 days.

Aloe Vera Blend

This recipe is recommended for use on sensitive enamel. To prepare it in 1 tsp. aloe vera added 3 drops. oils

As in the previous recipe, teeth are treated twice a week after brushing them with paste for a month.

Mixture with the addition of agave

Mix 3 drops. oil with 1 tsp. Agave infusion. The prepared mixture is applied to cleaned teeth and gums. After 3 min. the mixture is thoroughly washed off with warm water. Enamel treatment is performed no more than 2 times within 7 days in a course of 1 month.

Mixture of several ingredients

3 drops oils are mixed with dry crushed banana peel, 1 tsp. olive oil and 1-2 tsp. sea salt. The resulting mixture is used to treat the teeth twice a day. The result of the procedure will be visible in a week.

Mixture with added baking soda

Mix 0.5 tsp. soda with 2 drops. oils Before treating the enamel with this mixture, it is cleaned with regular paste. After using the mixture, the mouth is thoroughly rinsed with water. The product can be used no more than 2-3 times a week for a month.

These recipes are effective in cases where the darkening of the enamel was caused by:

food colorings found in drinks and food;
nicotine;
high tissue adhesiveness to plaque and tartar.

Important: the effect of the oil on the tone of the enamel is not permanent, i.e. after some time the teeth lightening procedure will have to be repeated.

Using oil for oral care

First, let's note the most important thing: for the treatment to be safe, you must strictly follow all the rules for using tea tree. Some dentists even claim that teeth can only be treated with this remedy under medical supervision.

The main safety principles are:

The product must not be swallowed
Do not use oil more than two or three times a week
The use of essential oil is not recommended if you are prone to allergies.

Important to remember! Once in the esophagus, ether can cause a burn to the mucous membrane. Therefore, after each procedure using it, you need to thoroughly rinse your mouth with clean water.

Advantages

Despite the fact that it is possible to lighten enamel faster and more effectively by other means, oil has a number of advantages:

natural lightening composition;
does not injure and has a gentle effect on soft tissues and enamel due to the absence of mechanical influence on them;
can be used even for stomatitis, periodontitis, gingivitis;
does not cause irritation to the mucous membrane, but promotes its nutrition and healing in case of existing diseases;
availability of lightening at home with minimal investment of time and money;
ease of implementation;
no side effects.

All of the listed advantages of the product make it one of the most common and popular.

How to choose the right product?

Manufacturers often resort to various tricks to reduce the cost of goods. Some make oil in laboratory conditions, artificially recreating the composition of the original.

Others use cheap or second-class raw materials in production. And finally, a mixture of flavoring and solvent is often passed off as a quality product, labeled “100% natural.”

However, only real essential oil has a cosmetic effect, which can be distinguished by the following characteristics:

label with the phrase "100% natural essential oil"
dark glass bottle;
the expiration date is indicated;
the product indicates the manufacturer and its address, the botanical name of the plant;
the neck of the bottle is equipped with a dosimeter;
high price (about 500 rubles).

It is almost impossible to purchase high-quality oil in a regular store, so it is better to opt for online purchases. There are not too many trusted manufacturers, here are some of them:

"Iris" (Russia);
"Primavera Life" (Germany);
"Aura Gacia" (USA);
"Glorion" (Russia).

Tips for use

Changing the tone of teeth with tea tree oil is a safe and simple procedure. But even when doing this, you must adhere to several recommendations:

Strictly adhere to the recipe: observe the dosage of all components. Do not use oil more often or for longer than indicated in the recipe.
Use only natural (without additives) oil. Its cost will be slightly higher, but when compared with other whitening means, it will remain low.
As a preventative measure, bleaching is performed twice every 10 days. If an additional medicinal purpose is pursued, then the oil can be used daily for a month.
During the entire course of using the product, you should not drink drinks containing dyes. The following are prohibited: strong tea, cocoa, chocolate, coffee, wine, juices.
It is also necessary to exclude dishes that contain foods with coloring substances, for example, carrots, beets.
The result of lightening will be negatively affected by the consumption of cold (hot) foods during this period.
At the end of each procedure, you should rinse your mouth with water at room temperature. This action helps relieve numbness and remove any remaining product.
During the entire course, it is important to ensure the supply of vitamins and microelements to the body, for example, through the presence of fruits and vegetables in the diet.
It is not recommended to eat within an hour after completion of the procedure.
For smokers: limit the number of cigarettes you smoke or quit them completely.
After the first use of the oil, numbness of the lips, tongue, or an unpleasant taste may occur (these reactions are considered normal).

We invite you to read reviews about laser teeth whitening and also learn more about this procedure. By clicking on the following link: https://dentist-pro.ru/krasota-i-uxod/sredstva/zubnye-pasty/obzor-splat.html - you can find a description of the Splat Ultracomplex paste.

And in this article we will talk about the features of teeth whitening at home with hydrogen peroxide.

Tea tree oil is suitable for most people and will help lighten enamel if you follow these guidelines.

Minuses

No matter how many positive aspects there are to whitening tooth enamel with oil, there is still a fly in the ointment:

It will not be possible to achieve snow-whiteness. Using this method of whitening, you can return only the natural shade of the enamel. For a Hollywood smile, you will have to use professional lightening using special preparations.
Eating products containing dyes and smoking will cause yellowing of the enamel.
The first three minutes after the manipulations, the tongue goes numb, and taste perception changes.
Not everyone likes a specific scent.

Another disadvantage is that if the bleaching agent gets into the stomach, nausea may occur.

Dentist reviews

Dentists always welcome actions taken by patients aimed at maintaining the health of their teeth and their appearance. But they do not always approve of the methods used to achieve the desired result.

If you study the reviews of experts about tea tree oil as a means for lightening enamel, then most of them approve of it.

The main recommendation before starting to use it is to undergo examination by a specialist and identify contraindications to its use. The oil is recommended for lightening enamel, subject to strict adherence to the course of application and dosage.

Important: frequent and uncontrolled use inevitably leads to the development of pathologies of the gums and teeth.

What can you replace toothpaste with: conclusion

Having considered all of the above methods for replacing toothpaste, we can come to the conclusion that it is advisable to combine most of them, and some (salt, soda, charcoal, etc.) are not suitable for long-term use due to their powerful abrasive properties. One of the most effective and safe alternatives can be considered an irrigator and herbal mixtures.

In the question “ what to replace toothpaste with ,” all the methods indicated can be suitable, subject to the rules of use and the absence of abuse. We also recommend that you read our article: how often should you change your toothbrush, as well as the article on how to brush your teeth correctly:.

General recommendations

When whitening teeth with oil, you must adhere to certain rules:

Do not exceed the recommended dosage of oil to avoid harm.
Rinse your mouth thoroughly after the whitening procedure so that no ether taste remains. Its aroma can be removed with a solution of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice (1 spoon per glass of water).
The teeth whitening course should not last more than 1 month. Tooth enamel should rest from stress.
Only 100% product should be used.
After the whitening procedure, do not eat. The active substances of the oil must “work” in the mouth. In addition, the remaining oil taste will ruin the taste of the food.