Totally Bananas! Use Banana Peels to Whiten Your Teeth?

The Internet is a wonderful tool for information, but those who use it for research must always check sources and be skeptical about whatever they find. There is a rumor floating around about using fruit as all-natural teeth whiteners—specifically banana peels.

The scurrilous claim is that minerals in banana peels (such as potassium, magnesium and manganese) are absorbed by the teeth, making them several shades whiter. Miraculously, all that you need to do is rub the inside of a banana peel on your teeth for 2 minutes each day for a couple weeks.This is just more evidence that you can’t believe everything you find on the Internet.

So, let’s try and set the record straight. Besides anecdotal claims by bloggers, there is absolutely NO evidence that banana peels can whiten teeth. The American Dental Association (ADA), which is the industry leader in dental health information, knows nothing about this supposed holistic “breakthrough.” And, counter claims about it not working also abound, some reported by dental professionals who have tried the procedure only to find that no whitening was noticeable. To be fair, you cannot believe anything on the Internet at face value, even those who claim they are professionals.

It’s better to eat the banana and throw away the peel. Fruits are healthy to eat, but contain acids and sugars that need to be immediately removed from the mouth because they are harmful to dental health. The only way to keep your teeth from becoming yellow is to regularly brush twice a day, don’t smoke, and keep away from food and drink that stain teeth such as coffee, tea, brown sodas, etc. Of course, teeth will naturally yellow a few shades with age. So, if you want to take a more aggressive approach to whiten them there are multiple over-the-counter products, and your dentist can give you the professional tooth whitening treatment with immediate results the same-day.

If you would like more information about tooth whitening procedures, call our helpful team at 619-542-1800. Make an appointment or come by our office in San Diego, California.