What all do you do to keep your pearly whites the way they are? Brush your teeth twice or thrice a day or visit your dentist every fortnightly? Well, visiting your dentist so often may burn a hole in your pocket; moreover, sometimes brushing your teeth twice a day is not the only solution. The enamel on our teeth wears out with age and prolonged use. Many of us use various kinds of teeth-whitening products, which can make our smile brighter, but might also lead to tooth damage, as per the researchers from the Stockton University in the US.
Researchers found that hydrogen peroxide - an active ingredient present in whitening strips - may harm the protein-rich dentin tissue, which is found under our tooth's enamel. The study focused on dentin, which makes up most of the tooth and has high levels of protein, which is mostly collagen.
Researchers found out that the protein content in the dentin is transformed to smaller fragments when treated with hydrogen peroxide. In other experiments, they treated pure collagen with hydrogen peroxide and then analysed the protein using a gel electrophoresis laboratory technique that allows the protein to be visualised.
"Our results showed that treatment with hydrogen peroxide concentrations similar to those found in whitening strips is enough to make the original collagen protein disappear, which is presumably due to the formation of many smaller fragments," said Kelly Keenan, Associate Professor at the varsity.
The findings of their studies did not successfully prove if the collagen and other proteins present in our teeth can be regenerated; therefore, it remained unclear if the tooth damage is permanent or not. Further, they plan to test the protein fragments that were released during collagen treatment with hydrogen peroxide to find out if hydrogen peroxide has the same effect on other proteins in our teeth.
The findings were presented during the 2019 Experimental Biology meeting held in Orlando, Florida.
Damage to the dentin can make the tooth very sensitive
Home Remedies To Keep Your Teeth White:
1. Baking Soda - Take a bowl and mix half teaspoon baking soda with half teaspoon water. Dip your toothbrush in the mixture and start brushing. Better still, use your finger tips to brush your teeth with the mixture - keep it for about one minute.
2. Fruit Peel - Take an orange peel and rub it on your teeth. Orange peel is rich in magnesium, manganese and potassium - all of which recharges the enamel. Make sure you brush your teeth a few minutes later after this.
3. Apple Cider Vinegar - Rub your teeth with apple cider vinegar and rinse off thoroughly. Do this for a few days to get that bright and beautiful white smile.