Did you know that turmeric is extremely affordable and easy to prepare at home, making turmeric based toothpaste and mouthwash an attractive solution for whitening, especially when compared to the plethora of expensive and chemical based teeth whitening regiments and their side-effects?<\/p>\n
But before you stock up on turmeric powder, let\u2019s get some of the most common questions out of the way.<\/p>\n
No, and no. These notions are scientifically unfounded, despite turmeric\u2019s beautiful orange and yellow hue.<\/p>\n
However, turmeric does have mildly abrasive properties so it should not be used every day like normal toothpaste and mouthwash (3<\/a>). We recommend using a turmeric based oral product once a week or every other week to naturally whiten your teeth in conjunction with daily oral care such as brushing and flossing.<\/p>\n In general, there is a larger body of evidence supporting tumeric\u2019s therapeutic and anti-inflammatory properties<\/a>. Not only is turmeric a promising cancer treatment, but experts describe turmeric as a \u201csafe, nontoxic, and effective alternative for many conventional drugs.\u201d So it stands to reason why turmeric is effective against the \u201cclinical inflammatory parameters of gingivitis.\u201d<\/p>\n While more science regarding turmeric\u2019s efficacy as a whitening agent is necessary, here\u2019s what we do have. Turmeric and, by extension its active ingredient, curcumin, were recently the subject of a clinical trial comprised of 150 participants who, for 28 consecutive days, used either a curcumin based mouthwash, a placebo mouthwash, or a traditional chlorhexidine mouthwash. (Cholrhexidine mouthwash is a medication is used along with regular tooth brushing\/flossing to treat gingivitis.)<\/span><\/p>\n Researchers concluded that their clinical trial \u201cproves the antiplaque and antigingivitis efficacy of curcumin mouthwash.\u201d<\/p>\n Side note: chlorhexidine mouthwash is not so great. While chlorhexidine both kills and inhibits the growth of bacteria in the mouth, it does so in such an aggressive way that the side effects can often be much worse than having stained teeth (2<\/a>).<\/em><\/p>\n Common side effects of chlorhexidine and products that include it can include:<\/em><\/p>\nWhat Does Science Say About Turmeric?<\/h3>\n
Can Turmeric Be Used to Whiten Teeth?<\/a><\/h2>\n