I\u2019m trying to come up with low-cost ways to bleach my teeth so I don\u2019t have to get Zoom whitening done at my dental office. I know it sounds gross, but I swear I heard that people in Egypt used to use urine to make their teeth whiter. Is this true? If so, is it safe? — Anonymous<\/p>\n
Dear Anonymous,
\nYou\u2019re pretty close on your history. It was actually the ancient Romans who gave their teeth urine baths. Ammonia, which is a common household cleaner, can be found in urine, and does have the ability to brighten a smile. Although it\u2019s effective, it takes some time and the Romans were advised to make it part of their regular regimen. It’s no surprise that, today, most people prefer Zoom whitening because it\u2019s faster, more predictable, and, of course, a lot less gross!<\/p>\n
The Egyptians, on the other hand, were more prone to using a pumice mixture. Interestingly, pumice is still found in the prophy paste hygienists use to polish teeth today. Although it can help remove stains on the surface of a tooth, it can\u2019t get stains that have seeped into a tooth.<\/p>\n
Either case may be considered a step up from the methods used in the early 19th<\/sup> century. Barbers, who were often the one-stop-shop for all things hair, medical, and dental-related, used to shave teeth down and apply acid to them. Sure, they became whiter, but without the protective enamel, they also decayed rapidly.<\/p>\n Techniques have improved over the years because there was a need for it. Zoom whitening is a highly popular option because it delivers results safely, \u00a0quickly, and consistently. If you\u2019re hoping for quality results, but need a smaller price tag than in-office Zoom whitening, ask your dentist about custom-made take-home trays. Take-home systems work in a very similar manner and provide results over a period of days or weeks, depending on how often you use them, the strength of the solution, and how long you wear them. Plus, they do so without giving you ammonia-breath, and your close family and friends are sure to prefer the newer, more professional methods, for that very reason.<\/p>\n This post is sponsored by New Orleans cosmetic dentist<\/a> Dr. Duane Delaune. Read more about why many consider Dr. Delaune to be the best dentist in New Orleans<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I\u2019m trying to come up with low-cost ways to bleach my teeth so I don\u2019t have to get Zoom whitening done at my dental office. I know it sounds gross, but I swear I heard that people in Egypt used to use urine to make their teeth whiter. Is this true? If so, is it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[365,54,86,53,7,497],"class_list":{"0":"post-669","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-zoom-whitening","7":"tag-affordable-teeth-whitening","8":"tag-metairie-zoom-whitening","9":"tag-new-orleans-teeth-whitening","10":"tag-new-orleans-zoom-whitening","11":"tag-teeth-whitening","12":"tag-zoom-whitening-alternatives","13":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\n