MANY PEOPLE say a smile is the prettiest thing you can wear.
But what if your smile isn’t white enough? The teeth whitening industry enjoys a multi-billion dollar a year market, but many are concerned about the chemicals involved and long term effects of using unnatural methods to get a glowing smile.
That’s where turmeric comes in.
You make a toothpaste using turmeric, coconut oil and baking soda, and *BAM* your ivories are brighter than the sun, right?
Well, yes. A bit.
Turmeric is a root that has long been used as a cooking spice, but has also been found to have some medicinal properties, including digestive/intestinal, anti-inflammatory, and has even been said to help prevent certain types of cancers.
It also happens to be bright yellow.
Here’s the Breakdown About Turmeric Toothpaste.
Turmeric has astringent properties and is also abrasive. It is most so in its natural root form, but is most widely available dried as a powder, so that’s what was used to test turmeric toothpaste.
The Recipe
2 parts turmeric powder to 1 part coconut oil and 1 part baking soda.
Mix together to form a paste, and keep in a cool place (coconut oil is liquid at around 74-76 degrees).
The Method
Put a generous amount on the toothbrush and brush as normal for 2 minutes.
Rinse very well with water.
The Result?
It works, sort of. It works better than using regular baking soda, which also has abrasive properties.
The Taste
The woman who tested the paste thought the recipe tasted pretty awful. Not unbearable, but not the usual pleasant and minty experience most of us are used to.
The Mess
Turmeric is bright yellow and will stain almost anything that it comes into contact with, especially skin and clothing. The “toothpaste” turns to a liquid in your mouth, so it helps to be prepared for this experience.
Turmeric toothpaste will immediately stain your toothbrush, so you may want to take this into consideration as well. It also turns your teeth yellow while brushing and requires a great deal of water to rinse your mouth clear.
The Time Commitment
Forget about the regular 2-minute routine. The rinsing, clean-up, and maybe even a change of clothes or the need to scrub the yellow from your face will definitely add time to your tooth brushing routine. On the plus side, you may get a good arm workout from scrubbing your sink clean twice a day.
Warning: Using an abrasive to give your teeth a fresh polish can be OK to do occasionally. We don’t recommend using something as abrasive as Turmeric or Baking Soda twice a day.
That’s because your gum tissue is soft and sensitive, and can become irritated and inflamed, which could even cause or exacerbate gum disease.
The MommyPotamus girl was a bit more positive:
“IT WORKS!
“You may notice an immediate difference with the first application, you may not. But if you’ll do it consistently for a few days to a week, I think you’ll be surprised by how much of a difference it makes. Hey, before you know it you’ll probably be telling your best friend, sister or mom to rub turmeric on their teeth, too!
“Will your teeth become so blindingly white that they look like they glow in the dark? No. Many of us are used to seeing ultra-white Hollywood smiles, but what’s rarely mentioned is that those smiles are often achieved by applying veneers to the front of natural teeth. It’s just not possible to bleach teeth that white, but it’s not necessary for a gorgeous, healthy looking smile either.”