How to whiten teeth naturally: what the studies actually show

Can you whiten teeth naturally?

A tooth’s color comes from two places. Surface stains are colored compounds that build up on enamel, from coffee, tea, red wine, cola, dark fruit or tobacco. The tooth’s own color lies deeper: with age, the American Dental Association (ADA) explains, enamel grows thinner and more translucent and lets the yellower dentin beneath show through. Products such as toothpastes act mainly on surface stains and do not significantly change the tooth’s own color; changing it takes a chemical reaction, most often with hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide.

A remedy from the kitchen can, at most, act on the surface. A 2020 systematic review of natural, peroxide-free agents, from papain and bromelain to baking soda and salt with vinegar, found only five studies, all in the lab, and concluded that they do not support natural agents as bleaches.

In a 2023 lab study on 60 extracted human teeth stained with coffee, the over-the-counter agents tested, baking soda among them, at most removed the stain, while hydrogen peroxide lightened the teeth further; after the study, its first author developed products with a fruit enzyme and set up a company.

The ADA’s consumer site puts it plainly: a natural method is not necessarily a healthy one, and DIY whitening can do more harm than good. One 2022 review claims that fruits such as lemons and strawberries whiten more gently than peroxide, but it is a narrative review, not a systematic one, and the systematic review and most of the lab studies we found do not bear it out.

Popularity is no guide either: of the first 100 English-language YouTube videos on teeth whitening, analyzed in 2020, only 12 offered good-quality information, and the poor-quality ones gathered views the fastest.

References: [1] ADA MouthHealthy (natural whitening) · [2] ADA (2022) · [3] Ribeiro et al. (2020) · [4] Müller-Heupt et al. (2023) · [5] Gasmi Benahmed et al. (2022) · [6] Simsek et al. (2020) · [7] Li (2017) · [10] Akwagyiram et al. (2016) · [11] Kwon et al. (2015) · [16] Ribeiro et al. (2024) · [17] da Silva et al. (2024) · [20] Cutrim et al. (2024) · [23] Woolley et al. (2020) · [24] Şahin and Aydın (2026) · [25] Maciel et al. (2022) · [26] Kandalkar et al. (2025) · [31] Yaacob and Park (1990) · [33] DGCCRF, DGS, Afssaps (2011) · [36] GDC · [38] Gerlach et al. (2005) · [52] ADA News (2017)

Does baking soda whiten teeth?

Most of what is known about baking soda comes from toothpastes, and much of it from their makers. A 2017 review concludes that baking-soda toothpastes remove stain effectively and safely; it appeared in a journal supplement sponsored by a maker of such toothpastes. A companion review in the same supplement explains that baking soda is softer than enamel and dentin, so only mildly abrasive on its own, though toothpastes may add ingredients that raise abrasivity.

The trials are mixed. In a six-week trial of 146 people, led by an author employed by the paste’s maker, a toothpaste with baking soda and peroxide cut surface-stain scores by 61.6%, while a silica paste barely changed them. In a six-week trial of 160 people using a prescription mouthwash that stains teeth, funded by another toothpaste maker, a paste with 67% baking soda did no better overall than a silica paste at keeping that stain down, though it did better on the outer surfaces.

In the lab, on 120 extracted molars, a strawberry and baking soda mix produced the smallest color change of all the whitening methods tested.

We found no study of brushing with plain baking soda powder, and no official source that gives a frequency. The ADA’s consumer site counts baking soda among the abrasive household staples promoted for whitening, and warns that a material too abrasive can make teeth look more yellow.

In France, the UFSBD, the French oral health association, notes that larger polishing particles are more abrasive and can damage enamel. In 2018, its spokesperson told a health site that baking soda brightens teeth by polishing them, and that adding lemon makes things worse.

References: [1] ADA MouthHealthy (natural whitening) · [7] Li (2017) · [8] Hara and Turssi (2017) · [9] Ghassemi et al. (2012) · [10] Akwagyiram et al. (2016) · [11] Kwon et al. (2015) · [12] UFSBD · [13] E-Santé, UFSBD (2018) · [52] ADA News (2017)

Do lemon and apple cider vinegar whiten teeth?

Lemons, oranges and apple cider vinegar are on the ADA’s list of natural whitening claims it labels fiction. Fruit is a good choice when eaten as usual, its consumer site says, but acidic fruit and vinegar put teeth at risk when their contact is prolonged or when they are used to scrub, because acid can wear away enamel. The ADA’s evidence summary lists them among the DIY techniques promoted online whose efficacy and safety remain in question.

In France, the UFSBD spokesperson told a health site in 2018 that lemon juice applied regularly gives an impression of shine, and warned against it because of its acidity. For what lemon, vinegar or any acid does to your own teeth, that’s one for a dentist to look at.

References: [1] ADA MouthHealthy (natural whitening) · [2] ADA (2022) · [13] E-Santé, UFSBD (2018)

Does activated charcoal whiten teeth?

The clinical evidence is thin, and it points one way. A 2017 review in the Journal of the American Dental Association found too little clinical and lab data to back the safety and efficacy claims of charcoal toothpastes and powders: none of 13 studies of brushing with raw charcoal met its criteria, and products sold online made unsubstantiated claims, from antibacterial to “detox”.

In a 2024 randomized trial of 56 volunteers, 14 days of charcoal powder or charcoal toothpaste changed tooth color no more than a regular fluoride toothpaste, while a 10% carbamide peroxide gel whitened clearly.

Lab studies agree. A 2023 systematic review of 11 lab studies, at medium to high risk of bias, concluded that charcoal toothpastes whiten less than other options and may be less safe because they are more abrasive. In other lab studies, all on cow enamel, a charcoal powder used for 14 days had no bleaching effect, charcoal powders roughened enamel or caused the most wear and loss of gloss, and after about six months of simulated brushing, one charcoal paste darkened the samples more than the control.

In a 2023 lab study, 12 charcoal toothpastes measured an abrasivity range similar to that of ordinary toothpastes, but many contained no fluoride; loose powders were not measured. The ADA’s evidence summary finds insufficient evidence that any charcoal product, from toothpaste to tablets, measurably whitens teeth with adequate safety, and its consumer site finds no evidence that charcoal products are safe or effective. In France, the UFSBD spokesperson called charcoal powder very abrasive, saying it wears enamel.

References: [1] ADA MouthHealthy (natural whitening) · [2] ADA (2022) · [13] E-Santé, UFSBD (2018) · [14] Brooks et al. (2017) · [15] Tomás et al. (2023) · [16] Ribeiro et al. (2024) · [17] da Silva et al. (2024) · [18] Zoller et al. (2023) · [19] Franco et al. (2020) · [20] Cutrim et al. (2024) · [21] Santos et al. (2026)

Does oil pulling with coconut oil whiten teeth?

Oil pulling means swishing an oil, often coconut oil, around the mouth. A 2020 systematic review of coconut oil pulling found four small trials of 7 to 14 days; none measured whitening, and the risk of bias was high.

The only color measurement we found comes from a 2026 trial of 100 dental students who stopped brushing for four days. Teeth grew darker and yellower in almost every participant, about as much with coconut, black cumin seed or terebinth oil as with distilled water; only the prescription mouthwash used for comparison changed their color markedly, by staining.

The ADA’s consumer site finds no reliable scientific evidence that oil pulling whitens teeth, and its evidence summary notes that no whitening from it has been documented. An ADA spokesperson, quoted in a news report the ADA summarized, said that swishing a food-safe oil is unlikely to be harmful, but should never replace evidence-based care.

We found no study behind any number of sessions a week, or behind doing it before or after brushing. For anything to do with your gums, that’s one for a dentist to look at.

References: [1] ADA MouthHealthy (natural whitening) · [2] ADA (2022) · [22] ADA News, oil pulling · [23] Woolley et al. (2020) · [24] Şahin and Aydın (2026)

Do turmeric, strawberries or salt whiten teeth?

The ADA’s consumer site sees no reliable evidence that turmeric whitens teeth. In a 2022 lab study on cow enamel, it did no better than a regular toothpaste, and in a 2025 lab study, the enamel of extracted human teeth held less turmeric pigment than coffee pigment. What it does to resins and aligners is covered in our guide to turmeric and teeth.

Strawberries have less behind them than their reputation. The ADA reports that a strawberry and baking soda mix gave no measurable whitening in a lab study, and its consumer site lists enzyme fruits such as pineapple and mango among the claims it calls fiction. Two lab studies did find an effect: one of a prepared strawberry extract on stained teeth, which is not eating or rubbing strawberries, and one of lemon juice, baking soda, charcoal and strawberries on 90 teeth that had not been stained, whose authors call for further studies.

The fruit enzymes papain and bromelain do appear in some toothpastes. In a one-month trial of 90 adults, without a placebo group, an enzyme toothpaste reduced surface stain as well as an abrasive whitening one, and in a two-week trial of 24 people, measured from photos, an enzyme toothpaste removed more stain than a regular one. Removing stain is not bleaching, though: the 2020 systematic review found that peroxide-free agents such as these did not improve bleaching on their own in the lab.

Salt has little behind it. In a 1990 survey of 350 villagers in Malaysia, all 31 who cleaned their teeth with table salt and charcoal showed abrasion, and the ADA calls the mixture abrasive and ineffective.

In a lab study on cow teeth, no toothpaste tested, a sea salt and lemon one included, brought stained teeth back to their starting color, and all roughened the surface; the UFSBD spokesperson called sea salt abrasive. We found no study of salt alone, garlic, clove, or crunchy foods such as apples on tooth color.

References: [1] ADA MouthHealthy (natural whitening) · [2] ADA (2022) · [3] Ribeiro et al. (2020) · [13] E-Santé, UFSBD (2018) · [25] Maciel et al. (2022) · [26] Kandalkar et al. (2025) · [27] Kohli et al. (2021) · [28] Abidia et al. (2023) · [29] Patil et al. (2015) · [30] Chakravarthy and Acharya (2012) · [31] Yaacob and Park (1990) · [32] ElAziz et al. (2022)

Is it safe to whiten teeth with hydrogen peroxide at home?

Hydrogen peroxide is the bleach in most whitening products, and its strength is regulated. In the EU, oral products sold to consumers, whitening ones included, may contain or release at most 0.1% hydrogen peroxide; products from 0.1 to 6% may be sold only to dentists, for adults, under rules now set by Regulation (EU) No 344/2013. French authorities set out these limits in 2011 and the French dental council repeated them in 2022. In the UK, the General Dental Council states that supplying or applying products above 6% for cosmetic purposes is illegal.

We found no study of whitening with household hydrogen peroxide and no statement on it from the US Food and Drug Administration; the ADA’s consumer site only lists a baking soda and peroxide paste among the scrubs it calls fiction.

Peroxide rinses gave mixed results: the 2018 Cochrane review counts peroxide mouthwash among home products that whitened more than a placebo, with low to very low certainty, while in a one-week trial of 28 people run by industry researchers, a 2% peroxide rinse did not whiten and teeth were slightly yellower by day 8. That strength is already above the EU cap.

In 2011, French authorities listed sensitivity, changes to enamel and irritation of the lining of the mouth among the risks of products above the 0.1% limit, and said whitening should not be repeated too often.

Labels are not always reliable either: when researchers in Hungary test-bought high-peroxide gels online, one of the five delivered contained no active ingredient, two were about 80% weaker than their label said and two up to 9% stronger.

EU and UK rules bar whitening products above 0.1% for anyone under 18. For a child or a teenager, or for irritation or sensitivity, that’s one for a dentist to look at.

References: [1] ADA MouthHealthy (natural whitening) · [33] DGCCRF, DGS, Afssaps (2011) · [34] Règlement (UE) 344/2013 · [35] ONCD (2022) · [36] GDC · [37] Cochrane (2018) · [38] Gerlach et al. (2005) · [39] Fittler et al. (2023)

How to whiten teeth without damaging enamel

Abrasion is the trade-off in every scrub: the ADA’s consumer site warns that a scrub too rough can wear enamel down to the yellower dentin. Toothpaste abrasivity is measured on dentin as RDA: the ADA considers pastes at or below 250 safe and effective, requires that limit for its Seal of Acceptance, and says lifelong proper brushing at that level causes limited wear of dentin and virtually none of enamel. The ADA also says RDA should not be used to rank toothpastes by safety.

RDA does not describe enamel. Enamel abrasivity is measured as REA, and the ISO 11609 standard caps it at 40, according to a 2023 lab study. In that study, on cow teeth, the paste with the lowest dentin abrasivity, RDA 12, wore enamel the most, at REA 244; a 2020 lab study of 20 toothpastes found that diamond-powder pastes are mild on dentin but highly abrasive on enamel. Twelve charcoal toothpastes measured RDA 24 to 166 and REA 0 to 14. For kitchen powders, we found no verified figure.

Abrasivity is not the only measure: a 2022 systematic review of lab studies found that whitening toothpastes made enamel rougher and less hard than the controls, water or a regular paste. A toothpaste’s abrasivity can be measured, and in the US the ADA Seal caps it; a kitchen powder is held to no such limit. The UFSBD advises asking a dentist which toothpaste to choose, especially when teeth are sensitive.

References: [1] ADA MouthHealthy (natural whitening) · [12] UFSBD · [18] Zoller et al. (2023) · [40] ADA, toothpastes (2026) · [41] Dobler et al. (2023) · [42] Hamza et al. (2020) · [43] Jamwal et al. (2022)

What whitens teeth instead of home remedies?

For surface stains, a whitening toothpaste is the tested option: a 2018 systematic review of clinical trials lasting at least six weeks found that nearly all toothpastes formulated for whitening reduced surface discoloration more than a regular toothpaste; in a lab study on tea-stained cow teeth, a regular toothpaste did not whiten at all. The ADA adds that a wide range of surface stains can be reduced by brushing with a whitening toothpaste or by a professional cleaning.

For the tooth’s own color, the trials tested peroxide. The 2018 Cochrane review of 71 trials found that home bleaching products, peroxide gels, strips and rinses among them, whitened teeth more than a placebo over two weeks to six months, with low to very low certainty.

The UK’s Oral Health Foundation says whitening can safely lighten natural color when a dental professional does it, while shop-bought strips and gels usually change it little; the NHS adds that whitening only works on natural teeth, and that kits from a pharmacy or online do not work as well and may harm teeth and gums.

The ADA’s page on natural whitening ends with everyday habits: brushing twice a day for two minutes, a whitening toothpaste with its Seal, cleaning between the teeth once a day, limiting coffee, tea and red wine, not smoking, and regular checkups and cleanings.

References: [1] ADA MouthHealthy (natural whitening) · [2] ADA (2022) · [37] Cochrane (2018) · [44] Soeteman et al. (2018) · [45] Vaz et al. (2019) · [46] Oral Health Foundation · [47] NHS

Whiter teeth in one day? How to tell whether anything changed

Quick changes are not always what they seem. Blue covarine, a blue pigment in some toothpastes, acts on how color is perceived: in a 2025 trial of 66 people run by a toothpaste maker’s researchers, such pastes raised measured whiteness right after one brushing. A meta-analysis published in late 2025, of small, varied studies, found better color perception than with placebo or other methods, and called for long-term data.

Drying works the same way: teeth kept dry for 30 minutes look lighter. In one clinical study, many teeth were still off their usual color after 30 minutes of rehydration, and the authors judged color reliable to read after 24 hours.

To tell whether anything changed, compare like with like: photos taken with the same phone, in the same room and light, with the same smile, and never just after your teeth have dried out. Several photos taken the same way say more than a single before and after.

Enamel’s guided scan is taken in a dim room, lit only by the iPhone screen; it is measured on the iPhone, and your shade is placed on a 16-step scale. Your check-ins, weekly or every two weeks, are compared with your day 0 reference scan, and a change is named only when it is clear. Enamel sells nothing and names no brand.

References: [48] Zhang et al. (2025) · [49] Jelenčiakova et al. (2025) · [50] Burki et al. (2013) · [51] Hatırlı et al. (2021)