I hear you—those “miracle” scrubs can be rough, especially after orthodontic work. Honestly, sticking with a gentle toothpaste is smart. I went down the charcoal rabbit hole too, and it just left my gums irritated. Sometimes boring really is better for sensitive teeth.
Sometimes boring really is better for sensitive teeth.
Couldn’t agree more. I tried the baking soda thing for a while—everyone online swears by it—but honestly, my teeth just felt kind of raw after a week. Charcoal was even worse for my gums. It’s wild how these “natural” fixes can be so harsh. I get wanting a quick boost, but gentle toothpaste has been the only thing that doesn’t set my mouth on fire. Sometimes less is just... more, you know?
We tried the “natural” route too—my kid’s dentist kept warning us but I thought, how bad could baking soda be? After a few days, her teeth looked a little whiter but she started saying her mouth felt sore and even refused to brush for a bit. That freaked me out. The charcoal thing was all over TikTok, but it’s so gritty... I can’t imagine that’s good for enamel, especially on kids’ teeth.
Is anyone else worried about long-term damage from these trends? I get wanting quick results, but at what cost? Now we just stick to the mildest toothpaste we can find and honestly, I’m way less stressed. Maybe boring is just safer when it comes to kids’ mouths. Does anyone actually know if these “quick fixes” are even safe for kids, or is it all hype?
Tried both, honestly—baking soda and charcoal. I got sucked in by all those “natural whitening” hacks, especially when I had braces and felt like my teeth were always looking a little dull. Baking soda made my mouth feel weird after a few days, kinda raw, like your kid described. Charcoal was even worse for me... it got stuck in my brackets and the gritty feeling was just gross. Plus, my orthodontist gave me this look when I mentioned it, like I’d just confessed to eating rocks.
I totally get the appeal of quick fixes, but my teeth got super sensitive, and I started worrying about wearing down the enamel. Now I just use a gentle toothpaste and stick to what my orthodontist recommends. It’s boring, yeah, but at least I’m not stressing every time I brush. Honestly, I think a lot of these trends are more about looking cool on social media than actually being safe for kids (or adults). Sometimes old-school is just less hassle.
Honestly, I think a lot of these trends are more about looking cool on social media than actually being safe for kids (or adults).
I get where you’re coming from, but I guess I’m still a little tempted by the “natural” stuff. Like, I tried baking soda for a couple weeks before my first dentist appointment in years, just hoping it’d brighten things up. My teeth didn’t get super sensitive, but the weird taste was hard to ignore. I did ask my hygienist and she said once in a while isn’t terrible—just not every day. Maybe it depends on how rough your teeth already are? For me, the biggest thing was just feeling like I was *doing* something, even if it wasn’t a miracle fix. Sometimes boring old toothpaste feels like not enough, you know?
