Fact Check: Can Banana Peel, Turmeric, and Toothpaste completely Whiten Teeth in 3–4 Uses?

An Instagram post claims that "a mixture of banana peel, turmeric, salt, and toothpaste whiten teeth completely in three to four uses". The claim is misleading.

Claim

The Instagram user fried_moni posted a reel that claims that "a mixture of banana peel, turmeric, salt, and toothpaste whitens teeth completely in three to four uses". The reel states, "So, if your teeth are yellow and you feel awkward talking to someone, what should you do? Take a little piece of a banana. From the inside of the banana peel, gently scrape it, then add a little turmeric, a little salt, and any toothpaste you have at home. Mix it all together, and if you use this three to four times, your teeth will become completely white."

The post can be accessed here.

Fact Check

The claim is misleading. While banana peel, turmeric, salt, and toothpaste might help with minor surface stains, achieving fully white teeth in just 3-4 applications is unrealistic. Deep stains often require professional dental treatment.

Understanding Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening involves various techniques aimed at enhancing the brightness of teeth. This can be achieved by physically removing surface stains or chemically lightening the tooth's natural colour. Stains caused by substances like coffee, tea, and wine, as well as plaque, are typically cleared using manual tools or ultrasonic scalers. In today's world, the aesthetic appeal of teeth has become highly significant, with an increasing desire for whiter teeth and perfect smiles to enhance overall attractiveness.

Teeth whitening is commonly required to address dental discolouration, which can be either intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic discolouration occurs within the tooth and is often influenced by factors like genetics, ageing, certain medications, or excessive fluoride. On the other hand, extrinsic discolouration affects the tooth's surface and is caused by external factors such as smoking or the pigments found in foods and beverages like tea, coffee, and wine.

There are several methods available for teeth whitening, but they should be carried out only under a dentist's guidance and not attempted at home without proper advice. These options include whitening toothpaste, rinses, tray-based whiteners, and professional whitening treatments performed in a dental clinic.

Health Benefits of Banana Peel, Turmeric, Salt and Toothpaste

Bananas are a popular fruit grown in tropical and subtropical regions, with an average per capita consumption of 12 kg, making them the fourth most consumed crop after rice, wheat, and maize. Banana peels are nutrient-rich, containing potassium (K) to support heart health and regulate blood pressure, phosphorus for bone health and energy production, zinc (Zn) for immunity, and iron (Fe) in unripe peels for haemoglobin production and glucose metabolism.

Curcumin, the yellow polyphenolic compound derived from the rhizome of Curcuma longa L. (turmeric), has been used for centuries in cooking, food colouring, and traditional medicinal systems like Ayurveda and Chinese medicine. The Curcuma species is renowned for its diverse pharmacological benefits, including antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, hypocholesterolemic, hepatoprotective, antidiarrheal, stomach or intestine gas expulsion properties, diuretic, antimicrobial, antiviral, and antioxidant properties.

Salt is one of the most commonly used ingredients in daily life. Its chemical name is Sodium Chloride, represented by the formula NaCl, indicating a 1:1 ratio of Sodium and Chloride ions. Salt offers several health benefits, including maintaining electrolyte and fluid balance, transporting nutrients into cells, regulating the acid-base balance, aiding nerve impulse transmission, controlling blood pressure, and supporting the secretion of gastric acid.

Toothpaste is a specially formulated paste or gel used with a toothbrush to clean teeth and maintain their health and appearance, effectively inhibiting S. mutans biofilm and minimizing irritation or mucosal damage. Toothpaste typically contains water, abrasives (e.g., aluminium hydroxide, silica, calcium carbonate), fluoride, detergents (sodium lauryl sulfate), antibacterial agents (triclosan, zinc chloride), flavourings (peppermint, spearmint), remineralizers, humectants, antisensitivity agents, and anticalculus agents. Toothpaste is a carefully formulated paste or gel used with a toothbrush to clean teeth and maintain their health and appearance. Toothpaste with biosurfactants offers similar pH, foaming, and cleaning efficiency as commercial options while being less toxic, showing effective inhibition of S. mutans biofilm and reduced irritation or mucosal damage.

Can a mixture of banana peel, turmeric, salt, and toothpaste whiten teeth completely in three to four uses?

While banana peel, turmeric, salt, and toothpaste offer various health benefits, such as supporting heart health, regulating blood pressure, providing anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic effects, and aiding acid-base balance, toothpaste is specifically used to clean teeth and maintain oral health. Studies have highlighted the minimal or mild whitening effects of banana peel, salt, and toothpaste. However, there is no scientific evidence or medical consensus to support the claim that a mixture of banana peel, turmeric, salt, and toothpaste can completely whiten teeth in just three to four uses.

A study published in the Annals of Dental Specialty has concluded that banana peels have minimal effectiveness in whitening or bleaching teeth.

Another study on turmeric's role in teeth whitening, published in the Brazilian Dental Journal, confirmed that turmeric does not have any whitening effectiveness.

One more study addressing the role of salt was published in the AYU (An International Quarterly Journal of Research in Ayurveda), which stated that rock salt functions as a mild abrasive, removing superficial stains, and increasing saliva pH, providing antibacterial effects but does not claim complete teeth whitening in 3-4 applications.

A study published in the Odovtos International Journal of Dental Sciences concluded that all whitening toothpastes tested in vitro had a mild whitening effect. Toothpaste with activated charcoal showed greater effectiveness but also increased enamel surface roughness.

While studies have mentioned the minimal or mild whitening effects of banana peel, salt, and toothpaste, the claim fails to address the different causes of stains requiring whitening. Extrinsic stains caused by tea, coffee, or wine may be mildly reduced by this remedy, but intrinsic stains resulting from medications, excessive fluoride, yellow dentine, or genetic factors cannot be treated with such remedies and require dental supervision. It is misleading to claim that this mixture can completely whiten teeth in just 3-4 uses. Additionally, there is no consensus within the dental community supporting this claim.

Dr Jesu K Joseph, MDS, Prosthodontist, Lecturer, Sanjay Rungta Group of Institutions, Bhilai, C.G, "Using a mix of banana peel, turmeric, salt, and toothpaste may help with light surface stains caused by coffee or tea, but it won’t make teeth completely white in just 3-4 applications. Teeth discolouration often runs deeper, caused by factors like long-term medication use or the tooth’s natural structure like yellow dentine and fluorosis, which these remedies cannot address. For noticeable and safe whitening, it’s important to understand that quick fixes don’t work, and proper treatment options are necessary."

Dr. Twinkale Parekh, Orthodontist, Sanjeevani Multispeciality Clinic, Kanika New Colony, Cuttak, "Home remedies like banana peel, turmeric, salt, and toothpaste may help reduce surface stains from coffee or tea, but they cannot whiten teeth completely in just 3-4 uses. Whitening is not just about surface stains; it involves addressing multiple factors that require professional evaluation. These mixtures may offer minor benefits, but they won’t achieve dramatic or lasting results."

Health Dialogues Final Take

Banana peel, turmeric, salt, and toothpaste may help with mild surface stain removal caused by tea, coffee, or wine, but they cannot address deeper intrinsic stains caused by factors like medications, excessive fluoride, yellow dentine, or genetics. Achieving completely white teeth in just 3-4 days or applications is not possible with this mixture. While it may offer minimal benefits, deeper stains typically require specialized care under dental supervision for effective results.

Hence the claim that a mixture of banana peel, turmeric, salt, and toothpaste whiten teeth completely in three to four uses is Misleading .