Whitening teeth with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is harmful, dentist warns after viral video
A new viral TikTok video has some users questioning whether it's safe to whiten their teeth with household cleaning products.
Last month, Heather Dunn posted a video of her three-step dental hygiene routine, which ended with her rubbing a small piece of a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser on her teeth.
@theheatherdunn Reply to @robinmay19 ##teeth ##cleanteeth ##magiceraser
? original sound - Heather Dunn
Multiple dentists have said using Magic Erasers, which are cleaning sponges that contain harmful chemicals, should not be used on skin or be ingested.
"Yes, I am prepared for all the dentists that are going to come on here and be like, 'don't do it, she's crazy!' I don't care. I go to the dentist, and I don't tell them what I do, but they're like, 'you have the healthiest, strongest, cleanest teeth,' and I'm like, 'why, thank you,'" Dunn said in the video.
Dr. Benjamin Winters, a dentist who goes by the name 'The Bentist' on TikTok and has 9.7 million followers on the app, made a video warning users about this dangerous method.
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"It's basically foam that's hard as glass and acts as a really abrasive sandpaper, meaning, yeah, your teeth are white because you scrubbed all the enamel off. So, in fact, no, don't do this," Winters said.
TikTok has added a disclaimer to the original video, which says the actions in the video may result in injury.
Along with melanine, Magic Erasers contain sulfurous acid, formaldehyde, and sodium. Formaldehyde is commonly used as an embalming tool.
The video has nearly 2.5 million views.