# Is Urine An Effective Tooth-Whitener? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 13, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-urine-an-effective-tooth-whitener/312338 "2005-07-13T14:51:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-urine-an-effective-tooth-whitener/312338/1 "2005-07-13T14:51:22Z")
Is it true that drinking or rinsing with urine every day will make your teeth whiter? The claim does seem counterintuitive, as most people would probably think that drinking urine would make your teeth turn yellow. What is it that’s in urine that causes this effect? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-urine-an-effective-tooth-whitener/312338/2 "2005-07-13T15:06:18Z")
Somehow I knew just by reading the title of this thread who was going to turn out to be the author. How about some cite that this effect actually occurs before we try to explain it? ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-urine-an-effective-tooth-whitener/312338/3 "2005-07-13T15:45:28Z")
> [@Surreal](#): > > What is it that’s in urine that causes this effect? Urine’s fairly acidic, isn’t it? If there is such an effect, that’d be my first guess. ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-urine-an-effective-tooth-whitener/312338/4 "2005-07-13T15:47:10Z")
As the guy with the question you could perofrm the field test. Commence gargling and let us know how it turns out. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-urine-an-effective-tooth-whitener/312338/5 "2005-07-13T15:52:51Z")
Of course it whitens your teeth but since they now smell like piss you still strike out with the women. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-urine-an-effective-tooth-whitener/312338/6 "2005-07-13T15:54:07Z")
One would think that the vomiting that would occur afterward would eventually just rot your teeth away. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-urine-an-effective-tooth-whitener/312338/7 "2005-07-13T16:05:19Z")
My teeth are not brilliant white. I have never rinsed with urine. Guess that would tend to lend credence to the OP’s theory. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-urine-an-effective-tooth-whitener/312338/8 "2005-07-13T16:12:27Z")
Surely it would be more effective and fun to experiment to see if semen is an effective tooth whitener. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-urine-an-effective-tooth-whitener/312338/9 "2005-07-13T16:17:26Z")
Not sure about urine=whitening, but eating feces is said to make you grin like a loon. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-urine-an-effective-tooth-whitener/312338/10 "2005-07-13T17:04:26Z")
> [@Bippy the Beardless](#): > > Surely it would be more effective and fun to experiment to see if semen is an effective tooth whitener. 😉 Why miss, you’ve got the whitest teeth I’ve ever come accross… ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-urine-an-effective-tooth-whitener/312338/11 "2005-07-13T17:53:00Z")
Thanks. **Colibri** - _“How about some cite that this effect actually occurs before we try to explain it?”_ I don’t think anybody here will be able to find a link to a scientific study on the effectiveness of drinking urine at whitening teeth, but the historical record suggests that this is likely to be the case: [http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node=toothpaste](http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node=toothpaste) _“Roman toothpaste was made with human urine, and could be used as a mouthwash in its liquid form. The urine from the Portuguese was considered the strongest and therefore the most expensive. (Urine as an ingredient in toothpaste continued to be used through the 18th century)”_ ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-urine-an-effective-tooth-whitener/312338/12 "2005-07-13T19:30:50Z")
Even if it did work, do you think ol’ Halitosticus would have been inclined to smile after a swig of Portugese bladder juice? ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-urine-an-effective-tooth-whitener/312338/13 "2005-07-13T19:36:24Z")
I’ve read (can’t remember now where) that drinking one’sown urine promotes general health. Supposedly it tastes like warm beer. That alone would be enough to put me off, but, to each his own. I have wanted something to whiten my tobacco stained teeth, but using mine or anyone’s urine is farther than I am willing to go. When I win the lotto I plan to get them capped. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-urine-an-effective-tooth-whitener/312338/14 "2005-07-13T21:36:49Z")
> [@Surreal](#): > > _"The urine from the Portuguese was considered the strongest and therefore the most expensive. "_ You mean comparison studies were done? “Pepsi challenges” were performed? “While the French urine has a pungent nose and robust color, and the Spanish urine has a much smoother aftertaste, all around quality must go to the Portuguese urine. Especially after the asparagus harvest.” ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-urine-an-effective-tooth-whitener/312338/15 "2005-07-13T21:40:09Z")
Question is, do you _really_ need to have your teeth that white? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-urine-an-effective-tooth-whitener/312338/16 "2005-07-13T22:40:36Z")
> [@Surreal](#): > > Thanks. > > **Colibri** - _“How about some cite that this effect actually occurs before we try to explain it?”_ > > I don’t think anybody here will be able to find a link to a scientific study on the effectiveness of drinking urine at whitening teeth, but the historical record suggests that this is likely to be the case: > > [http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node=toothpaste](http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node=toothpaste) > > _“Roman toothpaste was made with human urine, and could be used as a mouthwash in its liquid form. The urine from the Portuguese was considered the strongest and therefore the most expensive. (Urine as an ingredient in toothpaste continued to be used through the 18th century)”_ Come back when you can give me a site that takes history a bit more seriously. Or else give me another credible cite that backs up this one. And, I read nothing that would indicate that urine makes your teeth whiter. Closed. **samclem** GQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-urine-an-effective-tooth-whitener/312338/17 "2005-07-14T00:24:52Z")
Opened again, at the sage advice of **Bippy**. But, dammit, give me some primary cites here. Tired of internet factoids. **samclem** GQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-urine-an-effective-tooth-whitener/312338/18 "2005-07-14T00:38:31Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > But, dammit, give me some primary cites here. Tired of internet factoids. Like I said in my (redundant) thread questioning the closure, the closest thing to a cite for the belief that the Romans used urine for tooth-whitening that I have been able to find is Catallus’ poem [On Egnatius of the White Teeth](http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text.jsp?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0005:poem=39): > [@Sir Richard Francis Burton](#): > > Thou Celtiber art, in Celtiberia born, > Where man who’s urined therewith loves a-morn > His teeth and ruddy gums to scour and score; > So the more polisht are your teeth, the more > Argue they sipping stale in ampler store. [A modern English translation:](http://rudy.negenborn.net/catullus/text2/e39.htm) > [@](#): > > _Now you are a Celtiberian: in the land of Celtiberia, > whatever each man has urinated, with this he is accustomed > in the morning to rub his teeth and gums until they are red, > so that the more polished those teeth of yours are, > the more urine they proclaim you to have drunk._ It seems to me that the source of the “Romans brushed their teeth with urine” meme _may_ be a Roman poet attributing the practice to the inhabitants of Spain, rather than a recommendation of using urine for this purpose. So it may _always_ have been a “Can you _believe_ they could be so dirty?” sort of thing. That being said, urine has been highly valued for practical purposes until the last coupla hundred years – particularly stale urine, valued for its ammonia. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-urine-an-effective-tooth-whitener/312338/19 "2005-07-14T00:48:55Z")
> [@DesertGeezer](#): > > I’ve read (can’t remember now where) that drinking one’sown urine promotes general health. I’ve heard this too, but I’m pretty sure it’s utter bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-urine-an-effective-tooth-whitener/312338/20 "2005-07-14T01:08:00Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I’ve heard this too, but I’m pretty sure it’s utter bullshit. Cecil expresses skeptism about the supposed health benefits of drinking urine in the last section of [this column](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_220.html). I imagine formal scientific studies one way or another are probably in short supply. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-urine-an-effective-tooth-whitener/312338.md?page=2)