How to Whiten Your Teeth at Home

The white color of the enamel of the teeth becomes darker with time, which makes our teeth to look dull. Enamel is the outermost part of the teeth and is translucent. With growing age, the enamel becomes less porous, but more transparent, which can cause tooth discoloration. Even daily activities like, eating or chewing foods can cause tiny cracks and crevices to develop in the enamel, which can eventually get filled up with stains and debris to make the teeth look yellowish in color. Factors like, consumption of tea and coffee, smoking, fluorosis and intake of certain drugs like tetracycline, can also contribute to teeth discoloration. However, it is possible to whiten discolored teeth with the various tooth bleaching or whitening methods. In this article, we are mainly going to discuss how to whiten your teeth at home. But before that, let's take a brief look at teeth whitening cost.

How Much Does it Cost to Whiten Your Teeth?

Teeth whitening is a part of cosmetic dentistry. The cost of teeth whitening depends on whether you opt for the professional teeth whitening, home teeth whitening or natural teeth whitening. Professional teeth whitening or in office teeth whitening can cost somewhere between $300 to $800. However, teeth whitening cost also depends on the particular methods used for whitening teeth. The more commonly used teeth whitening methods are, bleaching strips or teeth whitening strips, bleaching gel, bleaching pen and laser bleaching. Out of these, laser bleaching is the most expensive method, which can cost more than $1000. Whitening strips and trays with whitening gels are less expensive than laser bleaching.

How to Whiten Your Teeth at Home Fast?

You can find a number of products in the market for whitening teeth at home. Some of the most commonly used products are, whitening toothpastes, whitening strips and trays with bleaching gel. These products can give you whiter teeth at a much less cost than professional or in office teeth whitening. Apart from these, several other products that can be readily found in almost every house can be used for whitening your teeth. So, here are some tips on how to whiten your teeth at home naturally.

Whiten Teeth with Strawberry
Strawberry is a natural teeth whitener. It contains malic acid, which helps to remove stains from the surface of the teeth. First crush a strawberry and then add some baking soda to it. Mix them well to get a smooth paste and then apply it on your teeth. After five minutes, rinse your mouth and brush the teeth properly to remove the mixture from your teeth.

Baking Soda for Teeth Whitening
If you are wondering how to whiten your teeth with baking soda, then you would like to know that this readily available household product can be used in several different ways for teeth whitening. You can use baking soda alone, with a little amount of water added to it. Make a fine paste of baking soda and rub it on your teeth to remove stains. Keep it for a few minutes and then rinse off completely with clean water. Otherwise, you can mix 3 teaspoons of baking soda with one teaspoon of table salt, and use it as a tooth powder to whiten your teeth. Use of baking soda for teeth whitening can also help to eliminate bad breath, as it can destroy bacteria inside the mouth. Excessive use of baking soda for teeth whitening however, should be avoided.

Teeth Whitening with Hydrogen Peroxide
Swishing your mouth with hydrogen peroxide for one or two minutes can also whiten your teeth. Hydrogen peroxide possesses strong oxidizing and bleaching properties. To get better results, you can mix a small amount of hydrogen peroxide with baking soda to make a thick paste. Use it as a toothpaste to brush your teeth and then rinse the mouth properly. This is considered by many as the best way to whiten your teeth. Be sure to buy only 2 or 3 % hydrogen peroxide solution available for home use.

Wood Ash for Teeth Whitening
Wood ash contains potassium hydroxide, which has bleaching properties. Hard wood ash can therefore, clean and whiten teeth by removing stains. However, regular and frequent use of wood ash needs to be avoided, as it can wear away the enamel of the teeth. So, wood ash for teeth whitening should be used only in moderation.

So, this was all about how to whiten your teeth at home. It should be kept in mind that frequent teeth whitening or bleaching can cause increased tooth sensitivity. Even prolonged use of teeth whitening home remedies like, baking soda and wood ash can corrode the tooth enamel. So, teeth whitening should be done only occasionally to maintain dental health and avoid teeth whitening problems like, tooth sensitivity, gum irritation and erosion of the enamel.