Natural Teeth Whitening

Sparkling white teeth and a million dollar smile is what everyone yearns for. However, teeth discoloration caused due to smoking, food habits and bad dental hygiene can play spoilsport to your million dollar smile. While dental treatments for teeth whitening are available, not many of us can afford spending thousands of dollars on these professional treatments. Here are some natural teeth whitening tips that will help you attain that pearly smile without pricey cosmetic dentistry treatments.

How You Can Whiten Your Teeth Naturally

Use of Baking Soda: Sodium bicarbonate or baking soda as it is commonly known is an alkaline powder whose stain molecules interact with the teeth stains to break down the discoloration and the yellowish stains off your teeth. This chemical has been used extensively in toothpastes for cleaning the teeth, removing the stains and reducing the bacteria. However, if you want to use the baking soda treatment at home, then mix a small amount of the chemical with your toothpaste and brush your teeth. One age-old teeth whitening technique is the use of baking soda with salt or apple cider vinegar to remove the plaque and kill the bacteria.

Like all natural teeth whitening methods, the use of baking soda too has its set of downsides. The abrasive nature of baking soda wears off the teeth enamel leaving it weak and damaged with frequent use. It can also irritate the gums and result in painful gum infections.

Use of Lemon Juice and Peels: One of the simple solutions, is the use of lemon juice and peels. The presence of citric acid in the lemon peels and juice has natural bleaching agents that helps in teeth whitening. Brushing your teeth with lemon juice or rubbing the peels across the teeth helps reduce the stains on the teeth.

It is important to keep in mind that the strong citric acid in lemon can cause quite a bit of damage to your teeth. From destroying the teeth calcium, to damaging the teeth enamel and fostering tooth decay, lemon peels and juice should ideally be avoided.

Use of Hydrogen Peroxide: Using teeth whitening agents such as hydrogen peroxide to remove the teeth discoloration is one of the best methods. You can gargle with hydrogen peroxide by swishing it around your mouth and then rinsing off with cold water. Although hydrogen peroxide is touted as being a safe teeth whitening method, there is a possibility that it may cause tooth sensitivity and gum infections in the long run.

Use of Wood Ash: Hardwood ash contains potassium hydroxide which has bleaching agents that help in teeth whitening. Brushing your teeth with wood ash helps in reducing the teeth discoloration and helps whiten the teeth. While it is said that brushing your teeth with wood ash does help with the teeth whitening, it is important to keep in mind that long term potassium use can harm the teeth enamel.

Use of Strawberries: Mashed strawberries are rubbed over the teeth to remove the ugly teeth stains. The malic acid present in the strawberries helps in bleaching the teeth and removing the discoloration as well. However, with the use of strawberries it is best to watch out for the wear and tear of the teeth enamel and the tooth decay caused by the natural fruit sugar components.

Crunchy Vegetables: Crunchy vegetables like carrots, cucumber, broccoli are not only good for your body but also help reduce the teeth discoloration to quite an extent. They help remove the plaque and tartar and restore the white shine to your teeth. Moreover, unlike other methods, there are no side effects associated with this method.

While some people swear by these inexpensive natural teeth whitening tips which they say have been passed down generations, it is important to keep in mind that some of these methods of teeth whitening at home may prove to be dangerous. So use these teeth whitening products in moderation to keep your teeth not only sparkling white but also healthy and strong.