Nowadays, in the world we are living in, white teeth, shiny and thin hair are one of the many desires of this cosmetically driven world. Research shows that more than $1.4 billion dollars are spent by Americans to buy over the counters home remedies whitening products. I have to admit that yellow, brown teeth are quite embarrassing and with an option, I would pay to have them whitened. Many people may go for OTC as the quick option to whiten their teeth; this is a good way too but there are chances that you will be facing side effects for this method such as tooth sensitivity. With a little bit of patience, you can naturally whiten your teeth at home without endangering them. But first, we need to understand why our teeth turn yellow:
Quick NavigationWhy Your Teeth Appear YellowHome Remedies Of Teeth WhiteningUse of Baking soda and Lemon as Tooth PasteStrawberries, Baking Soda and Salt ScrubCoconut Oil RinseUse of ClayUse of Dilute Hydrogen Peroxide as a Tooth WhitenerTypes of Food To Eat That Will Keep Your Teeth HealthyFoods That You Should Avoid To Keep Your Teeth White and HealthyFinal Tips
Why Your Teeth Appear Yellow
While celebrate teeth appears sparkling most of other people’s teeth appears yellow or brown. Though this shouldn’t surprise you there are many factors behind your teeth discoloration these include:
- Genetics
- Kind of food you consume
- How well you keep dental hygiene
The tooth is composed of four tissues namely enamel, pulp, cementum and dentin.
- Enamel- is the hard yellow looking material covering the tooth to offer protection
- Pulp- The center of the tooth, contains blood and lymph vessels
- Cementum- Helps cover the roots of the tooth
- Dentin- Supports the enamel together with the hard yellow part carrying the nerves
The dentin and enamel part plays the biggest role in tooth color. Certain foods and drinks affect the enamel and stain them directly. Over a long period of time, the biggest players in tooth discoloration are nasty drinks and foods that affect and break down the enamel. When the enamel is broken, it reveals the yellow part on dentin underneath. The home remedies in this article focuses on whitening the tooth that may have lost the enamel and keeping in mind that the enamel is also import hence it is paramount to keep it strengthened. Below are the descriptions of several home remedies, foods you should eat and practices that can prevent your teeth from discoloration and help you restore your smile. The article also suggests more tips on how to keep your mouth fresh and heathy.
Home Remedies Of Teeth Whitening
Sometimes teeth whitening can be costly. Lucky for you we have some great home remedies for teeth whitening. Baking soda is comprised of sodium bicarbonate and it is mildly abrasive. When used in this case, it gently scrubs the stains on the surface leaving the teeth whiter. Baking soda as you all know is alkaline in nature, one of the main causes of discoloration is that we take in a lot of acidic food and drinks that corrode the enamel. The use of baking soda will help balance the PH; this would ensure that there is no excess acid in the mouth for further corrosion of the enamel. Lemon juice, in this case, will be acting as a bleaching agent. In this technique, you should use a mixture of water and baking soda in one day and then lemon juice on the other. However, you shouldn’t overdo things.
Use of Baking soda and Lemon as Tooth Paste
What do I need?
- A toothbrush
- Enough water and lemon juice to form toothpaste
- several teaspoons of baking soda
Direction/how do I do it?
- You should mix several teaspoons of soda with adequate fresh lemon juice or water to form toothpaste. Then wipe your teeth with a towel to get rid of any extra saliva.
- Add a good amount of toothpaste to the toothbrush and then apply in the teeth.
- Leave this for a minute and then rinse, this will be useful as the acid won’t affect the enamel. In the case you are using just water then you can leave this for up to 3 minutes.
You should remember that this isn’t a marathon, natural tooth whitening remedies take time but with gradual progress. Just because baking soda is ranked low on the RDA score doesn’t mean that you can scrub too hard.
Strawberries, Baking Soda and Salt Scrub
The strawberries are known for their richness in vitamin C. This can be useful in the breakdown of the plaque that is causing the yellow look on the teeth. They also contain an enzyme known as malic acid; this is useful as a bleaching agent in fast removal of stains. The salt, in this case, will act as the abrasive part of the paste, that physically assist in the scribing of the stains away while the baking soda acts as the extra touch that is optional.
What do I need?
- A pinch of table salt
- 1-3 Strawberries
- Teaspoon of baking soda (optional)
Direction/how do I do it?
- Mash the strawberries and add the pinch of salt in a pup together with the baking soda.
- Use a towel to wipe the extra saliva on your teeth and then gently apply this mixture to your toothbrush and then apply.
- Let this mixture stay on your teeth for about minutes and then remove.
- Then brush your teeth thoroughly and rinse with a lot of water.
This is one of the best, quickest and among the safest dental hygiene remedies to tooth whitening. I would highly recommend you give it a trial.
Coconut Oil Rinse
One of the reason oil pulling works is similar to how the oil in the car engine works. Think about, when the oil in the car is applied, it is initially clean but when coming out it comes out with the dirt and the used oil leaves the car all clean. The oil removes all the dirt and wastes in the car engine.
This gives the same in the case of coconut oil. Believe me; I thought this was crazy when I head about it as a natural tooth whitening remedy.Research has shown that coconut oil rinsing is one of the best and fastest ways that will effectively clean tooth with braces without the hydrogen.
Oil pulling is recommended as it has been proven scientifically to stop gum disease. In the case where coconut oil is specifically used, then you will lower the chances of tooth decay. Coconut oil contains a component known as Monolaurin that is an effective antimicrobial on the main bug that affects tooth decay. Be careful using this methods on sensitive teeth.
What do I need?
- About a half tablespoon of coconut oil
Directions
- Before brushing your teeth in the morning, scoop a tablespoon of coconut oil.
- You can decide to soften it or jut put it in your mouth
- Then push and pull the oil through and around your teeth for about 15-20 minutes and then spit the mixture out and then rinse with water.
- Then proceed to regular cleaning of your teeth.
Activated Charcoal
This is another popular alternative natural tooth whitening remedy. Anyone who used this says it does wonder while others relate that it doesn’t work. In my personal experience, this works magic. The disparity maybe because they don’t expect charcoals to work like their commercial tooth whitening products. Just like oil pulling it is clear how activated charcoal would remove the stain in the teeth.
After all activated charcoal is a remedy for food poisoning. When one is suspected to have had food poisoning, they are required to swallow activated charcoal as a remedy. I always have a bottle of this on my bag when taking long journeys.
What Are The Potential Risks?
The reason as to why activated charcoal is effective to use as a food poisoning remedy and natural home tooth whitening remedy is because it attaches itself to the substances that it comes into contact with. The red flag, in this case, is that the use of activated charcoal could hinder effective absorption of mineral and drugs in the body.
One of the many reasons we brush our teeth is to increase saliva in the mouth and provide the teeth with the necessity demineralization that occurs resulting from saliva contact. However, tooth whitening with activated charcoal raises concern as the biding ability of the charcoal might interfere with the demineralizing action and the importance of saliva.
Use of Clay
Clay soil is known for its unique abilities of softness and low abrasive, and yet it can polish effectively. For instance, a special type of clay known as Kaolin clay has a high score due to its cleaning efficiency. The contributors of its efficiency are as result of the combination of the high ability to remove stains and low abrasively.
What should I do/directions?
Just like in the case of baking soda, gently focus on the teeth as the clay mixes with saliva. Once the clay is basically liquid in the mouth, then it will apply its gentle ability to remove stains. Remember you should always be gentle on the teeth to avoid gum damage.
Use of Dilute Hydrogen Peroxide as a Tooth Whitener
I know majority of you are asking themselves; wait a minute! Isn’t hydrogen peroxide the main cause of problems in tooth whitening treatments? I agree it is, but just like in majority of the instances, the details are different.
In this particular case we have to look into consideration. Studies show that hydrogen peroxide can be dangerous when used in high concentrations, for instance, the ones used in commercial tooth whitening treatments. With the concentrations being as low as 3% it could be harmful to the gums and the teeth.
If you decide to use hydrogen peroxide as your home tooth whitening remedy as opposed to commercial remedies, then I highly suggest that you do not use anything that s higher than 15% concentration.
Other than the abrasive strategies that simply scrub the stains, all the tooth whitening techniques whether natural home remedies or conventional bleaching techniques, only time is the determinant of whether the method will remove stains. This is the reason that the commercial toothpaste that contains hydrogen peroxide do not work.
Whether you are to use oil pulling, baking soda or any other natural remedy, give it time to work on your teeth. Let what you have applied hang around for a while to take effect.
You can always use combined home remedy strategies to fasten the process. Some of them are discussed below:
Oil Pulling and Activated Charcoal
Perhaps you can mix some of the activated charcoal with oil today. This way you will be able to benefit from the stain removal from activated charcoals, and you will have reduced on time as you won’t note having spent a lot of time with oil pulling as you will be busy with activated charcoal.
Just remember not to swallow the used oil, and spit it somewhere outside otherwise, it will mess your sink.
Brush With Clay and Baking Powder
Make a simple mix of clay and baking soda powder; this will benefit you with the abrasive abilities from each.
In the end whatever strategy you may decide to use, give it time and consciously care about the enamel and eventually you will improve your smile.
Types of Food To Eat That Will Keep Your Teeth Healthy
The kind of food that we eat and the drinks that we take are the major contributors of the coloring on our teeth. As a natural remedy to whitening your teeth, I recommend that you include this food in your diets and they might do magic for you. These are some of the easiest boots ways to free your teeth of stained.Below is a list of the foods that can keep your teeth naturally white:
Cauliflower
This is one of the foods that requires lots of time in the mouth while chewing. This is a good thing for tooth whitening. The longer this food takes in your mouth, the more saliva that will be produced and as we all know is that saliva is a cleanser of the tooth and helps keep them shining. Cauliflower is great because it whitens your teeth naturally and without a recipe.
Cheese
My mother used to insist that I drink milk as it will make me have strong bones and a white smile. And as you all know that mums are always right. Daily products such as yogurt, cheese, and milk are a constituent of enamel fortifying mineral calcium and lactic acid. The two are not only responsible for strengthening the teeth but also do whiten them. Chewing on cheese also supports and promotes saliva production which helps wash the stains way together with food particles. ro
Apples
To break don an apple, it requires some bit of chewing, just as similar to crunchy carrots. This is good for cleansing exercise for the mouth. While this fruit is scrubbing through your mouth, it washes ways the particle that may have been stuck in your mouth and thus eliminates the chance of teeth from having stains. They help to naturally bleach your teeth.
Celery
Veggies and fibrous fruits aren’t just beneficial for their low calorie and rich in nutrients. These fruits provide one with a chance to exercise their jaws as they require a lot of chewing. Thy also provides a lot of fluid that keeps the gum clean, healthy and white at the same time.
Seeds and nuts
Seeds and nuts have an abrasive texture a kind of exfoliator to the teeth. Some of these seeds are almonds, walnuts, and sunflower seeds. When eating this fruits, it releases the foods that are stuck in the gums and more, so these foods contain low-level sugarless risk of increasing the acidity level in the mouth.
Onions
I agree that they leave an unpleasant smell. But believe me, they have a sulfur compound that keeps the plaque from forming. Also, the teeth are likely to brush themselves when eating them. The most important power in onions only work when they are raw.
Water
We all know that water is life. As you drink the H2O, it doesn’t only keep you hydrated, but it also removes the stuck food materials that might cause stains on the enamel. Also when eating colored food and drinks such as red wine, it is advisable to seep in water to prevent staining.
Pears
This is a flesh and sweet, delicious fruit. And among the few fruits that are alkaline in nature. The fruit is juicy and has also of water and cleans the teeth as you eat them. The alkaline nature reduces the chances of acid accumulation on your teeth. ur
Foods That You Should Avoid To Keep Your Teeth White and Healthy
Sugar Drinks
As a remedy to keeping your teeth white it is paramount that you prevent them from having the stains. The reason that plaque form in the mouth as a result if the accumulated bacterial that produces acid in the mouth. The acid then corrodes the enamel creating piles where the cavities are formed. Taking in sugary drink and fruits provides the teeth with simple sugars that then produce the acids. Coffee can also cause stains on teeth. A sleven a Ph.D. dentist says the continual intake of sugary substances raises the acid level over a period of time and this will eventually affect the health of the teeth. Among the most common drinks affecting our teeth’s without our knowledge are carbonated drinks that are easily converted to acids.
Highly Sweetened Snacks and Candy
I always wondered why my mother couldn’t allow me to eat snacks all the time. Believe me; they are sweet but they does more harm than you can imagine, they increase the bacteria level in the mouth. The sleek and gummy candies are posing the greatest threat since their sugars are closely in contact with the teeth and sticky hence not easy for the saliva to wash them away. As a home remedy to teeth whitening remember to eliminate sugary substance from your diet.
Some Starch Foods
Some of the starch food we eat increases the bacteria’s that are present in our mouth; this leads to erosion if the enamel and hence easily to obtain stains. Some of these starchy foods include pastas, bread, potatoes, and rice.
The more refined a cooked starch is the more likely it is to raise the acidity level in the mouth. The raw starches that are in the form of vegetables tend not to endanger the enamel. u
Australia as well as other European countries (UK) care less about their dental health. Which is quite a false shame. Dr. J. Klee of University of California at Los Angeles School of Dentistry says the easiest way to maintain white teeth really comes down to your diet and the care you take of your teeth. You can use the top rated professional whitener kits that claim to work overnight. But any man made product isn’t as good as just keeping good dental hygiene. The reviews of Dr. Oz’s Whiteners System kit (2013) have been super positive, and users instantly saw results within the week. The key to all of this is making sure you’re doing the DIY recipes safely and the results come quickly. Some doctors offices offer laser light treatments that help the process zoom along. They use trays filled with a serum that help keeps the teeth bonded. This method has been proven to review extremely effective, but comes at a premium cost.
Final Tips
With the above home remedies, there is no reason that your teeth shouldn’t sparkle right now without endangering your health with commercial products. I know you are asking yourself the big question: are the remedies a guarantee this will work? All I can promise is that your teeth won’t be ridiculously white in a day. However, after several days you should be able to see some changes, but this isn’t as instant as the commercial products. However, this is a way that you will be safe and in the end your teeth will be naturally health and white. Personally, I prefer this natural way, I have found them to be effective, my overall mouth hygiene and health has improved, and I feel relatively fresher on my odor.
We are living in world looks are ruling the world, in a world of Photoshop and bleaching just be at the standard you feel proud of yourself. But this could be expensive; there is no need to spend tons of money on commercial products that will eventually harm your health. Use the above natural remedies, and next time I see you, your smile will be whiter. You can save this money for something else, be healthy and feel better about yourself. A healthy mouth can be the reason for your happy life, improved self-esteem and eventually success in your endeavors.