Top Six Ways That Can Naturally Help You Whiten Your Teeth At Home
Most people desire to have healthy teeth that are clear white and healthy. Indeed, having teeth that are clear white is an indication of good mouth health, hygiene. If you have white teeth that are healthy, your confidence is also boosted as well. Unfortunately, you will find so many people out there complaining about having teeth that look yellowish or brown. Having teeth that are not clear white can negatively affect your confidence. You may find it difficult to even laugh for fear that your friends will see your brown teeth.
So what exactly causes teeth to turn color?
Even though brushing your teeth regularly helps to keep your teeth healthy and clean, this alone may not be enough to keep them white. There are certain habits that will always work to make your turn brown or yellow. Some of the habits include smoking, taking of candies, coffee drinking etc. Sometimes the browning of your teeth may be as a result of an underlying dental health issue. This may be due to you having unhealthy gums or maybe having enamel that is thinning or perhaps if it is your overall dental hygiene is just poor. Sometimes your teeth may just start to turn yellow or simply get discolored due to stains from certain foods. It has been found that highly acidic foods can cause corrosion on the enamel. The enamel is the outer layer that gives your tooth its characteristic white color.When the enamel on your tooth gets eroded the dentin will get exposed. The dentin which is just found beneath the enamel has a somewhat brownish color. This explains why people with eroded enamel will exhibit teeth that look brownish in color.
What may be the cause of enamel erosion?
There are various factors that may actually cause a person’s enamel to get eroded. Here are some factors that may cause the enamel of your teeth to get eroded thus exposing the dentin:
Wear on teeth/dental erosion –this occurs when there is a frequent loss of the dental hard tissue often caused by too much acidity on the surface of the tooth. It may also occur as a result of bacterial activity on the surface of the tooth.
Thinning of the enamel – this occurs when you take foods that make it easy for the enamel to thin. There are certain foods or drinks that will stain your teeth and promote erosion there. Proper mouth and dental health are therefore advised. By not taking good care of your oral health you risk exposing yourself to gum disease as well.
Other factors that may cause your enamel to thin include ageing and your genetics. There are families that have a history of thinning enamel and so if you come from such families you may be at risk.
How you can naturally whiten your teeth in six easy ways
- Always brush your teeth after meals
This is the most common and widely practised mouth and teeth care tip that will help you to maintain healthy teeth and mouth. It sounds easy but it may prove challenging to you because sometimes you will eat or drink certain drinks while you are away from home. The bottom line, however, is to always brush your teeth after taking drinks like coffee or sodas or after eating. This helps to remove food particles and stains that will stick between your teeth.
It may also be in your best interest to avoid smoking altogether if you desire to have white teeth. Several scientific studies have found out that cigarette smoking stain teeth and make them look brown. Taking too much coffee and tea will also stain your teeth so it is best to cut back your coffee and tea intake. You can also reduce the chances of your teeth browning by drinking clean water after taking acidic drinks. The best thing for you to do is to brush your teeth with a clean toothbrush. You may also consider using dentist recommended toothpaste after a meal or drink.
- Use Coconut Oil
This may sound new to you but yes coconut oil pulling really helps to whiten teeth naturally. You will need to brush your teeth first with some good toothpaste and then later apply coconut oil to your teeth. You can as well just add some coconut oil on your toothbrush and brush your teeth with it for at least some twenty minutes or so.
The good news is that coconut oil is said to have antimicrobial properties something that will help to protect not just your teeth but your gums as well.
The advantage of using coconut for your teeth care and whitening is the fact that it is totally natural and safe compared methods. Never will you experience side effects from using coconut oil to make your teeth whiter. Coconut oil is also readily available and affordable too. Using coconut is safe, affordable and convenient for you and will ensure that your overall oral health is maintained albeit naturally.
- Orange or Lemon Peels
It is true that lemon and orange are citrus fruits that contain acid but this should not alarm you. The acids that these fruits contain are beneficial and will only do the magic of whitening your teeth! On the overall, taking oranges or lemon also have some far-reaching health benefits too. They help to improve digestion by regulating acid that is found in the stomach. While the acid found in oranges or lemon may be beneficial to the health of your teeth, you may need to be careful about how to use them. Using theorange or lemon peels aggressively on your teeth may also work to erode the enamel. It is advisable to rinse your mouth thoroughly with clean water after using lemon or orange peel.
- Apple Cider Vinegar
This one is known to work as a very effective natural antibiotic and therefore is most commonly used to cleanse teeth and gums. Recent research has also established that apple cider vinegar also helps to whiten teeth. Using ACV will actually help you to remove those stubborn stains on your teeth that have been brought about by taking too much coffee or smoking. Apple cider vinegar helps to remove the even black stain on the teeth that will only be removed by commercial teeth whiteners. It is even better because ACV is absolutely natural and will cause you any side effects. Some commercial teeth whiteners are known to cause side effects.
So what makes apple cider vinegar so effective?
The magic behind ACV’s impressive results in whitening teeth lies in its composition. It contains teeth beneficial minerals such as potassium, magnesium. It also contains acetic acid, probiotics, and enzymes that are very effective against bad bacteria found on teeth. The probiotics found in ACV, on the other hand, promote the growth of beneficial probiotics that are good for the health of the teeth.
Apple cider vinegar has got a pH that helps to remove stains from the teeth something that naturally helps to make the teeth whiter. The magic behind this is the fact that ACV contains acid which will help to dissolve plaque or any other substance that may be stuck on the tooth’s surface.
In order for you to achieve better results from using apple cider vinegar is to remain consistent. You need to use it consistently for at least one month in a conscious manner for you to realize impressive results. Because it contains acid, it is advisable to brush your teeth with it gently. Using your brush aggressively with it may erode the enamel on your teeth. For best results after brushing your teeth with ACV, please brush your teeth again with toothpaste that doesn’t contain fluoride. You will then simply just rinse your mouth with lots of clean water. You may also want to use hydrogen peroxide to clean your mouth after the acv wash.
- Baking powder and Hydrogen Peroxide
Most people don’t know that hydrogen peroxide is a good antibacterial agent and that is why you will find it recommended for cleaning cuts or bruises. It helps to keep germs and bacteria at bay thus keeping infection at minimal. Just the sameway it works on wounds is the same way it also works on the teeth and gums to kill germs.
It is suggested that you take the same amount of water and hydrogen peroxide and then swirl the mixture inside your for at least one minute. After this, you will then rinse your mouth with clean water. After this, your breath will feel fresh because the bacteria and germs there will have been eliminated. This quality of hydrogen peroxide is what also makes it good at offering protection to the teeth. It helps to eliminate gum diseases such as periodontitis and gingivitis.
How you can use Hydrogen Peroxide with Baking Powder to make your teeth whiter
You will take a small amount of hydrogen peroxide and then mix with baking soda so that a paste is made. This paste will help to remove even more plaque from your teeth and help to make them look whiter.
For better results, it is suggested that you first just brush your teeth with regular toothpaste and rinse your mouth with clean water. Thereafter, take some little bit of baking powder and mix with hydrogen peroxide. Use this mixture to clean your teeth by using a brush. Please note that baking soda is a granular substance and therefore you need to ensure that you got enough hydrogen peroxide mixed with it. This will help to ensure that you don’t erode the enamel on the surface of your teeth as you clean them.
- Eat healthy foods i.e. Strawberries and some other healthy fruits
Eating healthy foods including fruits can actually help you to achieve whiter teeth and generally good oral health. Strawberries are examples of fruits that help to bring about better oral health. The reason behind this is the fact that strawberries contain good antioxidants and also other compounds that help to keep the teeth strong and healthy. By taking strawberries even in old age, you stand to have whiter teeth amongst your peers. The bottom line here is that your diet has a big and direct effect on your overall oral health including your teeth. Below are some foods that will help to keep your teeth strong, healthy and whiter:
- Milk or yogurt – milk is a good source of calcium, a mineral that helps to bring about stronger teeth that are healthy.
- Green veggies/ apples/pears – these are good sources of the mineral potassium which is good for the overall health of your teeth. Anybody that has got sufficient amounts of potassium reaching his/her teeth will exhibit whiter teeth.
- Mushrooms – a good source of beneficial minerals such as zinc, potassium, and calcium.
- Nuts including walnuts and almonds
The bottom line
It is important for you to note that your effort to whiten your teeth alone is not enough to help you have healthy teeth. Just whitening your teeth will not offer protection to your teeth or even your gums from disease or cavities i.e. gingivitis. Even as you focus on ways to make your teeth look whiter, it is also better to focus on the ways that will help your teeth remain healthy and strong. Some of the ways to help make your teeth healthy involve taking proper foods and practicing good oral hygiene. Take foods that are rich in minerals such as potassium and calcium that will help to make your teeth healthy and stronger. Avoid excessive smoking and taking of acidic drinks or beverages. Remember that your teeth can help make you be a confident person and therefore you need to work to ensure that remain healthy. Avoid taking candies, sweets, and sugar concentrated drinks like sodas. All these stains the teeth and may lead to plaque formation there.
