Yellow and stained teeth aren’t only displeasing to look at; it can make you look old and unhygienic, too. Unfortunately, visiting your dentist to make your teeth pearly white is expensive. Most insurances don’t even cover such procedures.
If you are looking for ways to lighten your teeth without burning holes in your wallet, here are some of the best and most natural ways to get whiter teeth.
1. Oil pulling
The idea of using coconut oil in your mouth might make you cringe. However, despite the gross feeling it creates, coconut oil can actually draw out stains from your teeth. It can also pull out bacteria from your teeth and gums.
To do oil pulling, simply take a tablespoon of coconut oil and swish it around your mouth every morning. Take around 20 minutes before spitting the oil out.
2. Brush with baking soda
Baking soda has an abrasive property, which means it can lift off any particles sitting on top of your teeth. When mixed with water, baking soda also creates a chemical reaction that lightens stains.
However, since it has an abrasive property, it’s a good idea to limit your use of baking soda to once a week. This is to prevent enamel erosion.
3. Eat high-cellulose food
Cellulose is a starch-like compound you can find in most fruits and vegetables, such as apples, carrots and celery. When you eat this type of food, you get to remove your teeth stains naturally since they cause abrasive cleansing.
4. Avoid dark-colored drinks
When you drink something that’s dark in color, there’s a good chance it can leave stains on your teeth. A few good examples include coffee, black tea and soda. Just limiting your intake of these drinks can help you get whiter teeth.
5. Use whitening toothpaste
The use of whitening toothpaste is one of your cheapest solutions to getting a brighter smile. You can buy one for only a fraction of the cost of professional whitening. However, although good at teeth whitening, you can’t expect it to give the same astounding result you can get from visiting your dentist.
6. Wear the right shade of lipstick
For instant teeth whitening, you should stick with lipsticks that have a blue-based red tint. Other good options include medium plum, fuchsia and bright red. Using warm shades of red and lipsticks, such as those with orange hues, can only make your teeth look even more yellow.
7. Floss regularly
Aside from being a part of good dental hygiene, flossing can also make your teeth look whiter. Since most of the stains you have on your teeth result from accumulated food particles, it’s helpful if you can floss more than once per day.
See Also: The Importance of Personal Hygiene for Healthy Living
8. Try using activated charcoal
Activated charcoal is highly absorbent, which means that it can absorb toxins. As it draws out toxins, it also works to remove impurities from your teeth. Aside from this property, it can also alter the pH of your mouth to prevent bacterial buildup and cavity formation.
In case you decide to use activated charcoal as a teeth whitening solution, you need to be cautious of its staining properties. Although it can whiten your teeth, it can leave stains on sinks and tiles.
9. Consider applying turmeric to your teeth
Turmeric is more than just a kitchen staple; it’s a good teeth whitening agent, too. It’s one of the most commonly used natural ways to get whiter teeth.
Unfortunately, however, turmeric can’t give you a dramatic change in the color of your teeth right away. For you to see immense improvement, you should use a turmeric paste a few times each week.
10. Swish apple cider vinegar in your mouth
To use apple cider vinegar for teeth whitening, simply mix one part of it with one part of water. Use this mixture as a mouthwash every day. ACV can naturally lift stubborn stains off of your teeth while getting rid of bacteria that can cause bad breath.
See Also: DIY: Whiten your Teeth with Strawberries
One key thing to remember when using it as your mouthwash is to rinse your mouth with water right after. This is to prevent damage to your tooth enamel.