Natural Ways to Whiten Your Teeth

A bright white smile is a sign of beauty and confidence in every culture. Using harsh bleaching trays and whitening strips can cause tooth sensitivity, do not always work, and can be costly. Professional laser whitening can cost hundreds of dollars and can be painful.

Trays are messy and end up bleaching your gums, no matter how carefully you apply the gel. It looks pretty bad and is a dead giveaway.

There are easy ways to prevent further staining of your teeth such as avoiding red wine, coffee, and other dark liquids.

Brushing after every meal and replacing your toothbrush every two to three months also prevents the formation of stains and plaque build up.

If you want to rid your smile of staining and dullness there are natural ways to whiten your teeth that are effective and inexpensive.

We asked local dentists for help making this list of natural ways to whiten your teeth.

Fruits that help Whiten Teeth:

Strawberries are proven to have teeth whitening properties. Carefully cut a strawberry width wise and gently rub across your freshly brushed teeth. Be sure to rinse your mouth after rubbing the strawberry against your teeth to rid the mouth of citric acid. Lemon peels also have been shown to whiten your smile. Place a lemon peel in your mouth against your teeth for approximately 15 minutes then rinse your mouth with water.

Which Vegetables will Clean your Teeth:

Raw vegetables can act as natural teeth cleaners. Crunchy vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, cucumbers, and celery act as natural toothbrushes, riding the teeth of excess plaque and helps to diminish staining.

Baking Soda to Whiten Teeth:

Baking soda isn't just for cooking and deodorizing. Mixing baking soda and water to create a paste is a natural way to whiten your teeth. Apply the paste to a toothbrush and rinse with water.

Whiten your Teeth with Hydrogen Peroxide:

Hydrogen peroxide is used as an antiseptic and is found in teeth whitening products. Peroxide is inexpensive and is a common household item. Using peroxide as a mouthwash not only naturally whitens your teeth but also kills germs in your mouth. Brush teeth as normal then swish around a mixture of peroxide and water for a minute then rinse your mouth with water. You can also mix peroxide with baking soda to create a paste and brush.

Wood Ash on your Toothbrush:

Wood ash acts as a bleaching agent and quickly whitens teeth. You can brush with just wood ash or mix it with some toothpaste and brush your teeth. Tiny crystals in the ash scrub stains away. Be careful using wood ash as a natural way to whiten your teeth - over a long period time wood ash can scrape away tooth enamel.

Part 7 - Gel Teeth Whitening