Teeth Whitening
Home Remedies for Teeth Whitening
Home Remedies for Teeth Whitening
There are a variety of home remedies suggested by people to whiten
your teeth, and with varying degrees of success.
Most of these home remedies for teeth whitening can help in the
short term, using ingredients you have at home, such as baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice,
and salt. If you are careful, these can help you to keep your teeth looking
whiter.
Many teeth whitening processes involve rubbing your teeth with
abrasive materials, but you want to avoid rubbing them too much, because if you rub off the
top layer of your teeth, the tooth enamel, your dentine layer will be exposed.
This is harmful to your teeth as well as making your teeth look
greyish. Use caution and a soft bristle brush with home-made teeth whitening attempts.
Here are a few home remedies for teeth whitening you could try (not all at once!):
1. Lemon Juice (either from a bottle or from a lemon) mixed with a
bit of table salt. In a small cup, mix the cupful of lemon juice with two to three very small
spoonfuls of salt. Dip your toothbrush in and gently rub. Rinse mouth with water. Do not
apply salt directly to the brush. Do this once every second day for up to 5 times. After
doing this, brush your teeth with toothpaste – acids can actually cause tooth staining if
left on the teeth.
2. Try fruit! Rub a strawberry on your front teeth before brushing your teeth with regular or
whitening toothpaste.
3. Baking soda. Mix fresh baking soda with some cold water and gently rub teeth with the mixture.
Use the flat part of your finger or a soft bristle toothbrush dipped into the baking soda to apply
the baking soda to your front teeth. Do not rub vigorously or with a hard toothbrush. Let the
baking soda sit for a couple of minutes, rubbing gently. Rinse mouth with clean water.
4. Or, try vinegar! Dip a soft toothbrush in vinegar and brush gently. Avoid excessive vinegar on
your gums, the acid can make your gums feel unpleasant. Rinse mouth with water after. To get
between the teeth, try dipping your floss in vinegar before flossing.
5. Make a paste of vinegar with baking soda. Mix vinegar with baking soda and apply the paste to
your front teeth with your finger, rubbing gently using up and down motions. Rinse mouth with
water. While rinsing, force water between teeth by closing teeth and pouring water into your
mouth.
6. Some people try brushing or even rinsing their teeth with hydrogen peroxide. This may whiten
your teeth, but the peroxide can damage your gums and the lining of your mouth. Also, keep in mind
that the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the bottles you can buy, and in the whitening agents
you can buy, is different. If you do choose to do this, dab the peroxide on a tiny bit at a time
with a cotton swab, to prevent any peroxide from touching your gums.
An important thing to remember with these home remedies for teeth whitening methods is to be
patient. It will take time to remove the stains on the teeth, and it may take several weeks to see
results. Do not forget to continue your normal teeth and mouth cleaning regimen as well.
|