Reading this e-zine regularly has given you inspiration on how to dress with style while wearing a smile and being self-confident. They are also must-have accessories, you know. Self-confidence makes you worth emulating; a smile adds that ray of sunshine to your attire. And if you’ve also got a beautiful dentition, wearing a smile keeps drawing more attention to you. You’ve been practising this, I bet. Or maybe you haven’t probably because your chompers aren’t as white as you’d love them to be. Whatever your reason is, you don’t have to worry anymore as I bring to your screen five simple ways to whiten your teeth at home.
What Causes Teeth Discoloration?
Many things can invite bacteria or plaque to the teeth making them yellow or brown. Some of these are:
- Poor dental and oral hygiene
- Smoking or chewing tobacco
- Genetics
- Mouth trauma
- Ageing
- Side effects of some mouthwashes and medications
- Foods high in sugar and simple carbohydrates
- Foods or drinks such as coffee, tea, kola nut, red wine, blueberries, turmeric, curry, etc.
- Lack of saliva in the mouth
- Excessive consumption of fluoride
How to Whiten Your Teeth at Home
There are many products for teeth whitening. However, some of these products use chemical products that bleach the teeth and give side effects. If you want to whiten your teeth without chemicals, this list is what you need.
1. Brush Your Teeth Twice a Day
This is very important. You should brush your teeth twice a day to improve your dental care and oral hygiene. You can use a whitening toothpaste while brushing since these toothpastes contain mild abrasives that scrub the teeth well enough to remove stains. Brush your teeth in a circular motion to protect your gums. You should brush your teeth for two minutes at a time. Also, when brushing your teeth, brush the chewing surfaces, inside and outside and be sure to get into all the cracks and fissures in your teeth.
However, do not brush your teeth immediately after consuming acidic foods as this can cause the acids to brush off enamel thereby causing erosion.
2. Avoid the Bad Habits and Foods That Cause Stains
You can’t keep smoking tobacco or chewing kola nut when you want to whiten your teeth. No matter what you do to whiten your chompers, so long as you keep up with those bad habits or the foods and drinks that discoloured your teeth in the first place, there’ll be no change. Therefore if you really want to whiten your teeth, you should avoid stain causers. If you can’t completely let go of these foods or habits, be sure to rinse your mouth with water within 30 minutes after consumption. Swishing water in your mouth helps in reducing the chances of stain on your teeth.
3. Eat Certain Foods With High Water Content
Consuming vegetables and fruits with higher water content keeps your teeth healthy. This is because the water in these type of fruits cleanses your gums and teeth of bacteria and plaque that causes yellow teeth. Examples of these fruits and vegetables are:
- Strawberries: Strawberry contains malic acid which naturally removes stains that hang on to your teeth.
- Apples: Apple stimulates saliva production which serves to rinse out stains. It also enhances the health of your gums.
- Milk, cheese and yoghurt: These foods are rich in calcium which strengthens the enamel and appearance of the teeth as a whole.
- Raw Onions: Raw onions contain sulfur which helps to prevent plaque from forming.
- Celery, nuts and carrots: These foods have a coarse abrasive texture that help scrub off stains.
4. Oil Pulling
This involves using oil, preferably coconut oil, to get rid of plaque and bacteria in the mouth. To do this, you’d swish 1 or 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in your mouth for about 10 minutes. Don’t swallow the oil as it already contains bacteria from your mouth. Also, don’t let the oil get to the back of your throat. Afterwards, spit into the toilet and rinse your mouth with water. Then drink a glass of water before brushing your teeth. By removing plaque in the mouth, oil pulling fights off teeth discoloration.
5. Brush Your Teeth with Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide
Another tip on how to whiten the teeth is to brush your teeth with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Baking soda contains whitening elements little wonder it is a major ingredient in some toothpastes. It also creates an alkaline environment that further prevents the growth of bacteria. Similarly, hydrogen peroxide is a natural whitening agent that kills bacteria present in the mouth. To use, mix one tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide with two tablespoons of baking soda then brush with it for about two minutes.
You can use any of these simple ways to whiten your teeth at home and have an amazing teeth-whitening experience. Remember that prevention will always remain better than cure and as such you should check yourself to be sure you aren’t doing things that will only deteriorate your dental hygiene.
