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You must have watched and admired the white teeth of popular celebrities and toothpaste advertisers on TV and billboards, making you wish to have teeth as white as theirs and trying several methods possible to achieve that.
While having white teeth does not always translate to having healthy teeth, it can give you that sparkling smile, increasing your overall beauty and confidence.
If you are looking for ways on how to whiten your teeth, then you have surely come to the right place. Follow me as I show you the several ways you can follow to achieve this, and you will be shocked to realize that some of them have been right at your fingertips all this while.
The first and simplest step on how to whiten your teeth is to maintain excellent oral hygiene. It serves both as a preventive and curative method for stained teeth. Brush after each meal or at least twice daily with a good toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. Rinse periodically with a good mouthwash and floss all the hard-to-reach areas as well. This way, the tooth-staining foods, beverages and bacteria will have less chance of staining your teeth.
There are specially formulated teeth-whitening toothpaste that you can use too. These can be bought from pharmacies, but it is best to seek a dentist’s recommendation on the appropriate one to buy.
Here is a detailed guide on how you can take good care of your teeth.
Hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent that is used as the active ingredient in most whitening products and it can easily be obtained from a pharmacy. For best results, it is mixed with baking soda and used to brush the teeth twice daily.
While hydrogen peroxide can help you get whiter teeth, caution needs to be exercised on its use due to the possibility of it causing gum irritation and increasing tooth sensitivity. A sensitive tooth makes you uncomfortable whenever you try to drink hot or cold drinks, therefore, its use is not advised for the long term and for people already having sensitive teeth.
Just like hydrogen peroxide, baking soda is also commonly used as one of the ingredients in commercially-available toothpaste and is widely available in the market too. Its natural whitening property is the ability to scrub the stains on the surface of your teeth. It also prevents bacteria from growing in your mouth, by creating an alkaline environment that neutralizes the acid needed by the bacteria to thrive.
Baking soda will not whiten your teeth overnight but you will definitely see results when you use it well.
[wpdiscuz-feedback id=”bdh45vibkm” question=”Will you use baking soda to brush your teeth?” opened=”0″][/wpdiscuz-feedback]To achieve this, brush your teeth with a paste of baking soda (mixed with water) or mix with hydrogen peroxide.
Change in diet is not a substitute for brushing and flossing your teeth, but it works well to prevent your teeth from staining and in reducing the stain from already affected teeth.
By reducing your intake of food and beverages that are known to stain the teeth e.g. dark berries, soda and coffee, you can slow down the process and then replace it with crunchy, raw fruits and vegetables that help to rub away some debris and stains from your teeth. The increased saliva production that results from eating fruits like apples, cleanses your teeth too.
Smoking cigarettes & chewing kola nuts and other nicotine-containing products are among the causes of tooth staining and decay, so to whiten your teeth and protect them from cavities, it is best to cut down on your use of such products.
Read Also: 10 Surprising Foods That Are Bad for Your Breath (No.5 Will Shock You)
This simply means the use of oil to wash your mouth. While it is not yet scientifically backed as one of the teeth-whitening methods, it has been in use for a long time and several people have considered it to be effective.
It is simply done by rinsing the mouth with oil for a minute or two after brushing, and then spitting it out.
Coconut oil is the most common oil used, but others such as sesame oil can be used as well.
Activated charcoal is widely available in drug stores nationwide; it is used as part of the ingredients of several toothpaste brands too.
The use of charcoal to clean the teeth has been a common practice for a very long time in this part of the world, even though the exact mechanism of action and evidence of its effectiveness is yet to be proven by science.
[wpdiscuz-feedback id=”bdh45vibkm” question=”Have you ever used charcoal to brush your teeth before? How’d it feel?” opened=”0″][/wpdiscuz-feedback]To try this, mix the activated charcoal with water to form a paste or simple buy a toothpaste containing it as an active ingredient.
Also Read: 6 Best Ways To Get Rid Of Mouth Odor
Bonus: Visit Your Dentist
While there are several methods on how to whiten your teeth that you can try at home, it is best to meet with a dentist. Your dentist, after evaluating you properly, will know the cause of your stained teeth and how best to whiten them.
The dentist is aware of the possible dangers associated with some methods popularly used, so will ensure that you do not lose your teeth in your attempt to make them sparkling white.
Q: Can I whiten my teeth in one week?
A: This depends on the cause of your teeth stain and the methods you are using to remove the stains. Some methods can give you results in a much shorter time, while some will take some time.
Q: which whitening method is best?
A: Whitening methods are not the same for everyone. The best method for you depends on factors like how you got the stain and how much you are ready to spend.
Q: Is teeth whitening safe?
A: Teeth whitening is relatively safe, nevertheless, excessive use of whitening chemicals and abrasives can lead to tooth sensitivity and gum irritation.
Q: Does whitening remove stains?
A: Most methods remove the stains, while others cover the stain up. Though this also depends on the cause of the stains; some are easier to remove than others.
Q: Does having yellow teeth means I am at risk of tooth decay?
A: No. Yellow discolouration of the teeth can be caused by a lot of things, including normal ageing, heredity, type of food or drink you regularly consume. So, sometimes your teeth can be stained, but their structural integrity is intact.
Poor dental hygiene, use of tobacco products, drinking wine, medications like tetracycline and a lot of other factors can prevent you from having the sparkling white teeth and beautiful smile that you so desire.
Now that you know how to whiten your teeth and even prevent them from getting stained, I hope you will share the tips with your family and friends so that they will also benefit.
Have you tried any of the methods above? we would love to hear from you in the comments section.
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