How to Whiten Your Teeth? Maintain Smile with My Local Dentists

Are you worried about not having pearly white teeth? Teeth add a lot to your personality and boost your confidence. You won’t have to be self-conscious knowing you have a beautiful smile.

Like any other part of your body, teeth too age with time, showing signs of staining with a pale-yellow tinge. However, there are plenty of ways to whiten your teeth and improve their appearance. Let’s explore some of them below.

 

Home remedies for teeth whitening

 

Oil Pulling

Oil pulling refers to rinsing your mouth with oil for the removal of bacteria, germs and stuck-up chewed food debris.

It is not a replacement for brushing or flossing. Using certain oils for oil pulling helps to whiten the teeth and provide strength to the gums. The process is usually done with coconut and sesame oil. 

 

Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is a type of bleaching agent which also aids in reducing a considerable number of bacteria in your mouth. It also serves as a disinfectant that heals any cuts or mouth sores. Many toothpaste companies add hydrogen peroxide as their base ingredient.

You can mix equal parts of hydrogen peroxide with water and rinse your mouth in such a way that you hold the mixture in your mouth for 30 seconds before spitting it out. There is no scientific study backing this, but it is an effective tooth-whitening home remedy. 

 

Baking Soda

Baking soda is a household staple, used for regular and chemical-free cleaning around the house and kitchen. It is less abrasive than many commercial whitening kinds of toothpaste available in the market.

You can take ½ teaspoon of baking soda and mix a drop or two of water in it. Apply this mixture on your toothbrush and rub in circular motions. You can do this twice a week till you achieve the desired result.

 

Switch to an Electric Toothbrush

Electric toothbrushes have a faster speed than manual ones that help clean a larger surface area in a shorter time period while focusing on the stained teeth with hundreds of strokes per minute.

 

 

Maintain Oral Hygiene

You must have often heard this phrase, prevention is better than cure. The first rule of tooth maintenance is brushing and flossing on a regular basis with timely dental visits to enjoy oral health.

 

Try Salvadora Persica

Salvadora Persica also known as “toothbrush tree” is a natural teeth-cleaning twig which is a centuries-old organic product used mainly in Asia. It is also used in the form of paste for teeth whitening. It aids in preventing tooth decay and contains crystals that work as natural abrasive agents. 

 

Maintain your diet for whitening teeth

 

Consuming High-Fiber foods

Foods that are rich in fibre such as spinach, kidney beans, legumes and lentils are known to balance the amount of acid in the mouth protecting the outer layer of the enamel.

Pineapple is a unique and the only natural source of the cleaning compound “bromelain” which is helpful in removing extrinsic stains on teeth. 

 

Calcium & Vitamin D

Your teeth need a regular dose of calcium included in your diet to have brighter, stronger and less damaged teeth.

You can take a calcium or vitamin D supplement along with milk, yogurt and cheese in your diet. 

 

Cut back on Sugar

If you want whiter, brighter teeth, then the first thing that is off the list is sugary food. Sugar is known to increase the plaque buildup in the mouth eventually causing discolouration of teeth. 

 

Avoid smoking

Smoking and chewing tobacco have been known to wear off the tooth enamel, resulting in brown nicotine surface stains.

 

Take less acidic food

Taking less acidic food such as lemon, tangerines, vinegar and also all kinds of carbonated drinks can reduce the chances of damaged teeth.

 

Limit staining beverages

Do you know your teeth have pores too? That’s the reason they absorb the stain from certain drinks and food.

Beverages such as black tea, coffee and red wine are known for tooth staining. You can limit the consumption of these beverages and brush your teeth after that.

One way to deal with this is to drink the beverage using a straw, so there is minimum contact of the fluid with your teeth.

 

Why are your teeth discoloured?

Teeth discolouration can be caused by many factors. Some common ones are listed below:

• The use of particular antibiotics is linked to the yellowing of teeth, especially if there has been long-term use of tetracycline and minocycline during childhood years.
• Liver diseases cause an intrinsic green-coloured discolouration of teeth due to high levels of conjugated bilirubin.
• Nutritional deficiencies and eating disorders give off an unsightly appearance of your teeth.
• Celiac disease gives way to dental enamel problems, and the discolouration from that appears in the form of white and brown spots. These are often permanent and cannot be removed.
• Poor oral hygiene and lack of regular brushing or flossing can also cause yellow teeth.
• Consuming large amounts of caffeinated drinks or concentrated fruit juices leave marks on the tooth enamel.

 

Types of tooth discolouration

 

Extrinsic

Extrinsic as you might have guessed, is the discolouration that takes place on the outer layer of your tooth enamel due to the use of stain-causing beverages or food. This type of discolouration is not very difficult to handle and can be managed through lifestyle changes and home remedies for whitening.

 

Intrinsic

Intrinsic discolouration happens within your tooth. You may be facing this kind of discolouration because of using particular medications, diseases, long-term bacterial infections, dental injury and even genes. Yes! Intrinsic tooth discolouration can be passed on through your genes too.

It is recommended to let your dentist diagnose the kind of teeth discolouration you are facing to avoid further damage to the teeth and opt for the correct treatment options.