Stained and dull yellow teeth are not what you want to see when you look in the mirror. You want a pearly white smile, right?
Sadly, instead of the spotless smile,you wish for, your teeth are becoming yellow and stained.
Yellow teeth can make you feel less confident and embarrassed when you talk to others – let alone smile.
I know I didn’t want to smile after months of drinking tea left my teeth embarrassingly yellow and stained.
However, I don’t want to restrict my tea or coffee, and I bet you don’t, either.
You want to have stain-free white teeth without sacrificing drinks you love, but you don’t want to pay for a professional cleaning every time or buy painful over-the-counter products.
Fortunately, you don’t have to.
You can whiten your teeth at home safelyand painlessly. I’ll show you how.
First, let’s look at what can be causing your yellow teeth:
Why Your Teeth Are Getting Yellow
Acidic foods can eat away your tooth enamel and reveal the dentin, the layer below the enamel, which is yellow and can’t be whitened.
Again, coffee, wine, and black tea are acidic, but so are sodas, soft drinks energy drinks, sports drinks, soy sauce, pickles, alcohol, lemon juice and vinegar. Soft drinks have been shown to cause severe tooth enamel erosion and caries.
- Foods with colorants: The food colorants from processed foods such as hard candy, gummies, popsicles, breakfast cereals, and cake icing will attach to your enamel and stain your teeth.
- As a rule of thumb, if what you eat stains your tongue, it can stain your teeth as well.
- Smoking: Tobacco wreaks havoc in your oral health, including severe staining and tooth abrasion.
The nicotine in tobacco is responsible for the staining of your teeth because it turns yellow when it mixes with oxygen.
- Poor hygiene: The American Dental Association recommends brushing your teeth, at least, two times per day and floss at least once a day. Not brushing regularly will lead to plaque accumulation, which is formed by bacteria, saliva, and food particles.2
Plaque can make your teeth look yellow, erode enamel, and cause cavities and gum disease.
If you don’t brush your teeth for several days, the plaque can stiffen and turn into a more harmful substance called tartar, a yellow layer of hardened plaque that can erode your teeth even further.
- Brushing too soon after meals: Brushing your teeth right after eating sounds like a good way to keep bacteria off your mouth, but it has been shown to erode tooth enamel.
Here’s why: Whenever you eat, the acidity of the meal leaves your tooth enamel weakened and softened for a short period, and brushing in that moment can remove some of it. This is dangerous because enamel doesn’t grow back.
It’s recommended to wait at least 30 min after finishing a meal before brushing your teeth.
Also, the sensitivity of your enamel will be higher if you eat highly acidic foods such as soda, coffee, or soft drinks.
Fortunately, there are simple habits you can follow on a regular basis to keep your teeth clean, white, and stain-free. Let’s take a look:
Smart Habits To Prevent Yellow Teeth
1.Rinse your mouth after drinking dark-colored beverages
A great way to prevent drinks like wine, coffee, and tea from staining your teeth is to rinse your mouth with water or drink a glass of water afterward.
This way the pigments won’t sit on your teeth, and you’ll lower acidity as well.
Think of your teeth like a white tea mug. The leftover pigment you can see in the mug is also on your teeth, so rinse as soon as you can. Remember not to brush right after drinking because the enamel is sensitive like I mentioned above.
2.Eat crunchy foods that cleanse your mouth naturally
Naturally crispy fruits and vegetables like apples, pears, carrots, celery, guava, and broccoli help remove food particles and plaque from your mouth. The fibrous texture does a great job at cleansing and gently scrubbing your teeth.
There’s a reason apples are often referred as “nature’s toothbrush”. Chewing apples have been shown to remove food debris, and other crunchy foods have a similar effect.
3. Clean your teeth more often
To prevent plaque from staining your teeth, you need to brush at least twice a day and floss once a day, according to the American Dental Association.
Flossing is extremely important to keep plaque off those hard to reach spaces between your teeth. Even if you brush regularly, lack of flossing can cause plaque to accumulate on the sides of your teeth and generate cavities and inflammation that can lead to gingivitis.
So how should you floss?
Well, some experts claim it doesn’t matter whether you floss before or after brushing, but a recent study concluded that flossing before brushing is more effective at reducing plaque than flossing after brushing.
The right way to floss is to hug the floss to the side of the tooth and scrape down away from the base.
4. Eat calcium and phosphorus-rich foods
What high acidity foods do your teeth is called demineralization. This happens when certain foods lower the natural PH levels in your mouth, which allows plaque bacteria to soften and erode enamel.
Saliva, which is saturated with calcium and phosphate, is in charge of remineralizing your teeth, a process that hardens tooth enamel strengthens teeth, and neutralizes acidity. A diet rich in bone-healthy minerals such as calcium and phosphorus will ensure your saliva can do its job.
Foods high in calcium and phosphorus include bone broth, broccoli, kale, tofu, sardines, sesame seeds, yogurt, spinach, sunflower seeds, salmon, and Brazil nuts.
Now that you know how to take care of your mouth daily to prevent yellow teeth let’s look at effective remedies that will get rid of stains and give you the pearly white smile you seek.
If you browse for whitening remedies, you’ll find countless methods and recipes, and I’m sure you’d be as confused about what to try as I was.
Luckily, I’ll spare you the trouble. I’ve put together the top 5 whitening methods that work and are completely safe for your teeth.
Effective Home Remedies To Whiten Your Teeth
1. Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal is regular charcoal that has been processed with heat and oxygen or chemicals to increase its capacity to absorb impurities. It’s excellent at binding toxins and chemicals in the body, which is why it’s used to treat food poisoning and hangovers. Try this organic charcoal teeth whitening toothpaste that we found perfect for every problem you have.
This is an ancient remedy that has been used in Eastern cultures for centuries to keep a healthy mouth, and it’s still used to whiten teeth.
How it works: It will whiten your teeth by absorbing plaque, stains, and bacteria, revealing a white and clean surface.
How to use it:Use it once per day three days in a row when you notice your teeth are becoming yellow. You can either brush or rinse with it. If you have sensitivity, it’s best to avoid brushing and stick to rinsing.
Brushing method:
- Dab your toothbrush in activated charcoal powder or pour one capsule on it.
- Brush for two minutes.
- Rinse thoroughly until there’s no charcoal left on your yellow teeth.
Note: you’ll need a different toothbrush than your regular one as the charcoal will stain it.
Rinsing method:
- Dab a wet toothbrush in turmeric powder.
- Brush normally for two minutes.
- Let it sit for three minutes.
- Rinse thoroughly until there’s no turmeric left on your teeth.
2.Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide Paste
Photo credit: Bath n Body
Baking soda is a whitening and scrubbing agent that removes stains and bacteria from your yellow teeth. I use it to whiten my teeth because I’ve seen impressive results with it.
Hydrogen peroxide is cleaning and whitening as well, and it helps dilute the baking soda in a way that is safe for your teeth.
How it works: The small particles in baking soda will remove plaque, bacteria, and break down stains in your tooth enamel.
How to use it: Use it no more than three times per week. Always make sure to dilute it in 3% hydrogen peroxide. Baking soda is highly abrasive and using it too often or too much can erode your tooth enamel.
3.Turmeric Paste
Surprisingly, a bright yellow spice such as turmeric can whiten your yellow teeth.A study found that turmeric can prevent and fight plaque, lower inflammation in your gums, and eliminate bacteria.
How it works: The anti-microbial and anti-plaque properties of turmeric help remove debris and preserve the whiteness of your teeth.
How to use it:Turmeric is not abrasive, and it’s fairly safe, so you can use it several times a week or when you notice stains or yellow teeth.
One-ingredient turmeric paste:
- Dab a wet toothbrush in turmeric powder.
- Brush normally for two minutes.
- Let it sit for three minutes.
- Rinse thoroughly until there’s no turmeric left on your teeth.
Note: you’ll need a different toothbrush than your regular one as the turmeric will stain it.
4. Apple cider vinegar rinse
Photo credit: TheHealthyAlternative
Apple cider vinegar is used for many health and beauty purposes, but did you know it can also brighten your smile? ACV has powerful antimicrobial properties that remove stains and plaque.
How it works: The cleaning properties of ACV will remove bacteria from your mouth and whiten your teeth.
How to use it: You can use it daily as a mouth rinse, however,since it’s highly acidic, make sure to dilute it to protect your enamel. Also, never rinse with ACV right after eating, wait at least 30 minutes.
Apple cider vinegar rinse:
- Dilute one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in 1 cup of water.
- Swish for 2 minutes.
- Rinse yellow teeth thoroughly with water.
5.Banana peel scrub
Next time you eat a banana, uses the peel to whiten your smile. A banana peel contains minerals like potassium, manganese, and magnesium that help whiten your yellow teeth and remove stains. It also has calcium, which helps remineralize your teeth and strengthen enamel.
How it works: The minerals in the banana peel help strengthen and whiten your yellow teeth, and the texture helps to remove plaque.
How to use it: Rubbing a banana peel on your teeth is safe and not abrasive, so you can do it once a day or when you notice stains or yellow teeth.
Banana peel scrub:
- Peel a ripe banana and rub the peel on your yellow teeth for 2 minutes.
- Let the banana paste sit on your yellow teeth for 5-10 minutes.
- Brush with a dry toothbrush for 1 minute to spread the banana paste.
- Rinse thoroughly and brush your yellow teeth with your usual toothpaste.
Whitening Your Teeth At Home Is Simple
Now that you know how to get a beautiful smile at home, you don’t have to buy painful and expensive whitening products anymore.
Activated charcoal, baking soda, turmeric, apple cider vinegar and banana are safe and natural ways to whiten your yellow teeth at home, but it’s also important you keep your mouth clean, eat cleaning foods, and eat a mineral-rich diet to enjoy a long- lasting bright smile.
It also helps setting up a routine using these remedies and sticking to them. This will help you get the most out of them. Once you have completed a whitening treatment, it’s best to avoid what caused the discoloration/yellow teeth in the first place. Avoiding stain-causing food and beverages, using a straw on your drinks and quitting smoking (if you are) are some of the steps to keep in mind.
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