There are so many natural teeth whitening kits on the market. Most of them involve chemicals that you place on the enamel of your teeth to brighten them up. The problem is, do you really know everything that you are putting on the outside of your teeth? Do you know the potential damage you could do to the enamel?
After all, some of these teeth whitening kits involve bleach. That can’t be a good thing to add to your teeth and so close to your gums, can it?
When you opt for natural products, you will find that your teeth with brightening up, and you’re adding nutrients to your mouth. Not only are you improving your smile but you’re protecting your teeth in the long run.
So, how do you do it all naturally? And if it’s so beneficial, why aren’t we all doing it on a regular basis?
The truth is people don’t quite accept that natural products will brighten the teeth. They don’t think that something as basic as salt or baking soda could leave the teeth whiter. There isn’t the overnight success with these natural products, which means they’re left believing that they just don’t work.
It takes the time to make the natural products work. So, here’s a guide to help you get a naturally whiter smile.
Use a Natural Whitening Toothpaste
The first thing to do is make your own naturally whitening toothpaste. This isn’t as difficult or expensive as it may originally sound. In fact, you’ve likely got the majority of ingredients at home already. If you don’t, they aren’t expensive to find.
Natural products like lemon juice, baking soda, and salt are all beneficially for whitening the teeth. At the same time, they will cleanse the mouth and kill off bacteria. Your mouth will be free from the reasons that plaque builds up, teeth start to decay, and the gums become infected! So you’re naturally cleaning your teeth as well as brightening them up.
Yes, these naturally teeth whitening pastes will also replace your chemical-filled toothpaste that you get from the store. There are so many people making a switch now because they get to save money and know exactly what they are putting into their mouths and onto the enamel of their teeth.
The easiest toothpaste to make from home is a baking soda one. You just need a few teaspoons of baking soda with a few drops of water. Make a paste out of it that you can dip your toothbrush into.
While the baking soda will get into the crevices to remove bacteria and food particles, it will take some time to create a whiter smile. You can speed up the process by adding a few drops of natural lemon juice to the mixture. The acid will help to remove the staining on your teeth.
But doesn’t acid in the mouth cause tooth decay? In small amounts, this isn’t going to be a major problem. The baking soda’s alkalinity will help to neutralise some of the pH levels, and you won’t be left with acid in your mouth for long periods of time. You only have enough to clean up the staining on your teeth. You really don’t need to add it to your toothpaste if you don’t want to, but it will help to speed up the whitening process.
We’ll move on the way to remove the acid completely from the mouth after brushing if you are worried. There are plenty of ways to get rid of the acid after brushing so you get the best of both worlds.
Add Some Salt to Your Baking Soda Paste
If you really don’t want to add the lemon juice to your baking soda toothpaste, you can add salt particles instead. Sea salt is going to be the best option for cleaning the teeth and brightening them up.
You only need a small amount. Just a sprinkle in with your baking soda paste. Any more you run the risk of damaging your teeth.
When you use it directly on your teeth, you’re creating an abrasive paste. The salt is literally scraping the food and staining from the enamel of your teeth. Doing this too often or with too much salt could mean scraping the enamel away, so you’re left with open spots so bacteria and acid can get into the pulp of your teeth.
Just a small amount used once or twice a day will be enough just to lift the staining. This just helps to speed up the process of naturally brushing with the baking soda.
Make a Salt Mouthwash
Once you’ve finished brushing, you’ll be tempted to use mouthwash. There are so many options on the shelves, including minty ones for fresh breath and anti-bacterial ones for cleaner mouths. However, the bacteria in the mouth are becoming resistant to anti-bacterial mouthwashes.
And dentists are recommending not using mouthwashes straight after brushing. The mouthwashes take the beneficial properties of toothpaste out of the mouth, so you end up not fully brushing your teeth.
This is where natural mouthwashes come in. Salt is one of the best ingredients for cleaning and killing bacteria. It’s been used for centuries in cleansing wounds and fighting infection. It’s even recommended in aftercare from tooth extraction, dental surgery, and more. There’s a reason for this: it’s effective.
Like with brushing, sea salt is the best option to use. And you use it like you would a mouthwash—swish, gargle, and spit.
But doesn’t this do what normal mouthwashes do? Doesn’t it just remove the good that toothpaste do? Well, not quite. The sea salt gets into crevices and naturally cleans the mouth.
How does it help to whiten the teeth? Well, it helps to lift the plaque, bacteria, food particles, and more from the teeth. You’ll swish the liquid across your teeth and gums, helping to brighten the smile that way.
This is a little better than adding salt to your toothpaste. You won’t have the same abrasive action against the enamel of your teeth, so there’s little risk of damage. And if you have open cuts in the mouth you’ll completely clean them out—although it will sing!
If you opt for lemon juice in your natural toothpaste, the salt can help with naturalising the acidic levels in the mouth. You’ll spit out any leftover acid, too. Of course, the salt also promotes the production of more saliva, so you’ll also help with the balancing of the acidic levels naturally that way, too.
Opt for Coconut Oil Pulling After Brushing
Don’t like the idea of salt rinses? Not allowed to use salt rinses or find it stings too much? Well, you can opt for another type of rinse instead. Coconut oil pulling is highly effective in cleansing the mouth and whitening the teeth.
Let’s start with the cleansing benefits. The oil attracts the likes of bacteria, acid, and plaque to it. Rather than acting on the surface, it draws the bad out of your mouth. When you spit the oil out, all the bad goes with it.
At the same time, the coconut oil offers nutritious benefits. There are so many vitamins that go straight through your system through the gums and crevices in the cheeks and tongue. Your overall health benefits, as well as the strength of your teeth and roots. So you have a better chance of fighting against gum disease and tooth decay to give you a smile free from the black spots and the bumpy, red, swollen gums.
Those who opt for oil pulling with coconut oil have attested to a white smile. This is likely due to the pull of the food particles from the teeth and the nutrients that fight against the staining that occurs with daily diets. Those who oil pull are also more likely going to be healthier throughout the day. After all, do you really want to drink some black coffee or tea straight after doing something like this?
It takes the time to get used to oil pulling, but you don’t need to do a lot or for long. Just once a day for 5-20 minutes is beneficial. Start with just a tablespoon for a five minute period and build your way up to two tablespoons for 20 minutes if you can. You’ll find a way to make it fit into your day.
Remove the Stubborn Stains with Apple Cider Vinegar
If you’re still struggling to get a whiter smile, it’s time to look at some stronger options. Vinegar is full of acid to help remove the stubborn stains, but you don’t want to choose just any vinegar. You want one that is full of anti-bacterial benefits and will offer nutrients at the same time. This is where apple cider vinegar comes into play.
This type of vinegar will cleanse the whole mouth and removes the most stubborn of stains off your teeth. It’s excellent for smokers who can’t remove the nicotine stains and coffee drinkers who find the yellow film is left over. It’s so beneficial that many chemical teeth whiteners are adding it to their products to help!
One of the biggest benefits is that the apple cider vinegar promotes the growth of good bacteria. Yes, the body needs some types of bacteria. The good ones will help to fight against the bad ones, so they don’t cause health and gum problems. It’s the pH level that helps to remove the tough stains and whiten the teeth.
But doesn’t the acid then cause some tooth decay? Well, it depends on how you use it and what you do afterwards. Opting for oil pulling afterwards will help to keep the mouth free from the acidic decay of the enamel. You can also opt for a salt rinse if you’re short on time to get rid of the acid out of your mouth.
Like with other methods, you will need to do this regularly to see the results. This isn’t something that works overnight.
Cut Back on the Teeth-Staining Ingredients
While you can do all the cleaning in the world, if you eat or drink anything that causes staining you will find it much harder to remove staining from the teeth. So, you need to start cutting back or cutting out the stuff that isn’t great for teeth whitening.
Let’s start with smoking. Nicotine stains and it’s not like you’re getting any real benefits from smoking. You’re actually causing more harm than good. So, it’s time to cut that out completely if you do it. Make an effort this year to stop smoking and focus on a healthier diet. You won’t regret it!
The next step is to think about the tea or coffee that you drink, especially black tea and coffee. Both of these will stain the teeth and make them appear yellower than they should be. If you really want to drink either, why not consider green tea instead? While this isn’t great, it is much better than black tea for staining. There are also other nutrients and benefits to green tea, such as extra antioxidants and boosts of energy.
If you really want tea and coffee, you could always limit the amount you have. Just have one or two cups in the morning, and you can then follow your natural whitening routine. Without extra amounts of the staining liquid, you can keep the staining at bay.
Cut out as much acidic food as you can. This removes the enamel from the teeth, causing them to look duller and lead to tooth decay. Yes, healthy food does have some acidic properties, and we’ll get how you can enjoy them and not suffer problems in a minute. But this is really about the processed foods and sodas. They’re full of empty calories and just end up staining and ruining the teeth.
When it comes to the fruit, you can always follow up with something alkaline. Cheese is an excellent addition to a fruit platter. If you don’t want cheese or can’t eat cheese, give your mouth 30 minutes to produce saliva and remove the acid from your mouth naturally. When you want something healthy and acidic, make sure you only opt for it with meals and avoid snacking continuously throughout the day. Give your mouth a chance to remove the acidic levels to protect your teeth.
Try not to breathe through your mouth and counter a dry mouth with more water drinking. Mouth breathing leads to a dry mouth, and that means you don’t get enough saliva to remove the acid and bacteria daily. Food and bacteria clings to your teeth, so you get a yellower film. Keeping yourself hydrated will help, or you can suck on sugar-free sweets to help create more saliva daily.
There are some genetic factors to yellow teeth. If your parents have yellow teeth, there is a higher chance that you will. But that doesn’t mean you have to put up with them. The above tips to brighten your smile will still work.
It’s Time to Create a Naturally White Smile
There’s no need to put up with yellow teeth, and you don’t need to pay for teeth whitening kits. You have no idea about the chemicals added to these! It’s time to opt for a whiter smile through natural means, and baking soda, salt, coconut oil, and lemon juice are all beneficial. Not only are you getting a whiter smile but you’re cleansing the mouth and adding nutrients to your diet.
It’s time to create your naturally whiter smile through a new cleaning regime. Invest in the natural cleaning products and you will see the difference. It will take time, but it’s all worth it in the end. I can promise you that.
