How to Whiten Your Teeth at Home
The good news is there are plenty of ways to remove stains from the comfort of your own home, using both whitening products and home remedies. Let’s get into how to whiten teeth at home without breaking the bank.
Use Whitening Products
If you’re wondering how to whiten your teeth at home, the most obvious answer is to use over-the-counter whitening products, such as whitening strips.
While these don’t tend to be as effective as professional-grade products you’d buy from your dentist, they’re effective and provide an affordable way to approve the appearance of your smile within just a few days.
Whitening strips can cause sensitivity, so if you’re prone to sensitive teeth, use them alongside specially formulated sensitive toothpaste.
Brush with Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide
Wondering how to whiten your teeth at home but spend as little money as possible doing it? Make a paste from baking soda and hydrogen peroxide and brush with it to remove stains and brighten your smile.
To make the paste, simply mix one tablespoon of baking soda and two tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide to brush your teeth with. Just don’t forget to rinse properly once you’ve finished brushing!
As well as removing stains, this solution is said to remove plaque build-up, helping to keep your teeth in good health.
Try Oil Pulling
Oil pulling with coconut oil is another technique to improve all-around oral health and remove brown and yellow stains from your teeth. By removing plaque and bacteria from the teeth, oil pulling can lighten stains or remove them entirely, making your teeth appear brighter and whiter.
Swish 1 to 2 tablespoons of coconut oil around in your mouth for about 10 minutes—you can do it for longer, but some people don’t like the taste/sensation. Try not to let the oil touch the back of your throat, and don’t swallow it. If you feel like you’re about to accidentally swallow it, spit it out and be careful not to put too much in your mouth at once.
Opting for an organic oil will mean no other chemicals enter your mouth, and remember to spit into the trash not down the sink, to avoid clogging drains.
Use Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has exploded in the world of wellness over the last few years, with people claiming benefits from weight loss to acid reflux reduction. But did you know apple cider vinegar can also be used as a way to whiten teeth at home?
Apple cider vinegar should only be used in small amounts as the acid can damage the top layer of your teeth. But to take advantage of apple cider vinegar’s teeth-brightening properties, mix a couple of teaspoons with five ounces of water and use it as mouthwash, remembering to spit into a bowl and brush your teeth afterward.
Don’t use apple cider vinegar daily, just when you feel like your teeth need a pick-me-up.
Keep on Top of Dental Hygiene
The most effective way to guarantee pearly white teeth is by keeping on top of your dental hygiene. Visit the dentist regularly, brush your teeth daily for two minutes at a time and floss daily, too. This will prevent plaque and bacteria build-up, which causes discolored teeth in the first place.
Try Activated Charcoal Products
Activated charcoal is found in plenty of toothpaste and can be used as a way to remove stains from teeth, making them appear brighter and whiter. It can also remove bacteria and toxins from the mouth.
Toothpaste containing activated charcoal is easily found online and should be used twice daily, brushing for two minutes each time. As with any type of whitening toothpaste, you can experience sensitivity, so keep a specially formulated sensitive toothpaste to hand and alternative between the two.
Sip Through a Straw
While whitening your teeth at home reverses damage, prevention is better than cure, so prevent damage in advantage by sipping drinks that tend to darken your teeth—such as red wine, tea and coffee—through a straw.
Getting whiter teeth doesn’t have to set you back hundreds of dollars. Using a mix of home remedies and purchased whitening products from stores like CVS and Walgreens, you’ll enjoy whiter teeth in no time and a smile you’ll be proud to flash.