How to Make Your Teeth Whiter?

Do you avoid showing your teeth while smiling? Have you been missing your favorite tea or coffee just because they make your teeth stain even more? Stained teeth are a common problem every other person suffers with. This not only affects their social and emotional well-being but also indicates the presence of underlying problems in your oral cavity. Since stained teeth prevent you from making the most of your life, teeth whitening remedies and clinical procedures will help you regain your confidence and live your life to the fullest. Here are some common and effective teeth whitening options.

  1. Brush Your Teeth With Baking Soda

Baking soda is an alkaline substance that has mild abrasive properties to scrape away teeth stains. The alkaline nature of baking soda prevents bacterial infection that otherwise leads to damage and staining of teeth. You can either make a baking soda paste or use a toothpaste that contains baking soda for brushing your teeth.

  1. Regular Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables

Excessive consumption of citrus fruits to remove teeth stains is a common myth. The high citric acid content of these fruits causes damage to the outer layer of your teeth. However, crunchy fruits such as strawberries and pineapples, are very beneficial for oral health. The texture of these fruits helps scrub away teeth stains and remove plaque. Strawberries also contain malic acid which is less acidic than citric acid. Moreover, pineapples contain an enzyme called bromelain which is important for giving you your desired white teeth.

  1. Reduce Consumption of Teeth-Staining Foods

Consumption of tobacco and alcohol are well known for causing discoloration of teeth. While limiting the use of tobacco and alcohol, you should also reduce your intake of caffeine, dark berries, wine, and carbonated drinks. You should also brush your teeth after consuming these food items so that these substances don’t stain your teeth.

  1. Reduce Your Sugar Consumption

Sugar is a feast for bacteria in your oral cavity. As bacteria consume sugar, they produce more lactic acid that leads to discoloration of teeth and damages the teeth enamel. Reducing sugar intake will not only inhibit bacterial growth but also prevent staining of your teeth. Don’t forget to brush your teeth right after consuming sugars.

  1. Floss Your Teeth Regularly

It may seem a time-consuming task at first, but flossing your teeth along with brushing works wonders for teeth whitening. Flossing will remove the food particles which are hard to reach via a toothbrush. This will prevent plaque formation and teeth discoloration.

  1. Oil Pulling

With deep roots in Ayurvedic medicine, oil pulling has many proven benefits for stained teeth. Oil pulling is referred to as swishing coconut, sesame, sunflower, or olive oil around your oral cavity to eliminate bacteria and prevent plaque formation. Coconut oil is a great choice when it comes to oil pulling. Coconut oil contains lauric acid that has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. This prevents bacterial growth and gum inflammation giving you a cleaner and whiter set of teeth.

  1. Hydrogen Peroxide for Teeth Whitening

Hydrogen peroxide is an essential part of both at-home and in-office teeth whitening treatments. Your dentist may use a stronger peroxide solution and apply light or heat to facilitate the treatment. At-home treatment options use a less potent peroxide solution for teeth whitening. These options include toothpaste, gels, strips, and trays.

  1. Scaling and Polishing of Teeth

Apart from using peroxide solution to reduce teeth discoloration, you may also opt for dental procedures like scaling and polishing. This is part of the teeth cleaning process in which plaque is scraped away from the surface of your teeth. After removing the plaque, your dentist will polish your teeth. This is done by using a dental drill to buff the teeth via a baking soda-coated rubber cap. A dental drill controls the rubber cap and the abrasive action of baking soda smoothens the teeth surface.

Bacterial infections and plaque accumulation are common oral cavity problems that result in the discoloration of teeth. Unhealthy eating and drinking habits as well as abstinence from regular dental hygiene promote infections and plaque formation. Stained teeth are a nuisance to the social, emotional, and psychological well-being of a person. To prevent your teeth from staining and lightening already stained teeth, you should consider dental procedures such as hydrogen peroxide treatment, scaling, and polishing. Apart from dental procedures, you should also limit your sugar, coffee, tea, alcohol, tobacco, wine, and soda intake. Ancient techniques such as oil pulling are also beneficial for teeth whitening.

References

  1. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/whiten-teeth-naturally
  2. https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/teeth-whitening-and-bleaching
  3. https://www.healthline.com/health/teeth-polishing#about

One Response

  1. Simone Balcomb February 23, 2022