All About HEALTH > Natural Ways to WHITEN YOUR TEETH

Safe tooth whitening techniques (but be gentle, don’t scrub too hard !!)

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PiJo:
Safe whitening techniques

                 


Many teeth whitening treatments contain harsh chemicals that can leave teeth feeling sensitive for a long time.

The best way to whiten your teeth is by feeding your body lots of healthy foods (these are also important for strong bones), brushing and rinsing your teeth and gums every day, plus working on omitting coffee, tea and sugary foods in your diet. The very first step you should take: if you smoke, stop smoking! And of course, no matter what your age, show your teeth some love by brushing with a natural, non-irritating product every day.

Some of the reasons teeth turn yellow, beige or brown include:

    Drinking coffee or tea
    Smoking cigarettes
    Thinning tooth enamel due to aging
    Eating a poor diet. This includes consuming lots of processed foods high in acid, including soft drinks/soda, candies or sometimes certain fruits. Even some supplements can worsen enamel thinning due to containing acids.
    Suffering from dry mouth (since lack of saliva means less protection for enamel)
    Breathing through your mouths and having blocked nasal passages. These lower saliva and prevent the teeth/mouth from remoisturizing
    Antibiotic use
    Excessive fluoride intake, especially if this habit starts when you’re a child
    Genetic factors

Brush After Drinking or Eating

The best way to whiten your teeth naturally, however not always the easiest, is to simply brush (and floss) your teeth after eating or drinking something. This takes a lot of persistence and can even be kind of difficult depending on where you are at the time of eating (such as work or school).


Home whitening remedies :

Oil pulling with Coconut Oil (cold pressed Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is recommended for Oil Pulling)

The reason oil pulling is our favorite solution for naturally whitening our teeth is because unlike so many whitening strategies that have risks of damaging enamel and gum tissue, oil pulling actually helps reduce tooth decay and gingivitis.

Simply put a spoonful of coconut oil in your mouth and swish it between your teeth for five to 20 minutes, or add a few drops to your toothbrush and brush it on. Another option is to apply coconut oil to a corner of a clean washcloth and rub it on the teeth. A bonus regarding coconut pulling ? Coconut oil has antimicrobial properties so it’s great for protecting and cleaning your gums as well.

It’s been scientifically proven that oil pulling helps to stop gum disease.  And if you use coconut oil, you’ll lower your risk of tooth decay too.  A component of coconut oil, called monolaurin, has shown to be a very effective antimicrobial on the main bug implicated with tooth decay : Streptococcus mutans.
Coconut oil is primarily 45% lauric acid, 17% myristic acid , 8% palmitic acid and 8% caprylic acid.
Although it contains seven different saturated fatty acids in total, its only monounsaturated fatty acid is oleic acid while its only polyunsaturated fatty acid is linoleic acid.

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)

ACV contains compounds including acetic acid, potassium, magnesium, probiotics and enzymes, which kill germs (dangerous “bad” bacteria) and at the same time foster the growth of beneficial “good” probiotic bacteria. Since it’s naturally acidic, it helps break down plaque or other substances stuck to the teeth. The pH of apple cider vinegar can remove stains from your teeth, which helps naturally whiten your teeth.

The key to using ACV for teeth whitening is to be consistent, using it for at least a month continuously in order to see the best results. However, be careful, as with all acids, it can remove the enamel on your teeth if you brush too hard or use too much.

Baking soda

While some on the internet may argue that baking soda is too abrasive for regular use in the mouth, the science says that baking soda is actually pretty soft with low abrasivity.

The game with using baking soda to whiten is to gently focus on the front teeth while the baking soda shifts from powder to solution mixed with saliva.  Once baking soda is basically liquid in your mouth (mixed with saliva), it will still have some gentle ability to remove stains, but if you want to focus on whitening, focus on front teeth first.

Remember, gentle, don’t scrub too hard with it.

Baking Soda and Lemon Juice Paste

Baking Soda isn’t a shocker here. Sodium bicarbonate (its official name) is mildly abrasive; gently scrubbing away surface stains to return teeth to a whiter shade. It’s also very alkaline (the opposite of acidic) so I would think if you have a very acidic mouth or eat a lot of acidic food, it could help balance out the Ph, which would be useful as acid breaks down enamel-this is strictly speculation on my part. It will also reduce the acidity of the lemon juice, which acts as a natural bleach of sorts. I use a mixture of baking soda and water on some days, and use the lemon juice on others, as I don’t want to overdo it.

Mix several teaspoons of baking soda with enough fresh lemon juice (or water) to make a paste. Put a good amount of paste onto your toothbrush and apply. Leave the paste on for 1 minute, then rinse, so as to avoid the acid effecting enamel. If you are using just water you can leave it on for up to 3 minutes.

Strawberry, Salt and Baking Soda Scrub

Strawberries are high in Vitamin C, which can help break-down plaque that is causing your teeth to look yellow. It also has an enzyme called malic acid, which may help to remove surface stains. The salt acts as an abrasive portion of the paste, physically scrubbing away stain-causing gunk, and the baking soda is an extra touch that you can choose to leave out if you’d prefer (I just like to add it to anything involving my teeth.)

Mash the berries into a pulp, and add a pinch of sea salt and ½ teaspoon of baking soda, if you’re using it. Wipe any extra saliva off your teeth with a paper towel, and then apply a generous portion of the mixture to a toothbrush and apply. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, then rinse. Do this nightly.

Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is an antibacterial agent and works great as a total mouth and gum cleaner and keeps the mouth free of germs. A good oral mouth rinse can be made using hydrogen peroxide; use half water and half hydrogen peroxide, swish around in your mouth for about one minute, and then rinse. Research shows hydrogen peroxide keeps breath fresh by eliminating bad bacteria due to acting as a natural antiseptic/antibacterial agent. It’s also capable of providing natural protection against gum diseases like gingivitis and periodontitis.

Clay

Clays have a unique ability to be very soft (low abrasive) yet able to polish more effectively.  In fact, one specific type of clay, white kaolin clay, has the high score from the research on its ‘Cleaning Efficiency’. This cleaning efficiency is a combination of a low abrasivity score and a high ability to remove stains.

While any clay is decent, white kaolin clay is the best by quite a bit.

Same game as with baking soda.  Focus on front teeth while the clay is incorporated into saliva.

Activated Charcoal

Activated charcoal, an absorbing product used to trap toxins inside the body, can help whiten your teeth by absorbing plaque and microscopic tidbits that cause staining. To whiten your teeth naturally with charcoal, wet a toothbrush and dip into powdered activated charcoal. Brush teeth as normal, paying special attention to areas showing the most staining. Sip a bit of water, swish through mouth thoroughly and spit. Rinse well, until spit is clear. For best results, brush your teeth with activated charcoal two to three times per week, but avoid using it if you have crowns, caps or porcelain veneers.

Lemon or Orange Peels

Similarly to apple cider vinegar (ACV), some swear that using citrus fruits — including lemon and/or orange peels, or lemon essential oil, which contain beneficial acids — also does the trick for whitening teeth. These foods overall are very healthy, such as benefiting digestion due to regulating levels of stomach acid, but the high acid content can also eventually wear away the enamel on the teeth if used too aggressively. Like with ACV, if you use lemon or orange peel on your teeth always rinse your mouth afterward to be on the safe side.

Diluted hydrogen peroxide

Many studies show that hydrogen peroxide is dangerous at higher concentrations like those used in conventional whitening treatments.  Some studies even show potential risks at concentrations as low as 3%.

If you choose to use hydrogen peroxide to support teeth whitening, keep it really low concentration.  We don’t suggest using anything higher than 1% (max 1.5%) concentration.

That said if you choose to use dilute hydrogen peroxide in the mouth, keep the concentration really low and swish for several minutes to increase the ‘time on the teeth’.

A good oral mouth rinse can be made using hydrogen peroxide; use half water and half hydrogen peroxide, swish around in your mouth for about one minute, and then rinse. Research shows hydrogen peroxide keeps breath fresh by eliminating bad bacteria due to acting as a natural antiseptic/antibacterial agent.

For another way to use this product, mix a small amount of hydrogen peroxide with a small amount of baking soda in order to make a paste that helps remove more plaque from teeth.

Turmeric

Honorable mention goes to using powdered turmeric as a natural tooth whitener.
However, here’s a word of warning…  Turmeric will stain anything it touches including your clothes, your toothbrush, and your bathroom sink.  However, folks who claim turmeric helps whiten teeth are happy to show you their smiles that aren’t stained.

Here is How to Make Turmeric Teeth Whitening Paste :

    Mix 4 table spoons of turmeric powder with 2 table spoons of baking soda add 2 and half table spoon of coconut oil.
    Mix it thoroughly.
    Use the mixture to brush your teeth for 2-3 minutes.
    Spit and rinse with water until the water coming out is clear.

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Combine strategies

It makes a lot of sense to us to combine two or more of these strategies to maximize the efficiency of the time you spend to whiten your teeth.

In the end, whatever strategy(ies) you choose, be sure to go about it consciously to care for your enamel.

Remember, gentle, don’t scrub too hard !











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