Around 20% of people admit to hiding their teeth when they smile. The vast majority say that they are embarrassed by the discoloured appearance, and therefore pull off a ‘half n half smile’.
There are a lot of reasons why teeth don’t stay pearly white over the years. A few of the most common causes are smoking, wearing down the enamel and drinking lots of coffee. Every time you drink or eat, your teeth are exposed to all sorts of stranger things. Inevitably, they’re going to become a little less white day by day. However, there are ways to whiten your teeth from the comfort of your own home, and for a very reasonable price.
Here’s 5 completely natural ways to whiten your teeth at home:
Baking soda
Fun fact, a lot of toothpastes actually contain sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). A mild abrasive baking soda gently rubs the surface of your teeth, buffing out stains, and leaves the surface of your teeth more even.
If you can’t find a bicarbonate toothpaste, sprinkle some baking powder on your regular toothpaste and get brushing.
Crunchy food and vegetables
Crunchy veggies and other foods are sort of like a natural tooth brush.
When you munch away on a carrot or an apple, it helps remove excess food and keep your mouth well hydrated. When you chew, the crunchy foods basically scrub the surface of your teeth. The crunchier the better.
Brushing and flossing
This is more a preventative suggestion to be honest with you, but that’s because some things are better off prevented than fixed.
If you brush your teeth properly it helps buff out surface stains caused by acid attacks etc. When your teeth have an even surface, dirt is more likely to just brush off and cavities are less likely to build up.
Cut down on staining drinks
Technically this isn’t about whitening, our apologies, but it is nonetheless a very important point.
Some foods and drinks are more prevalent to stain your teeth. Two of the most notorious stainers are coffee and red wine.
Now we’re not saying no more of all the good things in life, instead, just think about drinking a little less of things that could colour your teeth.
Coconut oil
Coconut oil seems to be the superfood of the decade, and it’s easy to understand why. Coconut oil isn’t just great for putting off hunger, moisturising skin and improving cholesterols. It can help your teeth too!
The natural oil is really good for dissolving plaque, and generally cleans out your mouth really well. All you need to do is swirl a teaspoon around for 5-15 minutes, then spit it out.
The Journal of Contemporary Dental Hygiene have previously concluded “Coconut oil can be considered as a preventive therapy at home to maintain oral hygiene”.
About Buttercup 7 Day Dental
Buttercup 7 Day Dental (http://www.buttercup7daydental.co.uk/) is a dentist located in Glasgow’s West End, Scotland. Butterup was founded in 2011 by Gerwyn and Angela Rowlands with the aim of creating a clinic where patients would feel safe and relaxed. At Buttercup, our finest mission is to end our patients dentist fear and provide them with a high quality service.
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