It’s hard to have a confident smile when you know your teeth don’t look their best. Likewise, a smile doesn’t look attractive if teeth are dingy and yellow. Fortunately, there are many things you can do (or stop doing) that can keep your teeth looking nice and white.
20 Best Way To Whiten Your Teeth
1. Stay away from foods that stain teeth, such as blueberries and blackberries.
2. Eat crunchy foods such as apples, celery, and carrots. Crunchy foods stimulate saliva, which washes away debris (such as any food or drink that may leave stains).
3. Eat strawberries! Strawberries contain malic acid, which naturally lifts stains from teeth.
4. Eat hard cheese, which also helps to stimulate saliva production.
5. Don’t smoke. You know that smoking is bad for your body in all kinds of ways, and you’ve probably noticed that it’s not so great for your smile, either. In addition, tobacco stains are very hard to remove, as they can get down deep into any grooves or pits in your tooth enamel.
6. Brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss at least once a day to remove plaque. Stains stick to plaque easily.
7. Brush your tongue. The tongue often gets neglected when people take care of their teeth, but it collects bacteria easily. This can weaken teeth and lead to discoloration.
8. Have the proper equipment. Throw out your toothbrush after you’ve used it for three to four months because when a toothbrush gets old, it just doesn’t do a good job of cleaning teeth.
9. Stay away from drinks that stain your teeth, such as tea, coffee, and cranberry juice. If you can’t live without that morning glass of juice, but you’re worried about stains on your teeth, use a straw.
10. Stay away from sports and energy drinks. These drinks can erode tooth enamel, which can cause teeth to look discolored, thin, and even translucent.
11. If you consume food or liquid that stains teeth, brush your teeth afterward.
12. If you can’t brush your teeth, at least rinse your mouth with some water.
13. Use whitening toothpaste to help remove stains (however, you should only use whitening toothpaste once or twice a week).
14. Chew sugarless gum to stimulate saliva to rinse off teeth.
15. Be aware that certain medications can stain teeth. These can include blood pressure medications, antihistamines, antipsychotic drugs, and even antibiotics. In addition, you should know that some diseases can lead to tooth discoloration, and so can some medical treatments, such as chemotherapy.
16. If your teeth are discolored, you don’t know why too much fluoride may be the cause. You may be getting too much fluoride from your drinking water or from using fluoride applications or fluoride supplements too much.
17. Try whitening the natural way. For example, some people mash up a strawberry, rub it on their teeth and rinse it off after a minute. Some people use baking soda mixed with hydrogen peroxide as toothpaste or rinse their mouths with hydrogen peroxide. Others rinse with a mixture of lemon juice and warm water (although this isn’t safe for teeth if you use it more than once a week).
18. Try whitening with a product you get from the drugstore. Nowadays, there are many products to try, such as strips and gels. There are also trays, which look similar to mouthguards that people wear when playing sports. You put a gel solution into the tray, put it over your teeth, and wear it for hours at a time. However, these products aren’t recommended for everyone, and not everyone responds to them.
19. Your dentist can apply bonding, a thin coat of resin or plastic, to teeth to help hide stains.
20. Visit your dentist twice a year for a thorough cleaning. Your dentist will use abrasion and polishing methods to help get rid of stubborn stains.
