Our teeth are meant to be white. That is the color nature intended, and she was kind enough to give us some natural helpers when it comes to getting rid of dental stains.
Mother Nature’s Teeth Whitening Helpers
- Oil Pulling – If you haven’t heard of this, you probably have no idea how putting oil of any kind can help whiten your teeth. Well, oil pulling has actually been around for almost 3,000 years. Oil pulling originated from the Ayurvedic medical traditions of ancient India. This makes it one of the oldest natural whitening treatments we know of. You can use coconut, sesame, or sunflower oil for your pulling treatment. Take a single tablespoon of the oil and swish it around in your mouth for 20 minutes. When you first start off, 20 minutes may not be reasonable. Most people who are starting an oil pulling routine start at 5 minutes and work their way up from there. Rinse, and then brush and floss your teeth following this treatment.
- Strawberries – Everyone loves strawberries. They are red, juicy, and are wonderful as part of any dessert, like strawberry shortcake. They also have an added bonus. Strawberries are great for the color of your teeth. Strawberries contain malic acid, a natural enamel whitener. Do you know what layer of your tooth is on the outside for everyone to see? That’s right, your enamel. The whiter it is, the better your teeth are going to look. Here’s how you do it: Take a couple strawberries and mash them into a pulp. Then take a little baking soda and make a paste with the mashed strawberries. Spread the paste across your teeth, and let the whitening begin to happen. You should wait about five minutes, and then you can rinse it off. Be sure to brush your teeth and floss after. Strawberry seeds are tiny and can get stuck in between your teeth easily if you’re not careful.
- Baking Soda & Hydrogen Peroxide – You have seen these two agents paired in countless tubes of toothpaste. Together, these give the chemical mixture an added boost. But what if you could use just these two ingredients to clean and whiten your smile? Hydrogen peroxide is the bleaching agent used in most over-the-counter whitening solutions. It is also a wonderful option as an oral rinse. Mix a little with some baking soda, and you have yourself a whitening paste that will do your teeth worlds of good. The baking soda is very abrasive, so you will want to be careful with how hard you brush your teeth with it. The last thing you want to do is damage your newly whitened enamel.
- Orange Peel – We know you have had the dangers of acidic food drilled into your head, but we are serious about this one. Yes, citric acid can be harmful to your enamel, and yes, orange peels contain a certain amount of citric acid. What you may not know is that the white part of the peel contains a natural solvent called d-limonene. This natural solvent has been shown to remove dental staining. What you do is take the white part of the peel and rub it on your teeth. Over time, this may result in the removal of dental stains from your teeth. Please keep in mind, this will be a much slower method than anything you are able to get from Dr. Anderkvist. You will need to be patient and let the solvent do its job. As always, brush and floss after this treatment. You still want to limit the amount of citric acid on your teeth as much as possible.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – We use apple cider vinegar for so many things; cleaning coffeemakers is one. Another use for apple cider vinegar is a natural teeth whitener. Just swish a little around in your mouth, spit, and rinse. You will see wonderful results from this treatment, but again, you will want to make sure you brush afterward. Apple cider vinegar is very acidic, and is not the most pleasant smelling product, either.
Natural Does Not Equal Fast
One thing to keep in mind is that natural teeth whitening is not going to give you immediate results. If you are looking for a faster, more effective dental whitening treatment, contact Dr. Anderkvist today at 310-208-4084 to schedule your appointment. In our Los Angeles, CA office, we can have your teeth shades whiter in less than an hour.