With all of the harsh chemicals on the market, it is nice to know there are some safe and effective ways to naturally whiten your teeth.
Note from Dawn: This post was originally published by me on RevealNaturalHealth.com. It has been transferred to ChoosingReal.com as I am moving content from that out-dated blog to this current blog.
Guest post by Megan of Gold Mountain Beauty
Coffee, tea, wine – they’re some of life’s most delicious, simple pleasures, but they can really do a number on the brightness of your teeth. Discolored teeth is a problem almost everyone has at some point in their lives; it’s just a natural part of living!
Of course, there are many manufactured teeth whitening kits on the market to help alleviate the problem, but those often leave you with a completely new set of issues. Full of harsh chemicals (like bleaching agents!) and irritating ingredients, over-the-counter teeth whitening solutions can leave your teeth feeling sensitive and stripped of good things (like your enamel)!
Thankfully, there are a number of safe, effective, and, most importantly, natural ways to help whiten your teeth at home. Below are five of the most popular and most effective you’ll find!
5 Ways To Naturally Whiten Your Teeth
1. Oil Pulling
The Ayurvedic practice has been around for over 3,000 years but is experiencing a resurgence in popularity lately— and for good reason. Not only will swishing a tablespoon full of coconut oil in your mouth help promote healthy gums, fight tooth decay, freshen breath and pull toxins from your saliva – it whitens your teeth too!
While it may take a couple tries to get used to the sensation of having a spoonful of coconut oil in your mouth for 30 minutes a day for about a month (yes, that is how long it takes), oil pulling is super simple to do and so effective on your teeth.
2. Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal has powerful toxin-killing and absorption properties that pull surface stains off your teeth with incredible ease. It has no real taste and is perfectly safe to ingest, making it the perfect natural teeth whitening candidate. You only need to use it once to see marked improvements!
Ingredients for an Activated Charcoal whitening “toothpaste”
1/2 tsp. powered activated charcoal
1/2 tsp. water
Mix the two ingredients well, spread over your teeth, and let sit for five minutes before rinsing.
3. Baking soda and lemon
Both baking soda and lemons are mild abrasives that can help remove surface stains from your teeth. Be careful and limit your time using this method since both ingredients are abrasive; you could end up doing more harm to your teeth than good if you use it too often!
To make a baking soda and lemon gargle, mix two parts water with one part baking soda and lemon. Swish and rinse in your mouth a couple times a week until you see desired results.
4. Strawberries and baking soda
Believe it or not, those perfectly red (and stainable!) strawberries are actually incredible natural teeth whitening tools! High in both Vitamin C (which helps break down yellowing plaque) and Malic Acid (an enzyme that removes surface stains), strawberries are a multi-tasking magic maker when it comes to natural teeth whitening.
All you need to do is mash a few strawberries into a pulp and add a teaspoon of baking soda to strengthen the yellow-fighting properties even further and to make the juicy berry mess into a more manageable paste. Coat your teeth and leave on for 5 minutes. Repeat nightly until you get to your desired whiteness.
5. Apple Cider Vinegar
With its mild abrasive properties and acidic pH balance, gargling with apple cider vinegar is another popular and effective method for whitening your teeth naturally. Apple cider vinegar comes with added benefits as well: it helps promote healthy gums and fights bad breath.
To make the gargle, mix one part apple cider vinegar with two parts water. Swish and rinse twice a couple of times a week for best (and safest!) results.
With so many easy, affordable and natural methods to whiten your teeth, there’s no need for you to ever head to the dentist or drug store for a manufactured method again!
Megan is a DIY health & beauty addict. She’s committed to making her itsy-bitsy apartment chemical free. You can find her work at Gold Mountain Beauty where she is responsible for the blog, Instagram and Pinterest.
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