With age, our teeth lose their bright whiteness that we all desire. There are several products out on the market that can whiten your teeth, not to mention your dentist also has a few procedures available, but before you try to budget for several products or even teeth whitening procedures, here are a few simple “home remedies” you can do to keep your teeth white.
Baking Soda One tried and true method to remove stains from your teeth is baking soda. Mix a little baking soda with water and—for better results—a bit of hydrogen peroxide. Scoop some of the paste onto your toothbrush and brush your teeth.
Apples, Carrots, Celery, and Pears Try to eat plenty of each. These fruits and vegetables allow saliva to move more freely and in larger amounts in your mouth than other foods, and saliva is already your body’s natural method to clean stains from your teeth. Saliva also deactivates any lingering acids in your mouth, which helps prevent tooth decay. Chewing gum also has similar effects, but before you rush out and chew plenty of gum, make sure that the gum is sugar-free, or you’ll cause more problems than you’ll prevent.
Watch What You Drink Some beverages can stain your teeth. The most famous culprits are wine, coffee, and grape juice. To help minimize their staining effects, try to rinse your mouth with water after drinking them.
Quit Smoking In addition to the numerous other health risks tobacco imposes, smoking enhances tooth decay, causes bad breath, increases the risk for oral (mouth) cancer and stains your teeth. If you don’t smoke, then don’t start.
Brush and Floss Surely you’ve heard your dentist tell you this a thousand times, but it is incredibly important to consistently brush and floss your teeth. You should brush twice a day and floss once a day, every day. If you lapse in this practice for days at a time, it will not matter what other treatments you try; you will have yellow, stained teeth.
If you are concerned about keeping your teeth white, feel free to contact our office to discuss home treatments or possibly cosmetic dental procedures to get your smile its absolute whitest.