What is Teeth Whitening?
Teeth tend to become pale and yellowish in color due to a number of factors. Teeth whitening treatments, whether consisting of over the counter medicines or natural home remedies for Teeth Whitening are usually found beneficial in lightening teeth color.
However, while following conventional as well as home treatments for Teeth Whitening, you can not expect to get completely white teeth. These cures can only help lighten the color to some extent.
Also, note that Teeth Whitening natural remedies are comparatively safer and inexpensive as compared to procedures like Laser Whitening, Dental Veneers.
Teeth Whitening procedures do not work on teeth discoloration caused by internal staining or developmental conditions. Such cases require internal teeth whitening treatments.
Causes and Symptoms of Teeth Discoloration
Basically, teeth color is determined by the color of dentin. Dentin is dental tissue that lies underneath the semi translucent tooth enamel. Dentin is normally light yellow to greyish white in color. But, it can also be brownish or blackish. It is this dentin that tends to get discolored due to various reasons and makes the teeth appear yellow instead of white.
Some such common reasons for teeth discoloration are staining due to excessive intake of tea, coffee, chocolate, sodas, red wine, blueberry, blackberry and other such chromogenic items. Cigarette smoking and tobacco abuse also cause the same due to nicotine deposits. Prolonged use of certain medicines, especially antibiotics can also cause staining.
Natural wear and tear of enamel due to increasing age is another important factor responsible for teeth discoloration. Amalgam restoration, root canal treatment, tooth trauma, tooth decay due to inadequate oral hygiene and other similar problems may also cause the same.
Tooth discoloration can also be caused by excessive exposure to fluoride during early childhood. Teeth discoloration is characterized by yellow or brown stains on teeth.
Natural Home Remedies for Teeth Whitening
• Simply rubbing the teeth with salt is one of the simplest natural home remedies for Teeth Whitening. Rubbing a combination of baking soda and salt is also beneficial in whitening teeth. As both these substances are abrasive in nature, follow this natural remedy only once in a day and do not overdo it. Discontinue in case it starts causing damage.
• Using a solution of lukewarm water and rock salt as a mouthwash helps in improving teeth color.
• Mixing hard wood ash in toothpaste or putting it on toothbrush while brushing the teeth is a valuable natural cure to whiten teeth. Do not scrub wood ash too hardly or for longer durations as it can damage the enamel.
• The bark of walnut tree has also been found to be useful in healing this problem.
• Having fresh crunchy fruits and vegetables like broccoli, celery, carrots, apples, guavas, cucumbers, tomatoes, strawberries etc is one of the safest natural home remedies for Teeth Whitening.
• Rubbing the teeth with the inside of an orange peel helps to remove stains and whitens teeth naturally.
• Strawberry is another popular home remedy for Teeth Whitening natural treatment. Simply rub the teeth with strawberry pulp. You can floss your teeth after using this remedy to remove any strawberry seeds stuck between in between.
• Crush 15-20 dry basil leaves and powdered dry rinds of orange with it. Regularly use this combination as an effective homemade Teeth Whitening powder.
• Rubbing a mixture prepared from half a tablespoon of baking soda and 1-2 drops of 3% hydrogen peroxide is another common way to whiten teeth. Use this therapy on a weekly or monthly basis, depending on the condition of your teeth but do not overdo it.
• Sage leaves and spearmint oil are considered as excellent Teeth Whitening home remedies. You can use these herbs either by brushing your teeth with sage leaves or using 1-2 drops of spearmint oil in water as a mouthwash for whitening teeth.
• Rinsing the mouth with a solution of water and apple cider vinegar taken in equal quantities serves as highly beneficial Teeth Whitening home treatment. It is also helpful in dealing with gum problems and mouth ulcers. However, as vinegar is an organic acid, do not use this remedy for a long time.
• Brushing the teeth with a few drops of lemon juice on it or rubbing a combination of one teaspoon each of lemon juice and salt on teeth can help whiten teeth but these remedies are usually not recommended because lemon juice and other similar vitamin C rich substances tend to damage the enamel, thereby making teeth more susceptible to damage.
Diet for Teeth Whitening
Having fibrous and crunchy fruits and green vegetables is highly beneficial Teeth Whitening tip in terms of diet. In addition, drink adequate amount of water throughout the day at regular intervals to remove plaque. Although, avoid taking too hot or too cold beverages because it aides in penetration of stains.
Moreover, stay away from caffeinated and carbonated beverages. Avoid excessive consumption of chromogenic foods like blueberry, blackberry, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, dark chocolate etc. Instead, have more iron and calcium rich foods, especially spinach. As cigarettes contain nicotine that causes staining, avoid smoking as well.
Besides, maintain proper oral hygiene, brush your teeth carefully with a soft bristled brush two times in a day and follow the natural home remedies for Teeth Lightening so that you can flash a brilliant smile. However, as most of the items used in these remedies can be abrasive rinse your mouth thoroughly after applying them and do not use them too often.
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