9 Home Remedies For Yellow Teeth That Really Work
With such an emphasis placed on having a bright and white smile today, you probably want to do everything you can to improve the appearance of your teeth. Yet, you may not want to purchase harsh (and expensive) over the counter products. So, here are 9 effective home remedies for yellow teeth that you can use instead.
4 Foods That Can Whiten Teeth
Surprisingly, strawberries are a natural teeth whitener, as they have high vitamin C levels. Why does this matter? Vitamin C is acidic (it’s formal name after all is ascorbic acid), and it works to bleach away stains and yellowing from your pearly whites.
Just as effective is lemon in any form, but most people don’t care to eat lemons on a regular basis. A better method is to rub your teeth with the peel for 1-2 minutes and then either rinse them with water or simply brush your teeth with regular toothpaste afterwards. This is important, as allowing the highly acidic lemon juice to sit on your tooth enamel for a long period, can cause enamel loss over time.
Third on the list of home remedies for yellow teeth that involve foods, is coconut oil. While you may not eat a large helping of this on a regular basis, it is indeed a food derived item. Not only does coconut oil have other amazing health-boosting properties, but it can help to improve the hue of your smile as well. How can you use it?
Through a technique called oil pulling, which is actually an ancient health regimen that is purported to help a number of different health conditions. To get started simply put about a tablespoon of coconut oil into your mouth. Now, swish the oil (once it has melted inside your mouth) around and through your teeth for between 10 and 15 minutes. While this sounds like a long time, this process is supposed to be pulling toxins out from your tissues. However, for our purposes here, it is also whitening your teeth at the same time. Once finished, spit out the oil and you can then brush your teeth, or simply drink a glass of water to remove the residue.
The fourth food that can have marvelous teeth whitening effects is the lowly apple. You may recall that as a child your mother had you eat an apple before you went to visit the dentist. This was because she knew that apples naturally scrub your teeth clean, but they also whiten as they cleanse too.
3 Natural Substances With Whitening Power
You’re probably not surprised to find baking soda on a list of home remedies for yellow teeth, as this wonderful substance has an abundance of uses. There are a few ways that you can use baking soda on its own, and a few ways to use it in combination with other items (which are covered on the next page). By far the easiest way is to simply add a dash (about ¼ teaspoon) of baking soda onto your toothpaste and proceed to brush normally.
Or, you can make a paste entirely of baking soda and a little water, and use this to brush. Either way, keep in mind that baking soda works like sand paper on your tooth enamel. So, it is important to use this technique on a limited basis, perhaps twice a week for two weeks only. Otherwise, you may permanently damage your teeth.
Salt is another handy household teeth whitening product which probably never occurred to you. Yet, it works quite well, and you can just use it in lieu of your normal toothpaste for whitening impact. Just be careful to brush slowly and gently, otherwise the rough texture of the crystals could harm your teeth and gums.
Finally, basil (yes, the herb found in your seasoning pantry) is known to whiten teeth and generally boost the health of your gums too. Here, you’ll want to buy fresh basil leaves, instead of using the pre-ground powder which is often used in cooking. First, let the leaves dry out in the sun for a few hours, and then grind them down into a fine powder. Then you can rub this powder on your teeth directly, add it to your toothpaste, or add a bit of water to the powder to make a paste for brushing.
2 Combination Whitening Techniques
While the home remedies for yellow teeth covered on the previous two pages are good, combining a few together is even better. The first and most common is to make a paste with baking soda, but substitute lemon juice for water instead. This gives you a one-two punch of whitening power, without any of the harsh chemicals found in commercial products.
The second option is even gentler, as it uses just strawberries and salt. Strawberries are terrific natural teeth whiteners, as they have high levels of vitamin C and an astringent that cleanses teeth too. Take a few strawberries and a pinch of salt, and mash this into a wet paste. While it will be a little harder to use than traditional toothpaste, you can simply brush with this homemade concoction instead.
However, you’ll get the best results if you apply it to your teeth and let it sit for a few minutes. Also, as strawberries have natural sugar content, if you are doing this before bed it is best to brush your teeth with regular toothpaste afterwards. This ensures that those sugars don’t sit on your teeth all night and break down your enamel.
Check out other useful home remedies here.
