A wide range of treatments can brighten your teeth, from over-the-counter toothpastes to more intensive whitening procedures done in the dentist's office. But what are the best ways to whiten your teeth?
A big one is to avoid foods that stain. That includes red wine, coffee and even healthy fare like tomato sauce.
1. Baking Soda and Lemon Juice
Baking soda is mildly abrasive and helps lift surface stains while protecting enamel. It is also one of the most inexpensive whitening options available.
Lemon juice is acidic and can damage tooth enamel. However, according to Healthline, there is no evidence that baking soda fully neutralizes lemon juice’s acidity and that the combination of both can actually harm your teeth rather than whiten them.
To make this home remedy, mix a tablespoon of baking soda with enough lemon juice to form a paste. Add water to thin the mixture if necessary. Apply the resulting paste to your teeth and leave it on for no more than two minutes. Rinse thoroughly and repeat as needed. Alternatively, use a commercial whitening kit with instructions for safe use.
2. Hydrogen Peroxide
Whiter teeth are a common goal for many people, but there’s a point where whiteness looks phony and even unhealthy. Moreover, teeth whitening can wear down tooth enamel and lead to permanent discoloration if the treatment is too intense or used too often.
Over-the-counter whitening products like white strips and toothpastes use hydrogen peroxide to bleach the extrinsic stains on the outside of your teeth. These stains are caused by eating and drinking foods and beverages with color that rubs off onto your teeth and leaves behind the yellow or brown residue. Hydrogen peroxide reacts with these stains and breaks them down into water and oxygen gas. (
3. Carbamide Peroxide
Despite the countless DIY teeth whitening hacks that are floating around Pinterest, these trends rarely work and can even cause damage to your enamel or leave you with painful sensitivity. For example, rinsing with straight hydrogen peroxide causes gum irritation because it is too concentrated and doesn’t spend enough time directly against your teeth (think about the difference between your tooth whitening strips or trays and a simple bottle of drugstore H2O).
The best way to whiten teeth is by eating and drinking things that wouldn’t stain a white tablecloth – namely, avoiding tobacco and limiting foods and beverages that can discolor the surface of your enamel like coffee, red wine and tomato sauce. Regular brushing and flossing, a good mouthwash, and a diet of fruits, vegetables and calcium-rich foods will also help.
4. Hydrogen Peroxide Mouthwash
The oxidizing properties in hydrogen peroxide make it a common antiseptic and disinfectant used by dentists. A diluted version of this product can also whiten teeth. You can buy a bottle at a local drug store or pharmacy and use it as a mouthwash for about half a minute by swishing the liquid around your mouth. Then, spit it out and don’t swallow the mixture.
Most people who have yellow teeth have extrinsic stains, which are on the outside layer of their teeth. Eating certain foods, drinking coffee, tea and red wine regularly can leave behind these stains.
Using a teeth whitening toothpaste with lower concentrations of hydrogen peroxide gel and bleaching at home can help you remove these stains, but it takes time. You can get quicker results if you visit your dentist for an in-office whitening treatment.
5. Coconut Oil
White, bright teeth are an attractive feature that many people aspire to have. The best way to whiten your teeth is with a routine that includes daily brushing, flossing, and professional cleanings. However, there are many products and home remedies that claim to whiten your teeth. These include activated charcoal, kaolin clay, and rubbing citrus fruit peels on your teeth. However, there is no scientific evidence that these products work.
Coconut oil can remove plaque and staining due to its antibacterial properties and mild abrasiveness. This oil is also high in medium-chain fatty acids, such as lauric acid, which can reduce bacteria in the mouth and gums (4,5). To use coconut oil for whiter teeth, place 1 tablespoon in your mouth and swish it around for 20 minutes up to three times a day.
