Ageing often causes stained teeth, but various foods and drinks can also contribute to those brown or yellow spots on your teeth. Smoking, coffee, and red wine are three of the biggest culprits, but other foods such as blackberries and cherries can also harm the teeth’s surface.
You might feel self-conscious about your teeth and shy away from smiling for photographs or when you’re in public. You don’t like having brown or yellow stains on your teeth, and you don’t know how to get rid of them. Fortunately, there are simple teeth whitening solutions! From ancient natural methods to modern procedures, you can get rid of those stains, and here’s how.
Brush Your Teeth with Baking Soda
When applied to your usual toothpaste, baking soda gently scrapes away the surface stains of the teeth. Its alkaline ingredients help to lighten acid-based food stains (such as coffee, red wine, and tea) from the teeth. However, adding baking soda to your toothpaste won’t eliminate those stains overnight. You’ll have to wait a few months before you start to see results, but you’ll notice a refreshing difference over time.
Professional Teeth Whitening
For faster results, consider professional teeth whitening at a denture clinic. Your professional and experienced technician will place harmless bleaches on your teeth, causing the stains to break into smaller, hardly-visible pieces. The colour will be less concentrated, and your teeth will look significantly brighter. The process takes just over an hour and lasts from a few months up to a few years — so if you want fast, long-lasting results, professional teeth whitening is for you.
Oil Pulling
To improve your oral hygiene, you’ve probably used mouthwash before. But have you ever swished edible oil around your mouth to clean your teeth? The procedure is called oil pulling, and it comes from an Indian Ayurvedic tradition that’s thousands of years old. Swishing oil around your mouth for 20 minutes each day (such as coconut oil, due to its antibacterial properties) is thought to draw toxins from the body and improve oral and overall health. A few studies have shown that oil pulling reduces the number of bacteria that builds upon the teeth that eventually cause stains. There’s no science behind this ancient method, but it’s worth a try.
Change Your Diet
Your diet directly affects the health and appearance of your teeth. Many types of food and drink can damage your teeth’s appearance, including:
- Coffee
- Tea
- Red Wine
- Soda
- Citrus fruit, such as oranges and limes
- Berries
Pay attention to your diet, and cut back on anything that might contribute to teeth discolouration. If you enjoy acidic foods (such as citrus fruit), consider brushing your teeth after eating to get rid of any lingering acid that could cause staining.
Eat Teeth-Whitening Foods
Did you know some foods actually might whiten your teeth? Fruits containing the enzymes papain and bromelain, such as papayas and pineapples, may help whiten teeth because they help remove plaque.
Living with stained teeth is no laughing matter. But with these tips, you’ll be smiling from ear to ear in no time.
