Everyone loves the classic Hollywood smile. The glimmer of blindingly white teeth has charmed audiences for ages. Whether or not such a smile exists in nature or not is irrelevant.
Your teeth can affect your confidence, communicate your socioeconomic level, and potentially influence your employment prospects. As such, finding ways to whiten teeth is a key part of many beauty and hygiene routines.
Wondering how to get white teeth for yourself? Then wonder no more! Our guide will show you some steps you can take to get the classic, pearly white smile of your dreams.
Whitening Toothpaste and Rinses
One of the most common ways to get white teeth from home is to use whitening toothpaste and rinses. You’ll find no end of products on store shelves claiming that they’ll make your teeth brighter and healthier. How, exactly, do they make this work?
Most whitening toothpaste or rinses use one of two products in their ingredients list to make the magic happen. Either they use hydrogen peroxide, a bleaching agent, or baking soda. Either of these products can lift the stains and pigments out of your teeth.
However, those chemicals can be harsh on your teeth and dry out your mouth. That’s why it’s not recommended to use them if you have sensitive teeth, fillings, or struggle with a dry mouth.
Oil-Pulling to Reduce Bacteria and Staining
Oil-pulling is the method you’ll encounter first when you search the internet for “how to whiten teeth naturally”. This process has its origins in Indian folk medicine. It involves swishing oil around in your mouth to “pull out” the bacteria, which often turns into yellowing plaque.
To see the best results, you want to use something like coconut oil with known anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. While there’s no solid proof that this can whiten your teeth, it can cut down on the symptoms of gingivitis and other oral health issues.
Activated Charcoal: The Latest Whitening Trend
Another of the latest trends that crop up when you research how to get white teeth is activated charcoal. This substance, also known as activated carbon, comes from burned carboniferous lifeforms like wood or coconut shells. It then gets activated after exposure to specific gases and high temperatures.
While it’s been used as a toxin remover for centuries, its effects in tooth whitening are unclear. It’s possible what makes the teeth look whiter after using the activated charcoal is the sheer contrast between a normal mouth and one stained black by the charcoal.
Or, there could be something to its whitening properties. All evidence we have thus far is anecdotal.
Use OTC Strips and Gels
Another way you can get white teeth from the comfort of your own home is by using over-the-counter whitening strips and gels. These treatments usually require some application and curing time, during which you don’t eat, drink, or move your mouth too much to avoid disrupting the process.
These methods take time to show results and use chemical concoctions that could cause lasting damage to the enamel or your teeth as a whole if they’re already weakened. If you do use strips and gels, make sure that you follow the instructions on the box to the letter. Leaving them on for longer than is recommended won’t get you better results.
Visit the Dentist to Get White Teeth
The at-home teeth whitening methods can only get you so far. Just like when you bleach your hair, if you want proper results, you need to visit the professionals.
At home, you might be able to lighten your teeth a shade or two. A cosmetic dentist can get your teeth anywhere from three to eight shades brighter than they were before. If you want to learn more about this process and what to expect before and after a professional teeth whitening, our friends at the Newbury Dental Group will be glad to tell you more.
Avoid Staining Foods and Drinks
It’s all well and good to whiten your teeth with the methods we listed above. However, if you go right back to the same habits that turned your teeth yellow to begin with, you’ll only undo all your hard work. So, what food, drink, and activities should you avoid so that you don’t re-stain your teeth?
- Smoking- nicotine stains your teeth
- Coffee and tea- the tannins present can turn your teeth yellow
- Avoid soda where you can
- Limit your consumption of sugar
If you avoid or limit these activities, then you’ll be able to stop stains before they happen.
Brush and Floss
Never underestimate the power of good dental hygiene when it comes to white teeth. Inconsistent dental hygiene is not the sole cause of yellow teeth, but it can make any yellowing that’s already happening worse.
Make sure that you brush your teeth for at least 2 minutes each time, digging into all the little nooks and crannies of your mouth. Then, when you floss, take care not to press down too hard, so that you don’t damage your gums and make them bleed.
Let’s Review How to Get White Teeth
Wondering how to get white teeth and keep them that way? Let’s review the best methods.
You can use whitening strips, gels, rinses, and toothpaste. If you’re more of a naturopath, you can use oil pulling or activated charcoal to whiten teeth naturally. Failing that, you can visit a dentist to get them whitened professionally.
Keep your teeth shining by avoiding activities that stain your teeth. Also, make sure that you brush and floss on a regular basis.
Did you find this teeth whitening guide helpful? If you’d like to read more like it, then check out our blog for more articles like this one!