The look of confidence a bright, white smile gives is something that everyone wants. Teeth tend to become discolored over time, but there are many things you can do to restore whiteness. If you are not ready to undergo a dentist’s treatment using sophisticated bleaching products, you can still get your bright smile back with less expensive, natural whiteners.

Causes of Tooth Discoloration

Tooth enamel can become discolored due to constant exposure to things like coffee, tea, colas, red wine or tobacco. One way to start undoing any damage caused by these things is to eliminate them altogether. There are other ways that teeth can get yellow or stained and these include illness, injury or aging.

Excess exposure to fluoride at a young age can often lead to yellowing teeth later on. Some antibiotics and other medicines have caused people to experience dulling tooth enamel.

Finally, some tooth discoloration is genetic. This means that if anyone in your family before you experienced yellowing of the teeth it could happen to you. This does not mean you cannot brighten your smile if you have a genetic tooth discoloration. You can.

There is a misconception that yellow or discolored teeth are due to poor dental hygiene. Of course, if you neglect brushing and flossing your teeth they will suffer for it. If you skip regular dental checkups and cleaning, your smile cannot be as white as possible. However, it is not just poor dental hygiene that causes tooth yellowing.

No matter what is causing your tooth enamel to dull, you can do several things about it. There are many natural products that you can use to whiten teeth. These work just as effectively as over-the-counter whiteners but do not contain any harsh chemicals.

4 Natural Products to Try

The four products you want to choose from include baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, apple cider vinegar, activated charcoal and coconut oil. These are all easy to obtain at any food, drug or health food store.

To get whiter teeth using baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, you can either make a toothpaste with them or use them separately as a paste and a mouth rinse. Take some baking soda and mix the hydrogen peroxide with it to create a tooth paste. You only need to mix enough to fit on the head of your toothbrush.

Brush your teeth with this homemade paste for about 30 seconds and then rinse well with water. Be careful not to brush too hard. The baking soda is extremely abrasive and it can cause damage to tooth enamel. The good news about the abrasiveness of baking soda is that not only will it help remove stains, it also gets rid of plaque, a primary cause of cavities and tooth decay.

You can also try rinsing your mouth for a minute every morning with hydrogen peroxide. It can work on its own to remove stains. Or, try brushing your teeth with baking soda alone. It will also help restore whiteness. You only want to use it a few times a week until you get the whiteness you desire.

Apple cider vinegar is another good natural substance to use to whiten teeth. Swish some around your mouth for about a minute and do this every day for about a month to get white teeth. The acid in the vinegar helps break down plaque and it kills bacteria. This is how it helps make teeth brighter. Always brush teeth with regular toothpaste and rinse thoroughly after using it because of how acidic it is.

Activated charcoal should be mixed with some water and then brush or dab it onto the teeth to cover them. Wait three minutes and then rinse. Charcoal can lift stains from coffee or wine but it should only be used occasionally because it is very abrasive.

Coconut oil pulling is another natural whitener. After brushing teeth, swish the oil around your mouth for up to 20 minutes. Your mouth and gums will become healthier as the coconut oil is naturally antimicrobial.

To get whiter teeth without the chemicals or the cost of dental treatments – try out one of these methods for yourself.