Teeth Whitening
Whitening Your Teeth The Natural Way
If you are presently on a quest to get a healthy set of shiny white teeth, you will no doubt have already heard about the numerous teeth whitening products available on the market today. Many of these are actually quite effective, and they can restore your teeth to their former glory in no time.
Just as with any chemical compound however, it is important that you take all precautions in order to ensure that you don’t cause further damage to your teeth. The teeth whitening products that work on the principle of abrasion are those that require particular care, since the abrasive action can wear away the enamel, possibly causing you lot more serious problems.
If you are interested in safer teeth whitening techniques, there are a number of things that you can do, many of which use items commonly found in any home. Some of the most effective ones are outlined below.
Baking Soda
Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate is commonly used for typical household cleaning tasks aside from its obvious use in baking. Interestingly enough, its cleansing action can also be beneficial for your teeth. In fact, there are many types of toothpaste on the market that contain a certain amount of baking soda. If you want to get the benefit of baking soda, you can mix about a half teaspoonful into your regular toothpaste or simply mix a bit of it in water. You then apply this mixture much as you would toothpaste. You do have to exercise a bit of caution, as baking soda can wear away the enamel if used excessively.
Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is another commonly used cleaning agent, and its natural bleaching properties have the effect of making your teeth whiter. To use it, all you have to do is apply it to your teeth with a toothbrush, or simply rub a bit of lemon peel across your teeth. You do have to be careful since using lemon juice too much can also weaken the enamel because of its acidic properties.
Strawberries
This option is less well known than the others, and is a bit surprising to many since the red color of the berry can actually cause some initial staining. Again you will have to rub the fruit across your teeth, although you will have to brush your teeth immediately afterwards, since the acidity of the berry can harm your teeth just as lemon juice can.
Wood Ash
Long before there was toothpaste, ash was used to clean the teeth. It is the potassium hydroxide or lye that comes from the ashes of hardwood that has a teeth whitening effect, although this is quite a powerful substance that can again cause damage if used frequently.