Whiten your teeth: The best home remedies

Do you want white teeth and want to whiten them with home remedies? Find out in this article what you should know and consider about “whitening teeth”.

Our tooth color is genetically determined and is also influenced by eating, drinking and other habits (such as smoking). Tooth color does not necessarily say anything about dental health, because yellow teeth can also be completely healthy. Nevertheless, in our culture, sparkling white teeth are considered a sign of health and an ideal of beauty. However, very few people have naturally very bright and evenly colored teeth. Those who want to whiten their teeth at home due to visual preferences and avoid whitening toothpaste with microplastics often resort to home remedies. However, the effectiveness of these home remedies is often questionable – some can even damage your teeth.

Whiten teeth with lemon or strawberries

Some fruits are said to be able to whiten teeth. Lemons and strawberries are particularly popular. To achieve a whitening effect, you should cut open a lemon or puree strawberries and rub your teeth with it. If you do this, your teeth will actually look brighter at first – the acid from the fruit removes discoloration from the teeth. However, the fruit acid is so aggressive that it also attacks the tooth enamel and can cause serious damage. To protect your tooth enamel, you should therefore avoid this bleaching method.

Whiten teeth with baking soda or baking powder

Baking soda and baking powder are probably the most popular home remedies for whitening teeth. The powder is simply applied to a damp toothbrush and then the teeth are brushed with it. Since the grains do not dissolve, this method sands down your teeth and removes deposits from the teeth – they actually appear whiter after use.

However, by sanding your teeth, you are also damaging the enamel. It becomes rough and becomes the ideal surface for dirt and color particles. This means that your teeth will become darker in the long run. Baking soda and baking powder do not keep their whitening promise and damage your enamel – two good reasons not to whiten your teeth with these home remedies.

Whiter teeth through oil pulling?

Another home remedy that promises whiter teeth is oil pulling. To do this, you move vegetable oil (about a tablespoon) around in your mouth for about 20 minutes and then spit it out. Oil pulling is originally a cleansing method from the Ayurvedic philosophy that is supposed to detoxify the body – whiter teeth are said to be a pleasant side effect. There is no evidence that oil pulling actually whitens teeth. Unlike other home remedies for teeth whitening, however, this method does not harm your teeth – so it is worth a try.

Whitening teeth with home remedies – better not!

Home remedies cannot whiten your teeth in a healthy way over the long term and in some cases they even attack your tooth enamel. The tooth enamel is the protective layer of your teeth, under which lies the yellower layer of dentin. When your tooth enamel disappears, your teeth not only become yellower, but also more sensitive.

This is why Stiftung Warentest, citing dentists and the German Dental Association, advises against it. According to them, you should only have your teeth whitened under dental supervision.

How to avoid tooth discoloration

If you really want healthy, clean teeth, you should prevent tooth discoloration as much as possible – then you don’t need any whitening products that damage your tooth enamel.

• The most important rule for healthy, white teeth is to brush your teeth regularly – twice a day for three minutes each time. You should also clean the spaces between your teeth with dental floss or special brushes. Replace your toothbrush every three months at the latest to prevent bacteria from accumulating in it.

• Coffee and black tea contain a lot of colorants that settle on your teeth. To prevent discoloration, you should avoid these drinks. If you can’t do without them, you can reduce the coloring effect by mixing your coffee or tea with milk. Milk binds the color particles and prevents them from settling on your teeth. However, since there are good reasons to consume less milk, you can simply enjoy your drink without milk and brush your teeth afterwards to avoid deposits.

• Red wine also contains a lot of dark color pigments that settle on your teeth. You can rinse your mouth with water after drinking wine, but the red color often remains on teeth just as stubbornly as red wine stains on fabrics.

• Sugar is bad for your teeth – that is well known. Sugar attacks tooth enamel, making it easier for dirt and dyes to stick.

• Your teeth will turn yellow very quickly if they are regularly exposed to cigarette smoke. Smoking is bad for you and the environment and makes your teeth look unkempt – so put away the cigarettes and become a non-smoker.

Even if you avoid all of these things and brush your teeth regularly, you should still go for a dental check-up twice a year. This can determine whether your teeth are healthy and whether you could benefit from a professional teeth cleaning. This gently removes plaque and cleans the teeth. Teeth can also be sealed during a teeth cleaning so that staining particles do not stick so easily.

Read more on Techzle\.com:

• Coconut oil application: Healthy effects on skin, hair and teeth
• Broken tooth: What you can do now
• Make your own toothpaste

English version available: Teeth Whitening Home Remedies: What You Should Know

Edited by Annika Reketat

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