Teeth whitening is a common dental procedure, and a lot of people prefer to whiten their teeth by themselves. Different factors could cause your teeth to become dull, discoloured or stained. Your diet, for example, plays a significant role in changing the colour of your enamel.
For teeth discolouration that occurs due to the build-up of plaque on the teeth, a home remedy for instantly white teeth will work the magic. But if your teeth discolouration is caused by wearing away of the enamel due to ageing, you may need a professional touch.
In most cases, when your teeth discolouration is extrinsic, and you want to make your teeth whiter, you can use home remedies to whiten your teeth. Some home remedies can help you whiten your teeth overnight, while some others will whiten your teeth within an hour; hence, no need for you to visit a professional to whiten your teeth.
This article covers at-home natural and safe teeth whitening options that will give you the result you want.
Easy home remedies for whitening teeth
Here are some easy, overnight home teeth whitening remedies for your discoloured teeth. But, before you use any of them, note that the result you get depends on the severity of your teeth stains and discolouration, and how you apply the home remedy whitening material.
Within an hour or overnight, most of these home teeth whitening options below will leave you with pearly whites.
- Using baking soda
Baking soda is an active ingredient in most commercial toothpaste. This is because it has natural teeth whitening property. It is abrasive, and when you apply it on the teeth, it helps scrub away stains from the surface of the teeth. Baking soda is more effective in whitening the front teeth because it mixes with the saliva.
To use baking soda and get a good result, mix baking soda with lemon juice or water to make a paste. Apply the paste on your teeth then leave it for about three minutes before washing it out. You can also use strawberry juice to make the baking soda paste. Another benefit of baking soda is that it makes your mouth alkaline, and this inhibits the growth of bacteria.
Some studies have shown that toothpaste that contains baking soda are more effective than standard toothpaste in removing stains, discolouration, and plaque build-up. Some other studies found that the higher the concentration of baking soda in the toothpaste, the more likely it is to have a whitening effect.
- Using activated charcoal
Activated charcoal is an effective whitening agent because it easily binds with any material in contact and pulls the stain out of them. A downside of using activated charcoal is that it binds with other vital minerals and the stains, so most people are concerned about the aftereffect of using it to whiten the teeth overnight.
You can still use activated charcoal to get white teeth overnight, but you have to re-mineralise your teeth by either making more saliva or brushing your teeth with re-mineralising gels.
- Using hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent, and it also helps kill bacteria in the mouth. Hydrogen peroxide is mostly used as a disinfectant for wounds because of its bacteria-killing property. Most professional procedures use hydrogen peroxide in higher concentrations to whiten the teeth, but most at-home teeth whitening remedies contain it in lower concentration which is sufficient enough to whiten the teeth within an hour.
Some findings revealed that commercial toothpaste containing hydrogen peroxide are effective in whitening the teeth. Some other studies showed that brushing the teeth with toothpaste that contains 1% hydrogen peroxide and baking soda makes the teeth whiter within six weeks.
Be careful while using hydrogen peroxide because high concentration and overuse of it can cause gum irritation, tooth sensitivity, or tooth stain. When you want to use hydrogen peroxide to whiten your teeth, ensure that you dilute it as high dosages of hydrogen peroxide may cause oral cancer.
You can avoid the side effects of using hydrogen peroxide by using it as a mouthwash before brushing. You can also use 1.5% or 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide.
- Using apple cider vinegar
For a long time, people have used apple cider vinegar as a natural cleaning agent and as a disinfectant because it kills bacteria.
Some studies reported that apple cider vinegar could bleach the teeth, but these studies also said that overusing it could soften the teeth and erode the enamel, so do not use apple cider every day.
While using apple cider vinegar, ensure that you dilute the vinegar with water before swishing it in your mouth for some minutes, then rinse your mouth with plain water.
- Using fruits and vegetables
Some fruits and vegetables have instant teeth whitening property. Rubbing raw fruits and vegetables on your teeth can help remove plaque build-up. Pineapple and strawberries are examples of fruits that are potent in removing stains and discolouration.
A recent study indicated that mixing baking soda to fruits does a better job at whitening the teeth, but you should use this method only a few times in a week to avoid side effects.
Preventing teeth discolouration
You can prevent teeth stains and discolouration by:
- Limiting your intake of teeth-staining foods and drinks like dark berries and coffee
- Limiting the sugar content in your diet
- Adding a reasonable amount of calcium in your diet
- Caring for your teeth by brushing and flossing at least two times in a day
All these teeth whitening options listed above are good, but most dentists offer a better fix for whitening the teeth. If you prefer professional teeth whitening, you can visit www.london-teeth-whitening.co.uk to book a dentist appointment.
