Teeth Whitening: 8 Home Remedies

A mouth full of white teeth not only makes your smile more beautiful, but it also makes you look younger. While dark beverages like red wine, cranberry juice, soda, coffee and tea, and foods, such as soy sauce, tomato sauce and balsamic vinegar stain teeth, other foods (and a few natural remedies) can quickly and safely brighten your smile.

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Strawberries

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Strawberries may help whiten teeth because they contain an enzyme called malic acid, which can be found in some whitening toothpastes, said Louisa Maccan-Graves, celebrity beauty expert and author of "Hollywood Beauty Secrets: Remedies to the Rescue," told AOL Health. You can mash up the strawberry or just rub it on your teeth, cut in half. Leave the juice on your teeth for one minute and then rinse with water, said Maccan-Graves. Dr. Steven Roth, cosmetic and implant dentistry expert, agreed, stating that the fiber in strawberries also behaves as a natural cleaner by removing bacteria from the teeth and mouth. More From Aol Health.: Anti-Aging Foods Improve Your Memory 25 Easy Instant Energy Boosters

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Strawberries may help whiten teeth because they contain an enzyme called malic acid, which can be found in some whitening toothpastes, said Louisa Maccan-Graves, celebrity beauty expert and author of "Hollywood Beauty Secrets: Remedies to the Rescue," told AOL Health.

You can mash up the strawberry or just rub it on your teeth, cut in half. Leave the juice on your teeth for one minute and then rinse with water, said Maccan-Graves.

Dr. Steven Roth, cosmetic and implant dentistry expert, agreed, stating that the fiber in strawberries also behaves as a natural cleaner by removing bacteria from the teeth and mouth.

More From Aol Health.:
Anti-Aging Foods
Improve Your Memory
25 Easy Instant Energy Boosters

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Comments

[jgarma]

09:38 AM on 02/24/2011

The hydrogen peroxide and baking soda works for me,

But the hydrogen peroxide can be to strong for your gums, so it should be diluted or used sparingly. I found that it's a good way to clean your tooth brush but that the baking soda is better to whiten teeth.

Sometimes I use the baking soda with some water which makes a paste that I used to brush with, but mostly I just use some b soda mixed with distilled water and some Toms toothpaste to brush with and then rinse with the b soda solution.

This has two benefits: Helps whiten teeth and keeps the teeth/gums free of bacteria, partly by keeping that area alkaline.

[AnnainLA]

06:29 PM on 01/23/2011

Dairy and other foods high in animal protein are bad for your bones even though they have calcium.

[IreneNH]

06:20 PM on 01/23/2011

Many years ago I had a problem with bleeding gums. My dentist sent me to a specialist who said I needed $5000 worth of periodontal work. Since I didn't have that kind of money just sitting around waiting to be spent, I told my dentist "it ain;t gonna happen". So he recommended that I put a little hydrogen peroxide in a cup with warm water and a little salt. Then put some baking soda in my hand and dip my toothbrush in the liquid and then in the baking soda and place the paste along my gum line and leave it for a few minutes before brushing. Haven't had a problem with bleeding gums since then.

[G Castelino-Merchant]

11:30 AM on 01/23/2011

My teeth always look slightly whiter after drinking green tea. I don't know why...it's just an observation.

[grm1984]

12:44 AM on 01/22/2011

I use all these things and my teeth still aren't white. I don't believe this article.

[Ranta]

01:02 AM on 01/22/2011

Seconded.

[justforchuckles]

07:21 AM on 01/30/2011

White or translucent? The advent of whitening products has vastly changed how people perceive tooth color. Look at a child's teeth as they come in this is the natural color of teeth. People often want them whiter than this and over do it, stripping out enamel to achieve glaringly white teeth. Two all of these work primarily on surface stains. Likewise avoid coffee, soda, and red wine or do so in moderation. Coffee is the biggest culprit of yellow staining.

[Robert Nix]

09:58 AM on 01/21/2011

This is not a home remedy but I love the EvoraPlus Oral Care Probiotic Mints. I aways thought that killing all the germs in my mouth then letting them repopulate then killing them again seemed like a bad idea. It seems to me like I was selectively breeding germs that could become resistant to what ever I was using. Also if the good germs repopulate slowly and the bad germs repopulate fast I could be giving the bad germs an advantage. Those mints replaces your existing germs with germs that help your breath stay fresh and they make peroxide so it whitens your teeth.

[Prateek Panchal]

06:28 AM on 01/21/2011

There are toothpastes which has strawberry flavors. I think they are mainly for kids only.

Thanks for the post.

http://www.totalhealthguide.net/psa-test.html

[rjaxone]

12:11 AM on 01/21/2011

Then, why isn't toothpaste made from strawberries?

[dmezz1962]

11:06 PM on 01/20/2011

You know what helps...BRUSHING

[PalmG]

09:01 PM on 01/20/2011

Goodd info. Thanks.

[jgarma]

03:31 PM on 01/20/2011

I have some experience with some of these teeth white suggestions, so will weigh in...

The baking soda is good, not only for the whitening power (which is subtle and takes some time), but because it neutralizes or makes alkaline the acids in the mouth which can foster bacteria growth.

Brushing your teeth with baking soda a couple of weeks is fine, and I do that intermittently, but what I do all the time is wash my mouth after brushing with some distilled water mixed with baking soda. This both helps whiten teeth and alkaline the mouth.

Peroxide. Be careful w/ this. Used to do it all the time, even reasoning that flossing with some peroxide swishing around my mouth would kill germs/bacteria. Problem is that consistent use could damage gums. So, suggest this not be done habitually.

Beware the fruit sugars and fruit acids. Sure, strawberries may be good at promoting whiteness, but do rinse your mouth out afterward so the sugars do not start decaying the teeth. Lemons are acidic, thus make your mouth alkaline after eating them by swishing some water, particularly water with a bit of baking soda.

Yep.

[AnneV]

07:30 PM on 01/20/2011

Does the lemon etch away enamel from your teeth?

[AnneV]

07:43 PM on 01/20/2011

Sorry, I misread your last sentence before I left the message before this, regarding lemon. I understand that lemon is acidic, but unusually, creates an alkaline condition in the body (unlike most acids). So I'm not sure what it does in the mouth. In restaurants I used to drink hot water with lemon, and after a lot of this my teeth began to hurt. I stopped, but I wondered if lemon eats away at the enamel. Thanks!

[ABXNOMORE]

10:27 PM on 01/20/2011

Yes lemon and limes will wear down the enamel on your teeth and ruin it. Always rinse your mouth out with water to remove the lemon juice from your teeth.

[gypsy508]

01:49 PM on 01/20/2011

The whitening toothpaste is not that great for you teeth. Green tea is good for whitening.

[AnneV]

07:37 PM on 01/20/2011

Could you describe how or why the whitening strips aren't good for your teeth? I've heard so too, but didn't know why. I occasionally use Plus White's 5-Minute Speed Whitening Gel, which has hydrogen peroxide, Poloxamer 407, methyl salicylate, and phosphoric acid in it. Are you familiar with any problem with those ingredients? How do you use the green tea for whitening -- just drink it? Many thanks!

[DragonFly]

01:41 PM on 01/20/2011

This may be splitting hairs - but - I don't consider 'Crest' to be a 'home remedy'.

[mssreader]

04:03 PM on 01/20/2011

I do consider Arm and Hammer toothpaste with baking soda and peroxide a home remedy though I still brush with baking soda a few times a week and sometimes add it to the toothpaste and I rinse after flossing with peroxide and have nice white teeth that are natural looking without being brilliant. I'm brilliant not my teeth:-)

[Jaladeno]

04:38 PM on 01/20/2011

I mix Crest with my shampoo to get rid of splitting hairs, and now my hair is nearly as white as my teeth.

[choo-chew]

01:25 PM on 01/20/2011

I fell asleep once using whitening strips and had them in for about 6 hours. The result was amazing--much whiter teeth overnight. Now when I use them I put a set of strips in overnight--a one-box treatment that you are supposed to use daily for two weeks now lasts me over a year.

I realize someone is going to tell me that this is bad for my teeth or gums or something but I have no pain or discomfort or discolorations, and I don't choke overnight or anything like that so I'm sticking with it for now.

[FilmCriticOne]

06:23 PM on 01/21/2011

I wondered about that! Very big help.

I remember when DDS charged 200 dollars for you to sit in their chair for half hour, with these mouthpieces. Now we know, they just used some peroxide!

My DDS just sold me some Crest Strips -- 75 dollars. They are stronger than I can buy regularly he said. So why not just buy the Walmart brand, and let them stay in longer? I wouldn't go six hours, but maybe 2.

[Rove]

01:00 PM on 01/20/2011

A simple correction needs to be on the first slide with the strawberries: Malic Acid isn't an enzyme, its an acid (small molecule).