There are many things that can cause your teeth to lose their natural white sparkle. Some of these are connected to bad eating or drinking habits. The outermost layer of your teeth called enamel gets more easily stained if you consume certain types of food or drinks. But sometimes the main cause why your teeth decay and appear yellow is related to age.

As we grow older, the plaque build-up on our teeth becomes more and more prominent and noticeable. In some cases, the hard enamel has significantly eroded away, so the dentin that lies underneath also becomes visible. The dentin is also yellowish in color and can cause your teeth to appear dull. And although the discoloration can happen due to multiple factors, there are some natural cleaning remedies that can help your teeth become whiter (or stay that way) if you add them to your regular dental routine. So, in this article, we’re going to talk about how to whiten your teeth the healthy and natural way.

Coconut Oil Pulling

Oil pulling is an old remedy that’s known to improve oral hygiene in general. The way how oil pulling works is that it kills off bacteria in your mouth. You just swish the oil around your mouth and this removes the bacteria that causes plaque build-up. The plaque build-up is one of the main reasons why your teeth may appear yellow.

You can use almost any oil you like here, but coconut oil has become the most popular choice due to its pleasant taste and ability to reduce plaque-related gingivitis. Since coconut oil is high in lauric acid, it stops the bacteria from spreading around in your mouth and reduces inflammation.

And even though coconut oil has proven to be highly effective at stopping plaque build-up, which makes your teeth appear dull, there are other oils that are also found to be beneficial and helpful for teeth whitening. For example, sesame oil swishing has proven to be useful for fighting the most common type of mouth bacteria that causes plaque-related gingivitis – Streptococcus mutans.

Brushing Your Teeth With Baking Soda

Baking soda represents another great natural and healthy remedy for whitening your teeth. Moreover, baking soda has proven to be so effective for scrubbing away surface stains on teeth that many commercial toothpaste manufacturers are including it as one of their main ingredients.

The reason why baking soda is so beneficial for teeth whitening has to lie in its ability to create an alkaline environment in your mouth. This alkaline environment stops bacteria from spreading around in your mouth.

Using Hydrogen Peroxide

Being a natural bleaching agent, hydrogen peroxide has also been used by some Australians to whiten their teeth. And although it’s not actually scientifically proven that hydrogen peroxide can help your teeth become whiter, there’s a clear logic behind the idea.

Since hydrogen peroxide is used for wound disinfecting because of its natural ability to kill bacteria, it’s not that unusual that people in Australia have tried to whiten their teeth using this method. But because there aren’t any clear scientific studies that back this method up, we would still recommend some other, more effective ways for teeth whitening in Sydney. You’ll definitely feel a lot safer knowing that your teeth and gums won’t be affected by higher concentration levels of this agent, for instance. You can seriously irritate your gums if the hydrogen peroxide isn’t properly diluted.

The Occasional Use of Apple Cider Vinegar

Just like with hydrogen peroxide, you should also be careful with the next method for whitening your teeth. Apple cider vinegar can be a great choice to consider since it’s been in use as a natural cleaning product and disinfectant for centuries.

The main active ingredient in apple cider vinegar is acetic acid. And similar to all the methods that we’ve mentioned thus far, it also kills bacteria rather effectively. That’s why people started to use it for cleaning their mouth and whitening their teeth. But to go back to the reason why you should be careful when using apple cider vinegar for these purposes: the acetic acid which is the main antibacterial ingredient here can soften your teeth and potentially erode the enamel. That’s why you want to be extra careful with this method as well, and only use it occasionally.

Fruits and Vegetables

It’s not a secret that a good diet plan can positively affect the color of your teeth and your mouth’s overall health. And it’s not just that your teeth and mouth get healthier, it’s your body, too. But there are also some fruits that people consider to be especially effective for teeth whitening.

For instance, some people report that you can whiten your teeth with the right mixture of strawberries and baking soda. Allegedly, you can remove the discoloration on your teeth using this method because of the malic acid found in strawberries. Other people also claim that pineapple can also whiten your teeth. There’s an enzyme called bromelain that can be found in pineapples, and that’s probably why people have started using this method in the first place. Even though there’s a study that shows that a toothpaste containing this ingredient was effective for removing teeth stains, it’s still highly questionable whether eating alone can positively impact your teeth coloration.

The Bottom Line

In this article, we’ve tried to sum up some of the ways and methods you can use to whiten your teeth in a natural and healthy way. These include coconut oil pulling, brushing your teeth with baking soda, using hydrogen peroxide, apple cider vinegar, and some fruits and vegetables. And even though more research needs to be done for some of the method’s we’ve mentioned, it’s pretty safe to say that you can actually make significant improvements in your dental hygiene using these natural remedies.

It’s also highly advisable to seek professional help if you’re having any doubts and want to make sure you’re doing everything possible to keep your oral hygiene at the highest level.