how to whitening teeth naturally at home

Almost 18% of us ‘usually conceal their teeth in photos.’  Having great teeth is very important in our culture today. Do you have yellow or discolored teeth? The sad truth is some people, no matter how many times they brush their teeth, have stained teeth from drinking coffee, tea, and or smoking.

Your teeth are one of the first things people notice. They are a sign of health as well as confidence. When making a first impression, having teeth that look like you don’t brush them can send a signal that you don’t really care about yourself.  Who doesn’t want to have a beautiful smile with white sparkling teeth? The good news is I have 6 ways to naturally whiten teeth and some tips on How to Whiten yellow discolored teeth.

1. Charcoal

My first and favorite teeth whitening remedy is also the most controversial: Activated Charcoal.

This was recommended to me by a holistic dentist years ago and though I was skeptical at first, I gave it a try and have been impressed with the results over time.

Yes, it looks terrifying while you are doing it and you will absolutely think for a minute that you were duped by a blogger into permanently staining your teeth. Then, you’ll rinse your mouth and brush as usual and notice that your teeth are not only white again, but possibly whiter.

This works because activated charcoal is a highly absorbent porous substance that binds to things like tannins that stain teeth and leave them yellow or brown. It might also have other benefits for the mouth as well:

Further research I’ve done on this showed that activated charcoal can actually be helpful in changing the pH and health of the mouth, and as such is effective in avoiding cavities and killing the bad bacteria present in tooth decay and gingivitis. For this reason, I now suggest and use it as part of my remineralizing protocol for teeth, along with my remineralizing toothpaste.

When I first wrote about this in 2012, it was controversial and I actually got hate mail (really) for trying to convince people to do something that was obviously going to stain their teeth. These days, I see pictures of it floating around Pinterest, so it seems to have gained a little acceptance.

Some important things I’ve discovered over the years:

• Keep a microfiber cloth on hand to make cleanup easy as it can make a mess on counters and sinks (though it will come out of them as well)
• I simply dip my toothbrush into some powdered charcoal that I keep in a small jar on my counter and brush as normal. Another way that will produce results more quickly is to mix a teaspoon of charcoal powder into some water and swish with it for a few minutes. Then, spit the water and leave the remaining charcoal in the mouth for a few minutes so that it has time to bind to stains.
• It is super important to use activated charcoal from a food/medical grade source. This is not the same as charcoal from your BBQ grill…do not use that.
• I did this every day for a week when I started and now maintain by using it once a week or so.
• I felt comfortable brushing with charcoal during pregnancy since oral health is even more important then, and it is spit out and not consumed. I checked with my midwife first (and you should too if pregnant).

Full tutorial and video are here.

2. Oil Pulling

Another oddly controversial teeth whitener: oil pulling.

The basic concept here is swishing oil (like sesame or coconut) in the mouth for 20 minutes to help remove plaque and bacteria from the mouth. Coconut oil has been proven effective against the streptococcus mutans bacteria that contributes to cavities and gum disease.

Since beginning oil pulling on a regular basis, I’ve noticed that my teeth are smooth and shiny and the dental assistants have commented that I had very little plaque at recent cleanings.

What to do: Swish with a small amount of coconut oil for 20 minutes a day, preferably first thing in the morning before eating. I make single use size coconut oil pulling chewsto make this even easier and do this while showering.

Here is the oil pulling tutorial and this post specifically addresses using coconut oil.

3. Whitening Toothpaste

Last year, I combined a few of my favorite teeth whitening ingredients to make a homemade whitening toothpaste. It only contains:

• Pure Calcium Carbonate Powder
• Non-GMO Xylitol Powder
• MCT oil (I’ve also used this less expensive one with good results) or coconut oil

This combines natural calcium (a mineral that teeth need) with Xylitol, which is helpful for oral health, and MCT or coconut oil for a remineralizing, bacteria fighting whitening toothpaste.

Here’s the recipe.

4. Turmeric

Another counter-intuitive remedy that actually works. Turmeric is known for staining things yellow (including cloth, skin and other surfaces) and it has even been used as a dye for cloth in the past. It isn’t the first thing you’d think of for whitening teeth, but it works surprisingly well.

Keywords: Whitening teeth, natural, Natural whitening, Natural whitening teeth

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