Teeth whitening is one of the top non invasive cosmetic procedures for men and women; young and old. Its no wonder, we all want to look younger, brighter and more appealing. White teeth simply do the trick! Whether it’s wearing a brighter lip colour to make your teeth appear whiter or use of teeth whitening toothpaste, it is fair to say that most of us desire whiter teeth.
Pearly whites can instantly give you a ‘face-lift’ and a more youthful appearance at a fraction of the cost of suturing your turkey wattle chin to appear more taut and sprightly. Our teeth are one of the first things people notice when they meet us, and their condition is an indication of our health and confidence.
There are several inexpensive and safe teeth whitening methods on the market that work to whiten the colour of your enamel. Products include whitening toothpastes, strips, dental kits, and rinses. Unlike the other procedures, Professional laser teeth whitening produces immediate results.
Like most cosmetic procedures, the results don’t last forever. Results usually vary between a few months to 3 years; and this depends alot on your oral care and if you smoke, drink alot of coffee, tea, red wine or other beverages or foods that discolour your teeth.
Similar to other beauty treatments, teeth whitening can have adverse effects on the health of your teeth. No matter the treatment you choose, there is a possibility of teeth sensitivity and bruising to gums especially if your whitening treatment is carried out by untrained staff.
Whiter teeth don’t necessarily mean healthy teeth. If like me, you prefer your teeth to be whiter AND healthier, these home remedies below will do the trick! And you may already have some of these items in your kitchen.
Coconut oil
Use coconut oil daily to oil pulling and watch your teeth become whiter. Oil pulling should be done on an empty stomach. Put a teaspoon into your mouth and swish it, swig it and move it around for at least 20 minutes. When you first start, it’ll be a bit tricky holding it in your mouth for that length of time so start with 5 minutes and build up from there; with time and practice you’ll master it.
Spit it out and brush well. You can repeat this up to 3 times a day; before eating, or 3-4 hours after a meal.
Baking soda
A common baking ingredient in most kitchens; baking soda is not only a leavening agent, it doubles up as a fantastic cleaning agent for household cleaning and oral care. Mix baking soda with coconut oil, and you can also add essential oils with antibacterial properties such as Rosemary oil and tea tree oil for a powerful mouth cleaning elixir. For added teeth whitening power, add lemon juice to the mixture.
Activated charcoal
Activated charcoal dates back to ancient Egypt. If you visit my village in Cameroon you’ll see how their teeth glisten from use of activated charcoal for teeth brushing. Nowadays, this common resource has been commercialised and beautifully packed with a golden ribbon price tag to go. You can use activated charcoal as it is to brush your teeth, or mix it with coconut oil and peppermint essential oil for a powerful cleaning paste.
These are my favourite natural teeth whitening ingredients. What are yours? Comment below.
