Remember those pearl white teeth you used to have when you were little? Do you miss them and sometimes wonder what went wrong? The reason is that as we age the teeth tend to darken or look more yellow. The changes in the colour of your teeth take place gradually.
As we continue to grow older, the outer enamel continues to wear away, thus the yellowish dentin (dentin—the second layer of calcified tissue that’s found beneath the outside enamel layer) underneath becomes more visible.
Many people have long been looking for ways to whiten their teeth. In the US alone, in 2015, Americans spent more than $11 billion on teeth whitening and more than $1.4 billion on at-home whitening products.
Are you in search of ways to whiten your white? If you are, then you are in luck because, in this blog post, you’ll find the 3 best ways to get whiter teeth. If you strictly adhere to the techniques or ways found in this article, in little or no time you may end up with the world’s whitest teeth.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the 3 best ways to get whiter teeth.
1. Brushing
Brushing your teeth daily is the first step to achieving pearly white teeth. You can see it as the foundation on which all other teeth whitening techniques are based on and as such be practised daily.
Brushing your teeth twice a day is recommended by ADA (American Dental Association). While it’s important for you to do so, do not fail to also brush your teeth after eating or drinking because failure to do so could lead to yellow teeth. However, take caution while brushing after consuming acidic foods and drinks because brushing immediately after could make the acids brush more enamel away, leading to erosion.
When brushing, endeavour to brush your teeth the correct way. Brush your teeth in a gentle circular motion to ensure that you are protecting your gums and pay attention to all the crevices and cracks. Brush both the inside, outside, as well as the chewing surfaces of your teeth.
Also, use whitening toothpaste when brushing as they have been scientifically proven to whiten the teeth. These kinds of toothpaste are so effective because they contain mild abrasives that scrub and remove stains from the surface of the teeth and at the same time they are gentle enough to be considered safe.
2. Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda
The resulting paste from mixing hydrogen peroxide with baking soda has been known to get rid of plaque buildup and bacteria to remove stains. According to a 2017 review of the research on toothpaste with baking soda, it was concluded that those tubes of toothpaste were not only safe but effective in removing tooth stains and whitening teeth if used daily.
To obtain the paste, mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda with 2 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide. Use the paste obtained to properly and correctly brush your teeth before rinsing your mouth thoroughly with water.
3. Coconut oil pulling
Coconut oil pulling is a teeth whitening technique that’s used to remove bacteria and plaque from the mouth.
For the coconut oil pulling technique, swish 1 or 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in your mouth for about 10 to 30 minutes. While swishing, ensure that the oil doesn’t touch the back of your throat and also make sure that you don’t swallow the oil since it now contains bacteria and toxins from your mouth.
After swishing, spit into a wastepaper basket or toilet before rinsing your mouth. After rinsing, drink a glass full of water and proceed with brushing your teeth afterwards.
Although there are no studies to back up the effects of coconut oil in whitening the teeth, a 2015 study showed that oil pulling using sunflower oil and sesame oil reduce gingivitis caused by plaque. Hence, even though further studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of coconut oil pulling whitening the teeth, it still doesn’t negate the fact the technique actually works.
