How Can I Get Whiter Teeth at Home?

Are you unhappy with your smile and think it could be whiter? While going to a Cincinnati dentist for teeth whitening works for some people, others prefer more convenient or cost-efficient ways to whiten their teeth at home.

If you have mild stains and no issues with your enamel’s integrity, you can safely do at-home teeth whitening without getting professional stain removal from a local dentist. But keep in mind that at-home teeth whitening won’t give you professional results, and it’s not safe or suitable for everyone. Nevertheless, give these whitening remedies a try.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is a mildly abrasive product that will gently scrub away the surface stains on the enamel of your teeth without harming them. Baking soda is not an acidic product, so it won’t break down the enamel. Better yet, this process of whitening your teeth at home is easy to follow:

1. Combine enough lemon juice or water with several teaspoons of baking soda to make a paste.
2. Apply this paste to your teeth with a stiff toothbrush that can work the mixture around the surface of your teeth. Avoid scrubbing to prevent damage to your gums.
3. If you use lemon juice, leave the paste on your teeth for 1 minute and then rinse. If you are using water, you can leave the paste on for 3 minutes before rinsing.

Lemon juice works better than water because it’s acidic, which is more helpful in removing the stains that have discolored the teeth. But you always must be careful with acids; they can soften and wear away your enamel if you’re not careful.

Fresh Strawberries

Strawberries have a lot of vitamin C, which helps remove the plaque that can yellow your teeth. Strawberries also have malic acid, an enzyme that may help remove surface stains. Here’s how to create your own strawberry-based tooth whitener:

1. Combine three large strawberries with just a pinch of sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. Mash the mixture into a pulp.
2. Gently apply the pulp to your teeth with a toothbrush.
3. Rinse after 5 minutes.
4. Repeat nightly until you see results.

Be sure to not leave the strawberry mixture on your teeth for too long; the acid can potentially break down your enamel. Also, be sure you’re not allergic to strawberries.

Teeth Whitening Strips

Using over-the-counter whitening strips can be a safe way to chemically whiten teeth, and it only requires a daily commitment of a few minutes. Moreover, some strips yield results after just three days.

You can use some whitening strips the entire day. However, most all-day whitening strips restrict food intake, and the only beverage allowed is water, so this is not feasible for everyone. Also, while mild sensitivity with whitening strips is normal, but prolonged and increasing sensitivity can signal damage to your enamel. If this happens, you need to stop using the strips.

Whitening Toothpaste and Mouthwash

Don’t overlook the whitening rinses and toothpaste that eliminate stain buildup. Although they’re primarily preventative, they also whiten teeth.

Regardless of the at-home whitener you choose, remember that the extent of whitening you can achieve is not the same as teeth whitening that you get in a Cincinnati dentist’s office. If at-home remedies don’t give you the results you want, the dentists at Beckham Square Family Dental can provide professional whitening that’s long-lasting. Give us a call at 513.489.7800 to schedule an appointment.