10 Best Natural Teeth Whitening Tips - Nurse's Guide

In the past when you wanted white teeth you would have to go to your dentist because that was the only way to get teeth whitening, usually with corrosive tooth bleach. Although bleach preparations have improved they can still be harsh. Today there are many ways to whiten your teeth; however most of them involve dangerous chemicals that may be able to seep through the delicate tissues in your mouth, under the tongue. You can avoid the potential problems, from whitening your teeth, that you might get from chemical exposure through tooth bleaching and whitening products, kits, strips, gels and systems.

There are a few natural ways to whiten your teeth or prevent them from discoloring and a form of natural bleaching in some cases. In this article I'll list a few tips for natural treatments you can do at home.

1. First of all the obvious one of making regular appointments for cleaning your teeth is first on the list. Many people let this slide but it's important to not only get on a regular schedule with the dentist's office setting up future appointments but also having them call and remind you to come in. Once you get on a schedule of once or twice a year then you will find you don't need to worry about whiter teeth as often, except if you smoke.

2. Make sure to brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day. Make sure to floss at bedtime and use a cheap gum massager to get under the gum flap. You want to prevent the buildup of plaque, which can discolor your teeth. Focusing on your teeth will help you prevent some staining of your teeth.

You want to avoid getting plaque as much as possible. Carry floss with you. And floss discreetly when eating out. At home you can floss while you watch TV if you seem to not get around to it after meals. But make sure to floss at bedtime because you have six to nine hours or more while you're sleeping when the bacteria can go to work on the enamel. Make sure to rinse your mouth after eating.

3. Avoid drinking water with any added fluoride or using toothpaste with fluoride as it's been reported that it can discolor or stain your teeth. Also many other countries have banned fluoride in their drinking water due to diseases and symptoms that have been connected with it.

4. If you smoke try to cut down as much as possible and of course it s better for your health to quit smoking altogether as you no doubt know. Smokers have a more difficult time keeping their teeth white than non-smokers so you may have to work harder at it.

5. Coffee and tea are notorious for causing teeth staining. Make sure to sip or rinse your mouth with water while you're drinking coffee or tea and after you're done. Colas and wine can also cause stains on the teeth.

6. Some fruits such as strawberries are excellent tooth whiteners. Strawberries can be rubbed on the teeth or mashed up in a paste and brushed on. Leave on the teeth for five minutes. Rinse well.

You can use the inside of an orange peel which is also good for whitening. You can rub the peel right on your teeth, or take organic dried orange peel and ground bay leaves and make a paste and brush it on. Some people swear by a lemon juice and salt mixture too. In any case make sure to rinse your mouth well after using these natural tooth whitening treatments.

7. Baking soda has long been used for dental whitening. Many types of toothpaste have baking soda in their ingredients because of its effectiveness. You can make your own baking soda whitener though. Just mix baking soda with a little salt - a good cheap teeth whitening home remedy.

8. Avoid using mouthwashes. Besides alcohol they contain other chemicals that can stain or discolor teeth. They can easily absorb through the delicate tissues under your tongue and be absorbed into your system. One well-known mouthwash was reported recently to actually discolor the teeth with brown stains.

9. Drinks lots of water. Rinse your mouth thoroughly after every meal or snack to make sure no food residue is sticking to your teeth.

10. Try to eat a better diet with lots of raw foods - fruits and veggies. Make huge salads. Avoid fast food and processed food as much as possible. Avoid constant snacking. All of this will help give you brighter, whiter teeth with fewer cavities.

Teeth whitening by using natural treatments will prevent exposure to harsh chemicals. Natural whitening is cheap and almost free in most cases. You can have a winning smile without hurting the tissues in your mouth and damaging the enamel on your teeth.

By Helen Hecker

Homemade Mouthwash Recipes

Mouthwash is a neat little creation. It’s an easy way to feel like your mouth totally clean and fresh in a matter of second. Mouthwash helps to eliminate bad breath and promote overall mouth and gum health. It is not a time-consuming or as difficult as you may think. By making your own homemade mouthwash with ingredients and natural essential oils, can help you

to avoid synthetic chemicals, such as dyes, preservatives, artificial sweeteners and anti-microbial agents which are added to mouthwashes.

Homemade mouthwashes will help you to eliminate bad breath and promote overall mouth and gum health.

Rosemary Mouthwash:-

Boil 4 ½ cups mineral water, add 2 tsp fresh mint leaves,1 ½ tsp rosemary leaves and 1 ½ tsp anise seeds, infuse for 30 min. Cool, strain and use as a gargle/mouthwash.


Baking Soda Mouthwash for Fresh Breath:-

Combine 3 ounces of water, ½ teaspoon of baking soda, 2 drop of pure peppermint oil, and 2 drop of tea tree oil. Mix ingredients together in reusable container

Benefits of Using Baking Soda Mouthwash:

Reasonably priced
No harsh chemicals
No strong taste
Anti-alcohol
Tip:-

If you prefer to make up big batches, boil your water, and add a teaspoon of baking soda for every eight ounces of water. Store in a sterilized container.

Beware! Brushing Too Soon After Meals May Damage Your Teeth

It is recommended that one should brush their teeth at least twice a day, but many people do it more than the recommended number of times per day – especially after meals, snacks or sugary drinks.

Dentists warn that the extra brushing or brushing soon after meals, particularly after drinking acidic beverages, can seriously damage your teeth. The acid burns tooth enamel and dentin, the layer just beneath the enamel.

“Brushing can accelerate this process. With brushing after meals, you could actually push acid deeper into the enamel and dentin,” said Dr. Howard R. Gamble, president of the Academy of General Dentistry in an interview with the New York Times, as reported in Dailymail.

In the study, a group of volunteers were tested different brushing regimens to examine the impact of brushing on their teeth after they drank diet soda for three months.

At the end of the study, the scientists found an increase in dentin loss when brushing within 20 minutes after drinking soda. But there was considerably less wear when brushing took place 30 or 60 minutes afterward.

“It can be concluded that for protection of dentin surfaces, at least 30 minutes should elapse before tooth brushing after an erosive attack,” the dentist said.

To get rid of acid, Dr. Gamble suggested rinsing the mouth with water or using an acid-neutralising mixture.

Did you already know how to make your teeth whiter?

Baking soda makes a good teeth whitener. Specifically, it works by breaking down stains in your teeth caused by such things as dark sodas, wine, smoking, coffee, etc. Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, when dissolved in water gives off free radicals which penetrate the surface of your enamel, combining with the stains in your teeth, and breaking carbon double bonds, thus helping to remove the stains. So in effect, it whitens by getting rid of the stains, rather than many commercial whiteners which more or less just try to bleach your teeth white.

In order to brush your teeth with baking soda:
• Just mix some baking soda in with a small amount of water to create a nice thick paste and brush it on to your teeth.
• Now let it sit for four or five minutes, then brush again and rinse.

Warning: Don’t brush regularly with pure baking soda as eventually it will wear down the enamel of your teeth.