Table of Contents
How much is teeth whitening going to cost you? Teeth whitening is a billion-dollar industry. People spend lots of money on whitening treatments to get brighter, younger-looking smiles. But you don’t have to be one of them. Explore the cheapest ways to get whiter teeth, and you really will have a reason to smile.
Try Oil
It sounds bizarre, but this is a folk tooth remedy that’s been in use for centuries. The oil method removes bacteria in the mouth, and that’s primarily how this method developed, but it has the added benefit of whitening and preventing yellowing of teeth as well.
Put one tablespoon of oil in your mouth to give this technique a try and swish it for about 20 minutes. Spit the oil into a trash can or outside. Don’t spit it down your drain, as oil can cause clogs. Rinse your mouth thoroughly when you’re done. Sunflower oil and coconut oil both work for this method.
Rinse With Peroxide
There’s a reason that people put hydrogen peroxide on their hair: it’s a bleaching agent. You can use it for your teeth, too, but do it carefully. First, check the concentration of your peroxide. You don’t really want anything stronger than 1.5 percent concentration in your mouth. Since many commercial peroxides are a 3 percent solution, you’ll want to mix it with an equal amount of water to get the 1.5 percent concentration.
Swish hydrogen peroxide around the same way you’d use mouthwash, leaving it in for about a minute but no longer than two minutes. Spit and rinse thoroughly. Use hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash once a week, and you will begin to notice your teeth getting whiter and brighter. Don’t do this more often than once a week, as the peroxide can damage tooth enamel with frequent use.
Do not, under any circumstances, swallow the peroxide. If you do, contact poison control immediately.
Add Baking Soda
Keep a box of baking soda handy and sprinkle it onto your toothbrush to use as a toothpaste once a week. Baking soda is famously a handy, all-around cleaning product, and it makes for a great toothpaste. Baking soda is abrasive, so it can help to scrub away stains and leave your teeth looking whiter.
Don’t use baking soda too often. Because of its abrasiveness, it can damage your enamel if you brush with it too much.
Mash Strawberries
Many fruits have natural acids that kill bacteria and remove stains. And though it sounds strange, strawberries can actually turn your teeth whiter. Mash up a single strawberry (or two if the berry is small) with a spoon until you get a pulpy fruit paste. Apply this directly to your teeth and let it stand for about 5 minutes.
Rinse your mouth out and brush your teeth with toothpaste, then rinse again. You should have visibly whiter teeth. Don’t use this method more than once every two weeks, or you could experience tooth pain and sensitivity.
Charcoal Chewing Gum
It’s brand-new and it’s safer than it sounds. Charcoal chewing gum is only recently on the market and it’s made just to whiten teeth. Though it seems odd, activated charcoal can actually whiten your smile. It’s used as a toothpaste ingredient often, in fact, so charcoal chewing gum really does make sense. It’s very cheap, and all you have to do is chew to whiten your smile.
Change Your Diet
Certain foods actually whiten teeth. Apples can get rid of tooth stains because they encourage saliva production that naturally washes teeth. Nuts, broccoli, carrots, and celery are fibrous foods that have a coarse texture. This means they will literally scrub your teeth while you chew. Add more of these foods to your diet, and the simple act of eating can help you whiten your smile.
Maintain Good Habits
Brush and floss your teeth every single day, and make sure you’re using good teeth cleaning techniques. First, get an electric toothbrush. This can do a lot more brushing than your hand and arm can do. The scrubbing motion of electric toothbrushes removes surface stains to make your smile visibly whiter. Spend at least one minute brushing your teeth, no less, every single time you brush.
Follow with floss after you brush your teeth. You should be flossing your teeth in a V pattern, working your way up from the bottom of each tooth up to the side all the way into the gum line. Work the floss as high up into the gum line you can go and move it back and forth to remove food particles and bacteria. Your gums may bleed the first few times you floss. Don’t let this alarm you.
Healthy gums and teeth will be whiter, much prettier gums and teeth. Maintain good oral hygiene and you’ll maintain a whiter, more beautiful smile.
How Much is Teeth Whitening?
Teeth whitening can be expensive when you’re buying products at the store. But if you use some home methods for teeth whitening and make some changes in your diet and daily routines, you can give yourself an amazing, dazzling smile that everyone will notice and envy.
