Is there anybody whose isn’t impressed by a million dollar smile. It signifies youth, positivity and happiness. Older people also look good when they smile, they look less intimidating. I like their toothless smile that looks innocent and kind of cute. I hope that is not too weird of me 🙂 Look at the grandma below 🙂 Teeth whitening methods varies so does the cost that is, if you are doing it at a professional clinic.
Our teeth are similar to sponges that has minute pores in it which absorbs colors and over time it forms those dark stains. There are different kinds of stains like the yellow teeth which is the easiest to remove or the bluish/gray stains that are difficult to remove. The antibiotic tetracycline may be one of the causes of bluish stains on your teeth. These gray stains may require months of whitening sessions to completely remove the stains.
Over the counter whitening toothpaste or gels only help in getting your teeth to be two shades lighter while professional treatments can get your teeth to eight to ten times lighter. Over the counter whitening bleaches or gels contain ten to twenty percent potent peroxides while the in office treatments contain up to forty percent potent peroxide bleaches. Teeth whitening is not recommended for pregnant or lactating women. You can also opt for rechargeable tooth brushes for better cleaning, i have seen celebrities using it on korean dramas like you are beautiful 🙂 I dont own one though. It is above my budget 🙁
There are various methods of teeth whitening like,
- Toothpaste: The less effective of all methods, can lighten up to one shade
Find whitening toothpaste here
Baking soda whitening toothpaste here - Mouth rinses: less effective as sixty second squishing cannot be compared to a thirty minute treatment.
Find whitening rinse here - Gels: This comes with a gel and a fitted mouth tray where you keep the tray in your mouth for the recommended amount of time. Some people also buy mouth guards that are cheaper and use the ‘boil and fit’ methods to adjust the mouth guard to fit to your teeth size. This type of kits are usually available online. I have seen many people get good results from Crest 3D white home whitening kit and Plus White kit. If you can find it please do try the strips. They really do show results.
- Dental treatments: Cosmetic dentist usually use bleach to whiten your teeth. They also make use of uv lights or lasers depending on your stain. You may need multiple sessions and note that this method of whitening is the costliest.
Even though a professional use bleach on your teeth, it is not harmful unlike many DIY treatments. You can also opt for a touch up every year or so. Remember to avoid foods that easily stain your teeth like tea or coffee. Use a straw to drink this liquids or rinse your mouth after drinking. Make sure not to sip on tea or coffee for longer periods of time. Another reason for teeth stain is smoking so avoid smoking after getting your whitening treatment so that the effects lasts longer.
Mild sensitivity is a side effect of tooth whitening treatments so dentists usually follow up the whitening treatment with a fluoride treatment to eliminate that. The fluoride treatment helps hydrate the tooth and nourishes them.
DIY treatments:
Baking soda:
This might be the most popular tooth whitening method that is being used. I have used this method a couple of times to whiten my teeth but not as frequent as others maybe that is why i never had any sensitivity problems. Baking soda and lemon whitens by eroding the outer enamel layer of our teeth and hence it is not recommended. My gums and mouth tissue felt raw after using this but it subsided after some time. I always followed this treatment with coconut oil ‘oil pulling’.
Oil pulling:
The oils used in this method are coconut oil and sesame oil. In oil pulling we just need to squish the oil in our mouth for up to twenty minutes and then spit it out. Oil pulling helps detoxify our body, whiten teeth, prevents teeth and gum issues, eliminates bad breath and sinus especially. It also helps regulate hormones and clear acne. I use coconut oil squish and after doing it for two weeks my teeth seemed whiter. Rather than whiter, I would say there was a pearly shine to it. My grandmother had that pearly shine to her teeth which I really liked ever since I was a kid. Her smile looked prettier to me.
Find tropical extra virgin coconut oil here
Find Sesame carrier oil here
Activated charcoal:
Normal barbique charcoal when treated with a gas becomes the more porous activated charcoal. How do we use it? This is the step that I have seen most people doing incorrectly. Mix activated charcoal with enough water to form a paste then apply it on your teeth. Do not rub or brush it as it may cause abrasions, chipping or scratches on your teeth. Just leave it on for three minutes giving it enough time to bind to the stains and then rinse your mouth. Brush your teeth again to make sure your mouth is clean. Swallowing activated charcoal doesn’t have any harmful effects, it is used by pregnant women for cholestasis and to treat intestinal gas.
Food Grade Activated Charcoal Powder here
Find Activated charcoal here
Hydrogen peroxide:
You need to use food grade 3% hydrogen peroxide as it is much cleaner and safe as it doesn’t have addictive sin it. Dilute it in water and squish around in your mouth for twenty minutes just like the oil pulling method. I would say this method works in whitening your teeth and without any side effects too. There are many people who swear by this method including me 🙂 Mix it in half and half and keep it in a dark coloured bottle. If you got your hands on a 35% strength hydrogen peroxide, add two drops of it to 1/4 glass water and squish with it for atleast ten minutes. Always dilute the solution or else your mouth tissue and tongue will become sore. Try it for two weeks twice a day to see results.
This is the only place where I found safe food grade hydrogen peroxide online.
Other than the baking soda method of whitening, you can try other three methods to whiten your teeth. Activated charcoal works to remove stains rather than whitening yellow teeth so it might not show immediate results for those who do not have any stains. You may need to give all of these methods atleast two weeks before seeing results. These methods should not replace your brushing routine for any reason. As i am looking to minimize chemicals in my routine, I use a herbal toothpaste and tooth powder combination.
I have never used any whitening toothpastes or fluoride toothpastes so i cannot really comment on that. Although i once asked my dentist about whitening toothpastes, he deflected my question and chose a neutral answer which was very philosophical for me to understand and relate to 🙂 These methods are tried and tested by me and i never got any teeth sensitivity or gum problems after using these tips.
If the professional treatments are not satisfactory, dentists sometimes recommend crowns that can be worn over your teeth. I’m assuming that it might cover the front section of your teeth just like a fake tooth. Or maybe it is a fake tooth but there, you got your million dollar smile. I have heard that celebrities do this but i don’t know more about this treatment.
Hope that helped you guys 🙂
