If you’re anything like me you hate going to the dentist. Having to lie back while someone pokes and scrapes around in my mouth with sharp utensils that resemble torture implements is hardly an experience I look forward too. But still I must go to the dentist every six months for the good of my oral health.
But there are some things you can do to keep your teeth white in between visits and I’m not referring to whitening gels and strips. Those products might do the job better than the natural solutions I’m about the list here, but they can make your teeth more sensitive and irritate your gums. Here are a few low cost things that you can try.
Using Fruits
You may have heard that apples are like nature’s toothbrush. This is actually true. Apples contain malic acid which can dissolve the yellow stains on your chompers. Strawberries are also a great source of malic acid. Make a paste of the sweet berries, apply it to your teeth and let it sit there for a few minutes before brushing regularly. The inside surface of an orange peel can also do the job. Just rub it against your teeth before brushing and the chemicals in the peel will work on the stains. With these techniques you’ll of course have to do it for a week at least until you start seeing results.
Munching on Vegetables
Crunching on veggies like celery and carrots can also help remove stains. The abrasive action of biting through the tough, raw vegetables can wear away stains and make your mouth produce more saliva. Saliva has natural cleaning properties and chemicals that help dissolve stains.
Brush with Baking Soda
This is a common additive to whitening tooth pastes, so why not use it yourself? You can mix it with your own toothpaste, or you can make a paste out of it with lemon juice. If you make a lemon paste, apply it to your teeth and let it sink in for a minute or two before brushing as you normally would.
There’s no substitute for regular brushing and flossing, but these techniques can help get that nasty yellow off. Best of all, they do it at almost no cost and taste pretty good.
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Chris Riddell is a freelance writer from Toronto who covers art, business, and urban life for various fine publications. Also a poet and aspiring novelist, he’s busting his butt trying to get his name into a few literary magazines these days. He encourages you to check out his website for a look at what he’s been working on lately.
