Here are some great teeth whitening tips for you to use at home. The cost of professional teeth whitening can be very prohibitive, but fortunately there are a variety of ways for you to save money and whiten your teeth at home. Let’s take a look at some of the diy teeth whitening solutions.
Store Bought
These are products that you can find on store shelves and online that are made specifically for teeth whitening at home. Most of these take a certain amount of time, and vary in price depending on brand and style.
Teeth Whitening Pens – Teeth Whitening Pens are used to brush a thin layer of whitening gel over each tooth, not unlike painting fingernails. The gel dries, forming a very thin coating that aides in teeth bleaching. Pens are also good to use in tandem or as a followup to professional teeth whitening to maintain brightness. Many have recognized somewhat negligible results when used alone.
Strips – Teeth Whitening Strips are simply flexible pieces of plastic that are placed over the front of teeth and pressed in place to apply the manufacturer applied whitening agent, which is usually 6-10% hydrogen peroxide. The strips are usually applied to the teeth twice a day for less than an hour. After the allocated time, the strips are thrown away. They are a less messy alternative to trays and have a very safe and controlled amount of whitener on each strip.
Trays – Teeth Whitening Trays are used by applying a whitening gel in a tray that is then worn in the mouth for an hour or more a day. They can be messy to use and are largely being replaced by Teeth Whitening Strips and other methods.
Teeth Whitening Toothpaste – Many toothpastes advertise to help brighten teeth in addition to regular cleaning. Most of the time this is from carbamide/hydrogen peroxide and/or baking soda that is added to the toothpaste. This a very safe and useful way to whiten teeth, though it may take longer and not be as dramatic as other methods.
Gly-oxide is an antiseptic oral cleanser. It is used in addition to brushing to soothe canker sores or other injuries in the mouth, and can also remove stains and aide in teeth whitening.
Homemade
These are some methods that use some at home or very cheaply acquired materials. Care should be taken in all of these methods as they are not controlled and researched as thoroughly as store-bought products. On the plus side, however, they are very cheap.
Hydrogen Peroxide – Hydrogen Peroxide works well as a bleaching agent and can be used by itself to whiten teeth. There are two ways to approach this. One is to swish with hydrogen peroxide before you brush your teeth. The other way is to mix hydrogen peroxide with baking soda and brush with the paste like you would with ordinary toothpaste. IMPORTANT: Be careful not to swallow any hydrogen peroxide as it can be poisonous when ingested.
Baking Soda – Baking Soda can be mixed with water and used as a light abrasive to remove stains and set in discoloration. Many toothpastes have baking soda in them. Probably best way is to mix with hydrogen peroxide as mentioned above or to just buy a toothpaste with it already in it.
Wood Ash – It has been said that you can brush with wood ash mixed with water. This is a relatively extreme method, but has proven to show some surprisingly good results. Some wood ash is better than others, however, so care should be taken and research done before using this method.
Lemon or citrus juice, fruit like strawberries – Many have found quite a lot of tangible success brushing with lemon juice or crushed strawberries. However, USE THIS METHOD WITH CAUTION. Lemon juice is acidic and can potentially wear off and erode the enamel on your teeth making more problems in the future. Similarly, strawberries contain a lot of sugar that can be harmful if not quickly and properly rinsed out.
Prevention
Believe it or not, preventing teeth yellowing and staining can be done easily if you are willing to brush frequently and avoid excessive drinking of drinks that stain teeth like coffee and wine or corrosive drinks like soda.
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