A white smile helps build confidence and therefore makes us feel better about our appearance, and we can’t discount the positive effect that feeling good about ourselves has on our health. Today, we’re talking about 4 ways to whiten teeth naturally without all the chemicals, plus foods you can eat that do the trick.
We spend over 2 billion dollars in America on teeth whitening products and services. Oftentimes, the chemicals can leave our teeth feeling sensitive or painful because of the loss of enamel, which is meant to protect us.
There is no need for that when we can whiten teeth easily and naturally without breaking the bank or having sensitive teeth.
1: Activated Charcoal
A recent trend that’s becoming popular is using charcoal to whiten teeth.
We’re talking about activated charcoal (a reheated, oxidized form of the charcoal), not the charcoal you use for your grill.
Activated charcoal has natural adhesive elements that bind to plaque and stains such as coffee, tea, nicotine, and wine and takes them off instantly.
You can buy these activated pills at any health food store.
Break open 1-2 capsules and mix with a splash of water to form a paste.
Apply to teeth and stains and keep on for 3-4 minutes.
Rinse the charcoal out with water and brush normally.
Some people actually apply directly onto the toothbrush and brush with the charcoal paste, but I prefer to apply it with my finger to keep it off my gums.
The charcoal whitening technique is somewhat controversial due to the abrasiveness and concern over the charcoal to also pull off enamel. There are no studies confirming this yet, but this is another reason we recommend starting with the application and rinse technique vs. brushing.
2: Baking Soda/Lemon Juice Paste
Mix 3 teaspoons of baking soda, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and enough water to make a nice paste.
Apply a generous amount of paste onto your toothbrush and then apply to teeth.
If you use lemon juice, leave on for one minute only to protect your tooth enamel. If you just use baking soda and water, you can leave on up to three minutes. Then spit out and brush your teeth.
3: Coconut Oil Pulling
We have talked about oil pulling before.
You want to get about 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, put in your mouth (let it melt if it’s not totally liquid) and pull through your teeth (not swish) for 10-15 minutes. Then spit out, rinse with water, and brush your teeth.
The coconut oil contains lauric acid, which can not only brighten yellow teeth, but also fight against plaque, and promote gum health and fresh breath.
This method may not be as immediate as the others, but you will notice a difference over a few weeks' time.
4: Strawberries and Baking Soda Paste
This simple, delicious tooth-whitening recipe came from my friend, Katie – The Wellness Mama.
- 2-3 Strawberries
- ½ teaspoon of baking soda
- Pinch of salt
Mash up strawberries, add a small amount of baking soda and a pinch of salt, mix well and apply to teeth with toothbrush. Let sit for 5-6 minutes or put in mouth trays to keep the mixture against your teeth, then rinse and brush.
Bonus:
Since this is Food as Medicine after all, eating acidic fruit such as oranges and grapefruit can help with tough stains through the natural acids they contain.
Eating crunchy vegetables such as carrots, celery, and organic apples creates saliva, which helps in the prevention of plaque.
Since many of us are not planning to give up coffee anytime soon, adding milk or cream to coffee changes the chemistry of the drink, helping to reduce stains from pure black coffee.
Please don’t spit coconut oil down the sink, it’ll clog your drains.
🙂 In the garbage works, too.
Re: coconut oil method, what do you mean by ‘pull through your teeth’?
Hi Helen – it’s called oil pulling because of what the oil can help pull out (you’re not actually pulling the oil through your teeth:)
I didn’t know that applying baking soda to your teeth for three minutes can help them look whiter. Now that my uncle has quit smoking, he has mentioned that he would like to make his teeth look cleaner before his daughter’s wedding this summer. Maybe he should see a professional that can help remove the discoloration from his teeth.
Sea salt with baking soda is another great remedy for whitening the teeth at home. Thank you so much for sharing this DIY list. Very useful!
Thanks for the support, Sanjay! And great tips, we appreciate them!
Activated charcoal is extremely effective at binding to toxins from household chemicals, ingested medicines, and other chemicals from the body, especially when taken within 30 minutes of ingestion. For this reason, it is a great first treatment for any kind of poisoning, but should not be taken within several hours of medications (or even vitamins) that DO need to be absorbed.
This DIY is great. I want to whiten my teeth but the treatment is costly. Thanks for sharing this DIY!
Thanks for sharing. I really like how you point out that teeth whitening works a lot quicker with a dentist. I hate waiting for two weeks or more for my teeth to get whiter. I’ll have to make an appointment with my dentist.
Amazing tips. It’s always best to use the natural methods to whiten teeth.