We seem to be pretty obsessed with whitening our smiles, and there’s really no wonder why. A flash of somebody’s sparkling pearly whites can definitely brighten up your day, and who wouldn’t want to flash that kind of power?
Whitening products can be expensive, though. Even when they’re not, they tend to contain a bunch of chemicals that you might not understand or even recognize, and that might make it more difficult for you to comfortably put this product in your mouth. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to whiten your teeth from home without having to spring for these products! Here are some of our DIY teeth whitening methods.
Baking Soda
Teeth whitening is often simply removing the stains and plaque buildup on the outermost layer of your teeth. Taking away this slightly yellow layer of gunk brings out the glistening white underneath. One easy way to help get rid of this buildup is with something you probably have sitting in your kitchen: baking soda.
Baking soda has whitening properties and is mildly abrasive, making it a fantastic candidate to scrape away this unwanted layer and polish the beautiful, white smile underneath. Baking soda will make it more difficult for bacteria to hang around your mouth, and studies have shown that toothpastes with higher concentrations of baking soda do a much better job at getting rid of stains than toothpastes with less or no baking soda. To take advantage of these properties, you can try brushing your teeth with a 2:1 water and baking soda mixture a few times a week.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Something else you probably have laying around, hydrogen peroxide is another easy way to lighten up your smile! Hydrogen peroxide is also very good at killing bacteria, which means that it’ll help make sure none thrive on your teeth.
Much like baking soda, hydrogen peroxide is used in plenty of teeth whitening products and, just like with baking soda, studies have shown that products that include hydrogen peroxide tend to work better than products without it when it comes to whitening teeth.
It’s important to note, however, that hydrogen peroxide can be harmful in larger quantities. If you’re going to use it as a mouthwash, make sure to dilute it so that your solution is only at most 3% hydrogen peroxide. Another great way to take advantage of hydrogen peroxide’s whitening effects is to mix some in with your baking soda and water paste.
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