One of the most prominent features of your face is your smile. Maintaining dental hygiene is very important, not just for your external appearance but also for your gut health. Yellowed or discolored teeth can have a huge impact on one’s self-image and the way they carry themselves in society. Due to several reasons like cigarette smoking, chewing tobacco, or even eating staining foods can cause discoloration of teeth. Here are some DIY tips for keeping those pearly whites, white!

Use baking soda while brushing

Brushing your teeth with the help of some baking soda can be a very effective way of whitening your teeth. It is popularly known that baking soda has whitening properties and hence is found in many brands of toothpaste. It must be noted that this is not an overnight remedy and must be done consistently for a few weeks to see significant results.

Use hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is another whitening/bleaching agent that can be easily found in any drugstore if you don’t already have it in your first aid kit. You can use a heavily diluted version (a 1.5% or 3% solution) of hydrogen peroxide to rinse your mouth. Be careful not to overuse it, though, since higher concentrations of hydrogen peroxide could cause cancer.

Coconut oil pulling

Oil pulling is the method of swirling oil in your mouth to get rid of any bad bacteria stuck inside. As gross as it sounds, this method is effective in reducing any swelling or inflammation, bad bacteria and also reduces plaque and gingivitis. The most popular oils for this technique are sunflower oil or coconut oil since their taste isn’t as off-putting as the rest of them.

Apple cider vinegar

Small quantities of apple cider vinegar can be effectively used to reduce discoloration of teeth to make them whiter and brighter. It can be mixed with mouthwash or diluted in water to be used for rinsing the mouth. Avoid using it for long periods of time to prevent any damage to the surface of the teeth.

Charcoal brush

Brushing your teeth using charcoal or charcoal powder is one of the oldest methods of dental hygiene. You can do this by dipping a wet toothbrush in charcoal powder and brushing your teeth as you normally would. Charcoal is known to have powerful adhesive properties which are effective in deep cleaning.

Orange peel

The acidic nature of oranges gives them immense cleansing properties. Using an orange peel to rub on your teeth can help get rid of any stuck bacteria or dirt from them and will help them look more white and clean.

Regularly floss and brush

Maintaining a regular practice of properly brushing and flossing your teeth at least twice a day can be helpful in avoiding any major or major dental issues and will help in keeping them white for longer.