Homemade teeth whitener can give you a Hollywood smile without the Hollywood price. All you need is a few common household ingredients, time and commitment to upkeep.
Homemade Teeth Whitener Recipes
Baking soda and salt
The best known homemade teeth whitener is your basic baking soda. This substance has long been used alone and in dental products for clean teeth, fresh breath and general stain removal.
Salt is another common ingredient for stain removal. However, salt removes a limited amount of stains and is valued more for its antibacterial properties.
Both baking soda and salt are mild abrasives, so they clean and polish your teeth in the short term. In the long term, though, they can wear down enamel and eventually weaken teeth.
Ingredients:
You can use table salt to brush with, but ground salt, also known as salt powder, is best. Mix the salt and baking soda together in a small container. Use half the mixture on your toothbrush as toothpaste. Brush and rinse your teeth as usual.
Once clean, cover your teeth with the remaining mixture. Do not rinse. Let the mixture sit on your teeth for 10 to 20 minutes, then rinse. This will be a little messy and taste salty, but will create slightly whiter teeth in the long run.
Hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is actually one of the best general products for many dental issues, including stained teeth. However, anything above 3 percent peroxide solution will damage the enamel instead of cleaning it.
Ingredients:
For an easy rinse that helps whiten teeth without abrasives, Hydrogen-Peroxide is perfect, and is an ingredient in most store-bought teeth whitener products.
Rinse with the peroxide after brushing your teeth, swishing it around your mouth for as long as possible. It will bubble up and you'll have to spit it out, so don't worry about rinsing for too long. Rinse your mouth out with water to help get rid of the bubbles and odd taste.
If you need something that doesn't bubble as much or has less bite, mix the two teaspoons of water in with the peroxide before rinsing with it.
 | As many consumers head towards their favorite drugstore to purchase teeth whitening products, they may wonder if these products really work and if they will be able to achieve the same results as the advertised models. |
 | The quest for a white smile blindly leads many people onto a journey that ends with a smile much too bright. |
 | Despite the hype, teeth whitening products do help make you look younger by giving you a much healthier looking smile. Of course, like any popular product, there are now mountains of items all promising you a perfect, white smile. |
 | Compared to dental costs, at-home whiteners are cost-effective and easy to use, but are they the best teeth whiteners? |
 | Who doesn't want a brighter, more beautiful smile? Often it's the one thing that's remembered; more than anything else about a person. First impressions can be very important, after all. |
