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methods
1Make Your Teeth Whiter Right Away
2Use Longer-Term Whitening Techniques
3Prevent New Stains from Appearing
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Tips and Warnings
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References
Article Summary
Co-authored byTu Anh Vu, DMD
Last Updated: June 23, 2021References
Do you wish your teeth were a few shades whiter? Teeth naturally start to yellow as we age, but there are plenty of ways to brighten them back up. Read on for quick whitening techniques, longer-term solutions and stain prevention habits.
Method 1
Method 1 of 3:
Make Your Teeth Whiter Right Away
1
Brush and floss. Brushing and flossing immediately lifts stains that have recently been left on your teeth.[1] Use a whitening toothpaste and brush well, focusing on the front of your teeth to remove the most obvious stains and film.
2
Drink water. Flooding your mouth with water as often as possible helps wash away bits of food, sugars, and other debris that builds up on your teeth throughout the day and causes them to look dull by the end of it. If you need a quick brightener, get a big glass of water and swish it around in your mouth before each swallow.
3
Eat an apple. When you bite into an apple it actually brightens your teeth by lifting off the film that can make them look dingy. Use your front teeth to bite into the apple, sinking them in all the way up to your gums. This is a good technique to use if you're out during the day and need a quick way to brighten your smile.
- This technique works best with the freshest, firmest apple you can find. Use a tart apple instead of soft, sugary one.
- Celery and pears can also help whiten teeth. They cause your mouth to produce a lot of saliva, which washes away stains and film.[2]
4
Chew sugarless whitening gum. Buy a pack from the drugstore and chew a few pieces during the day. The gum will remove bits of food from your teeth and temporarily brighten them up.
5
Rinse with peroxide. Measure a few tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide into a cup, pour it into your mouth, and swish for one minute. Spit it out into the sink and rinse your mouth with clean water.
- As an alternative, dip a cotton ball in peroxide and rub it on your teeth, making sure they get completely coated. Let it sit for about a minute, then rinse your mouth out with water.
- Do not swallow the peroxide. It's safe to use peroxide on your teeth, but swallowing it could make you sick.[3]
- This technique should not be used often, as it may degrade your teeth over time. Use it when you need a quick whitening fix, but turn to more sustainable techniques in the long term.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:
Use Longer-Term Whitening Techniques
1
Use teeth whitening strips, gels or rinses. Available for purchase at drugstores, these whitening products contain small amounts of peroxide to whiten your teeth. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for apply the strips or gels to your teeth. Rinses are used the same way you would use mouthwash. It usually take several applications before you see results.
- Whitening strips and gels are not recommended for people with gum disease and other dental problems.[4] Talk to your dentist before using these products if you're concerned.[5]
- Whitening strips and gels are best for people with a yellow tone to their teeth, and don't necessarily help remove darker stains.[6]
2
Use a tray whitening system. Tray whitening systems, also available at drugstores or from a dentist, use a slightly more aggressive approach to whitening teeth. A concentrated peroxide solution is poured into teeth trays, which look like plastic retainers, and the trays are worn over the teeth for several hours.[7]
- Tray whitening systems may also be used overnight. Depending on how white you want your teeth to be, you can continue using tray whitening systems every day for several weeks.
- Dentists may provide an at-home tray whitening kit. In some cases, the trays may be custom-made for your teeth using a mold so that they fit your teeth better than "one size fits all" trays.
3
Have your teeth professionally whitened. Many dentists offer whitening treatments that are very effective for removing dark stains. This is the most expensive technique, but it is also the quickest and offers the most dramatic results.
- Lasers or heat are applied to the bleaching solution to make it work more quickly.
- Depending on the level of staining, repeated dentist visits may be necessary, but each session lasts only about 30 minutes.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:
Prevent New Stains from Appearing
1
Stop smoking. Tobacco is one of the main culprits that causes teeth to become yellow or stained.[8] The smoke fills the mouth and chemicals stick to the teeth. Try using a patch or an electric cigarette to avoid staining your teeth with smoke.
2
Drink less coffee, tea and other dark drinks. Coffee and tea both have ingredients that lead to stained teeth. If you drink them every single morning, they're bound to eventually leave their mark. Try cutting back to a single serving or removing them from your diet entirely.
- When you do drink coffee or tea, brush your teeth afterward to remove the residue.
- If you don't have a toothbrush or sink handy every time you drink coffee or tea, drink a glass of water afterward to rinse out your mouth.
- Rinse your mouth after drinking fruit juice, wine, and other alcoholic beverages as well.[9].
- Have your drinks through a straw so you're less likely to stain your teeth.[10]
3
Eat fewer sweets. Eating a lot of sugar is tough on your teeth and gums since it leads to the buildup of plaque and eventually cavities and gum disease. All these factors can make teeth look more yellow, so avoid eating candy and drinking soft drinks as often as possible. When you do eat sweets, brush your teeth or rinse your mouth out with water immediately afterward.[11]
4
Go easy on your enamel. As we age, our the enamel on our teeth begins to erode; since the layer underneath isn't as bright, our teeth end up looking yellow in hue. Once the enamel is gone, it's difficult to get that youthful brightness back. Whitening your teeth too often can cause them to look bluish, so you can't rely on that as a backup forever.[12] Prevent enamel erosion in the following ways:
- Limit acidic foods, such as sour candy.
- Treat acid reflux promptly.[13]
- Don't drink too much alcohol or practice other behaviors that lead to excessive vomiting.[14]
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Tips
Make sure to brush your teeth with whitening toothpaste at least twice a day.
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Everyday when you brush your teeth, once you brush with toothpaste, put your toothbrush under hot water and go over your teeth a few times with hot water to give a refreshing taste.
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Carry a water bottle with you to rinse out your mouth several times a day.
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References
- ↑ Tu Anh Vu, DMD. Board Certified Dentist. Expert Interview. 10 April 2020.
- ↑ http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/ss/slideshow-10-secrets-to-whiter-teeth
- ↑ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/thomas-p-connelly-dds/can-hydrogen-peroxide-whiten-teeth_b_780554.html
- ↑ Tu Anh Vu, DMD. Board Certified Dentist. Expert Interview. 10 April 2020.
- ↑ http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/teeth-whitening
- ↑ http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/teeth-whitening
- ↑ http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/teeth-whitening
- ↑ http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/ss/slideshow-10-secrets-to-whiter-teeth
- ↑ http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/ss/slideshow-10-secrets-to-whiter-teeth
More References (5)
- ↑ Tu Anh Vu, DMD. Board Certified Dentist. Expert Interview. 10 April 2020.
- ↑ http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/ss/slideshow-10-secrets-to-whiter-teeth
- ↑ http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/teeth-whitening?page=3
- ↑ http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/healthy-teeth-10/tooth-enamel-protection
- ↑ http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/healthy-teeth-10/tooth-enamel-protection
About this article
Co-authored by:
Tu Anh Vu, DMD
Board Certified Dentist
This article was co-authored by Tu Anh Vu, DMD. Dr. Tu Anh Vu is a Board Certified Dentist and Owner of Tu's Dental, her private practice, in Brooklyn, New York. With over six years of clinical experience, Dr. Vu helps adults and kids of all ages get over their anxiety with dental phobia. Dr. Vu has conducted research related to finding the cure for Kaposi Sarcoma cancer and has presented her research at the Hinman Meeting in Memphis. She received her undergraduate degree from Bryn Mawr College and a DMD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. This article has been viewed 650,873 times.
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Co-authors: 43
Updated: June 23, 2021
Views:650,873
Article SummaryX
To get whiter teeth fast, try swishing hydrogen peroxide around your mouth for 1 minute before spitting it out, which can help naturally bleach your teeth. You can also try eating a cold apple, which will lift off the film on your teeth that makes them look dingy and yellow. Or, you can get the same results by chewing on a piece of sugar-free whitening gum. Even just brushing and flossing your teeth once can help brighten your smile if you're in a rush. To learn how to avoid staining your teeth, scroll down!
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Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 650,873 times.
Reader Success Stories
Amrita Singh
Jun 6, 2016
"The ones that helped me the most were the apple and the actual process of whitening the tooth."
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