Natural Tooth Whiteners Will Have You Smiling

Are you chagrined by your less-than-pearly whites, but concerned about what chemicals and abrasive whitening toothpastes might do to your gums and tooth enamel? Don't worry, mother nature has answers. Whether you prefer to buy prepared natural toothpaste or make your own tooth whitener at home, you can improve your smile without resorting to the use of harsh chemicals.

Know what to expect
Contrary to what ad agents would have us believe, the natural color of human teeth is not snow white. Even the healthiest teeth are slightly yellow or gray. Photos of models and celebrities have been usually touched up or the owners of those blinding white smiles have had porcelain veneers applied. Before you begin a whitening treatment, understand that you may only be able to lighten the color of your teeth by two or three shades. While light tea stains may go without much of a fight, grayness caused by the antibiotic tetracycline may be quite difficult to remove. What's more, if you continue the habits that stained your teeth, you'll have to redo the treatment a few months later.

Natural commercial products
The definition of "natural" is slippery, but whitening toothpastes marketed as natural usually are made only from herbs and minerals. This means no fluoride, aspartame, or other "unnatural chemicals." Be aware, though, that your definition of natural may differ from the manufacture's, so check the ingredients list before you buy. Some herbal pruducts available include:

Jason Natural Cosmetics Powersmile
Powersmile uses bamboo podwer, calcium carbonate, and silica to reverse dullness and discoloration. Another active ingredient, perilla seed, prevents sugars from bonding with minerals and forming tartar. The added peppermint oil leaves the mouth feeling fresh.

Vita-Myr
A unique toothpaste that combines cloves to kill germs, myrrh and folic acid to heal gums, and zinc to slow plaque growth. This herbal product is gentle, but effective enough to remove yellowing caused by plaque.

Nature's Gate Dental Therapy Whitening Gel
The silica, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), pineapple, and bamboo powder in this toothpaste help whiten teeth, while the antiseptic qualities of goldenseal, sage, and licorice extracts keep the mouth clean. The toothpaste's good taste comes from refreshing mint oils and sweet stevia extract.

Kiss My Face Whitening Certified Organic Aloe Vera Toothpaste
This toothpaste whitens teeth with silica and Icelandic moss, and keeps gums in shape with horse chestnut. The soothing aloe vera this toothpaste contains makes it a good choice for those with sensitive gums.

Homemade whiteners

If you'd rather know exactly what goes into your toothpaste, you can make your own at home. As an added benefit, doing so will
save you some money, too.

Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is a natural bleaching agent and, used daily, can be as effective as chemical whiteners. Make a paste from one teaspoon of lemon juice and one teaspoon of salt and use this every time you brush.

Orange peels and Bay leaves
Powered bay leaves combined with ground orange peel can make an effective whitener. Simply rubbing the inner side of an orange peel over your teeth can also have a whitening effect.

Strawberries
Strawberries contains an enzyme that whitens teeth and can be used in place of toothpaste. You'll have to floss to get rid of the seeds, but the strawberry's taste makes up for that. Mash a large strawberry into a paste and either brush with this.

Hydrogen peroxide
Regularly rinsing your mouth with 3% hydrogen peroxide from the drugstore can also help lighten the color or your teeth. Be warned, though, that many find the taste and the foaming sensation of hydrogen peroxide unpleasant. Also, store-bought peroxide contains chemical stabilizers, so avoid swallowing any.

Keep them white
Strong teeth are stain-resistant teeth. Taking a multi-vitamin and drinking mineral water will help your teeth get the minerals they need to stay in top form. Needless to say, coffee, tea, and smoking will all discolor teeth, so avoiding these will help your teeth stay whiter. Many berries and some vegetables can also leave their mark on your teeth over time, so brush as soon as possible after eating or drinking anything likely to cause stains.