How to Whiten and Brighten Your Smile the Natural Way
Table of Contents
By Dr. Michelle Jorgensen
There have been countless studies that show the effect a great smile can have on your confidence, which leads to other success. I spent the first half of my career focused on creating new smiles, and now I can combine that knowledge with more natural, holistic options to brighten and refresh what you already have.
My mantra is “Clean the Outside, Nourish the Inside”. What this means is that whiteness comes from the outside and the inside, and you can improve both.
The outside enamel layer is similar to a quartz crystal and is nearly see through. You can polish the enamel and keep it shiny and white. This is like cleaning your windows – you are working to make sure there is no buildup or stains or them. If you have stains on your teeth, you can remove them with a simple whitening paste.
Tooth Whitening Paste
1 part Baking soda
1 part Sea Salt
Mix with water to make a paste. Apply with a toothbrush in circular motions to remove stains a couple of times a week. Do after your regular brushing.
The dentin is the deeper layer and provides the color you see. You can’t polish this layer, so the dentin must be oxidized and deeper stains pulled out to become lighter. Activated charcoal pastes work to oxidize, and if your teeth are darker then you would like, you can nourish them from the inside. Remember to get enough Fat Soluble Vitamins: A,D,E,K, found in orange and green foods and fish oil.
Deeper stains can be pulled out with Oil Pulling.
Oil Pulling
Put 1 t coconut or sesame oil in your mouth and swish vigorously for 10-15 minutes. Spit oil out after using. Repeat 2-3 times/ week.
If you’ve tried everything here and you are not having any success, professional whitening may be necessary to get your teeth as white as you would like. The whiteners do change the enamel crystals, but as long as you have enough nutrients, minerals and vitamins in your system, you will be able to remineralize the tooth.
What about Bad Breath?
Again, there are so many wrong perceptions in this area. If you take a trip down the hygiene aisle in a department store, you will see bottle after bottle of mouth rinse, and pack after pack of gums and mint. It’s obvious quite a few of us worry about bad breath- myself included.
I’m going to give you the short and sweet instructions for fresh breath:
Tip #1 — Clean It Up! WHY?? Your mouth bugs hide on your tongue. If they stay, they spread and smell bad. Clean your tongue every night with a tongue cleaner. (A toothbrush isn’t enough)
Tip #2 — Freshen It Up! WHY?? The mouthwashes and mints/gum typically sold for fresh breath can actually make the problem worse! Both the alcohol in mouthwash and the sugar in mints and gum cause more bugs to grow! Use a mouthwash without alcohol and a xylitol containing mint or gum if you want fresh breath that will last.
These are some simple, natural ways to brighten and freshen up your smile.
Dr. Michelle Jorgensen
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