by Bette Jo Arnett, classical homeopath
Keeping your teeth white is a never-ending task…
The moment you stop bleaching your teeth with professional or over the counter products, your teeth pick up stains and slowly darken…the very next day! Health conscious people are also worried about the effects of the whitening products and if those products will harm the teeth and the body from consistent use. There is a way to keep your teeth looking whiter without harm.
Brushing two to three times a day is important to remove the pellicle or thin layer of proteins that collect daily on your teeth from eating.
The pellicle is what the stain attaches to…here is how to remove it:
- Brush two minutes daily with baking soda and diluted hydrogen peroxide. If you do not like the taste of this preparation, a favorite powder polish of mine is Microbrite sold by the Royal Body Care Company. This product used twice a day for two minutes will achieve the same whiteness the professional strips or trays can. It must be used consistently for about eight weeks to accomplish this, however. It is available online.
- You can use your regular paste and dip the brush with paste on it into a small container of baking soda as well. You will need do this twice a day and be consistent.
There are reports of using coconut oil, oil pulling, to keep your teeth whiter. A tedious process, but appears to be effective for those with the patience.
Always brush as soon as possible to remove stains from raw foods like blueberries, red cabbage, carrots or greens. Leaving these stains to remove later makes it hard to keep the whiteness in your smile!