Many people complain of teeth discoloration often. Numerous factors can cause your teeth to assume a different color besides white. When this happens, it may impact the confidence level you have in yourself, as you may find it difficult to open your mouth or say “cheese” in public.
There are numerous ways to whiten your teeth. Different companies sell teeth whitening products. We offer numerous dental solutions including sleep dentistry. However, these solutions can be on the expensive side, and you may find it challenging to purchase them. This doesn’t mean you have no option.
Suppose you want to whiten your teeth without using chemical products, there are natural foods you can eat regularly. These foods contain essential nutrients that will gradually whiten your teeth without compromising your health. But before then, let’s consider the things that discolor your teeth.
Factors Causing Teeth Discoloration
Poor Hygiene
Your dental hygiene is an important part of your life. For those who take their dental hygiene with levity, teeth discoloration is often inevitable. Forgetting to floss and brush your teeth regularly will allow dirt to accumulate on your teeth, which will gradually cause a build-up. Additionally, you will find it challenging to deal with teeth stains later on if you skip professional dental cleanings.
Diseases
Sometimes, your tooth discoloration isn’t a result of poor dental hygiene. Instead, it’s caused by certain diseases. These diseases impede normal tooth enamel development, which eventually will discolor your teeth. Also, some medical treatments like chemotherapy and neck radiation can cause teeth discoloration.
Medications
This may seem strange, but medications are capable of teeth discoloration. Evidence suggests that drugs such as antibiotics can discolor teeth. They often affect the formation of the enamel, especially in children under 8 years. Similarly, washes involving chlorhexidine and mouth rinses can also lead to teeth discoloration. This makes it important to pay careful attention to children’s dental care during their formative years.
Environment
This should not come as a surprise. The environment has also been a major factor in human life. During the formative stages of the teeth, the presence of much fluoride can discolor the teeth. Excessive fluoride will likely come from water with a high concentration of it, toothpaste, among others. To avoid this, it will be smart to carefully assess the fluoride condition of the water that runs in your house and also purchase safe toothpaste.
5 Foods That Can Naturally Whiten Your Teeth
Here are some of the foods that can impact your teeth whitening process positively.
Strawberries
Taking strawberries regularly can help you get your teeth back to their white status. Strawberries work because they contain malic acid, which contains relevant bleaching properties to remove the stains on your teeth. You can mix these strawberries and apply it to your teeth. Allow it to remain for about five minutes before rinsing off with water. After you rinse it, brush your teeth and then floss thereafter.
Malic acid also increases the production and circulation of saliva in your mouth. The saliva will always wash stains away. This wet state of your mouth makes it difficult for the teeth to suffer discoloration.
Because of the nature of strawberries, they may stain your shirt or dress. So, you should be careful during its mashing and application.
Pineapple
Your teeth are protected by pellicle and salivary proteins. Although the pellicle layer covers your teeth, it tends to absorb food pigments easily, the accumulation of which eventually leads to teeth discoloration.
Once stains begin to accumulate, bacteria get sufficient materials to pick on. With the presence of bacteria in your teeth area, discoloration is imminent if you don’t intervene early.
However, pineapple contains natural nutrients that easily dissolve the pellicle. Pineapple contains bromelain, which has the capacity to break down proteins and consequently dissolves any build-up on your teeth.
Milk
Drinking enough milk can also be a solution for your discolored teeth. Milk contains lactic acid, which has the power to whiten your enamel. Asides from that, it also triggers an increase in saliva production, which washes away stains conveniently.
Furthermore, milk contains the protein known as Casein, which is a stain washer. Casein also produces calcium phosphates, useful for cavity repair and preventing plaque from accumulating.
Experts find that Casein prevents tannins from building up on the teeth, let alone cause discoloration. Additionally, other dairy products such as yogurt and cheese also contain adequate amounts of lactic acid that washes stain away.
Apples, Carrots, and Celery
The trio of these veggies and fruits are natural stain removers that prompt an increase in saliva production. This speeds up the rate at which your mouth gets washed, making it difficult for stains to stick. Additionally, they dissolve any form of bacteria that may discolor your teeth or cause bad breath. More so, because they are crunchy fruits, the crunch factor also improves their efficiency as a tooth scrubbing agent.
Watermelon
Strawberries have malic acid, and that’s what makes them efficient teeth cleaning agents. However, watermelon has more amounts of malic acid, which makes watermelon an even stronger tooth-cleaning agent.
Some assert that watermelon’s fibrous texture has a tooth scrubbing effect that helps to remove stains. However, there isn’t much evidence to back this claim. Regardless, many people use watermelon to naturally whiten their teeth, and they say it works.
Brush and Floss Regularly
It’s difficult to ascertain how long it takes for foods to naturally whiten your teeth. Because they are not commercial products, they take longer to deliver results. However, irrespective of the time frame, you should constantly ensure you brush and floss regularly.
An important thing to do is to create a schedule for flossing. Brushing and flossing are some of the most effective ways to preserve the white condition of your teeth. Experts advise that you brush twice a day, preferably morning and night. Also, always ensure you are thorough while brushing your mouth so you can remove all stains.
Conclusion
Teeth discoloration is a prevalent issue today. If you don’t want to use chemical products to address the issue, you can choose any of the above natural foods to whiten your teeth gradually. All you need to do is to eat them regularly. Additionally, remember to always brush and floss. That way, you are sure to get the desired results.
You may also need to book a dental session. Dental Implants Clinic offers you numerous dental services including sleep dentistry. Book a session today!
Author Bio
Habeeb Asudemade is an expert in the medical field with over four years of experience writing medical articles reviewed by medical practitioners. He has undergone numerous courses in the medical space, which strengthen his knowledge base on the sector. His articles are targeted at helping people understand their health better to make informed choices.
