While there are plenty of commercial teeth whitening agents filled with chemicals, you don’t have to harm your body or the environment to get a bright smile.
Instead of harsh chemicals, here are a few vegan foods that will keep your teeth shining and smiling:
An Apple A Day…
The fibrous nature of an apple buffs your teeth and removes stains. It also contains malic acid, which is found in toothpaste. So eat an apple a day and at least keep the dentist away!
Give Garlic a Try
You may avoid garlic in order to keep your breath fresh, but this bulb actually contains natural antiseptic properties that can reduce plaque and tartar. Garlic is high in vitamin C, which also boosts the immune system and helps fight periodontal disease. Garlic extract can even help you fight gingivitis.
Be Generous With the Ginger
Ginger works against plaque and gum disease by acting as an anti-inflammatory. When you spice up your meals with ginger you neutralize the acid from plaque. Brew some detox tea with fresh ginger daily for an effective mouth rinse that promotes good digestive health while releasing toxins from your body. Ginger will also help you keep your breath.
Get Citrus Serious About Your Smile
Oranges, clementines, limes and other citrus fruits are high in vitamin C. Although fruit contains natural sugars, they also contain a lot of liquid to wash the sugar from your teeth. Orange rinds can be rubbed on your teeth after you eat the slices. You can add a dab of table salt to the rind as an abrasive. Be careful not to overuse powerful citric acid, though, as it can eventually break down the enamel of your teeth.
Add garlic, citrus fruits, apples, and ginger to your daily diet and brighten your smile! These plant-based foods are all you need to neutralize bad acids and whiten your teeth without using harsh chemicals. Good to your body inside and out, and not to mention yummy, it’s a bright and shiny win-win!
Ruth Anitha says
The baking soda works on the enamel of the teeth to lift away the staining while the citric acid in the lemon juice provides a natural bleaching action. You can make a baking soda paste by adding some water to it, and use on your toothbrush, or you can blend the baking soda with your toothpaste. Step1 Mix baking soda and the juice from a fresh squeezed lime, you want to use enough lime juice to bring the baking soda to the consistency of a paste. You can use baking soda, instead of salt, to make it more effective. Different theories exist on the benefits of adding lemon juice or strawberries to baking soda for teeth whitening. All you have to do is take a little of baking soda and make a paste by mixing it with some water and a dash of salt.
Anna Cesnjevar says
Whitening toothpastes have been criticised for containing abrasive particles which can wear tooth enamel away, and some researchers say that hydrogen peroxide, the most commonly used bleachingagent, may be carcinogenic and weaken teeth.`-;
Sarah Hockel says
Thankfully, we can turn to these natural whitening sources!