In today’s society, having pearly white teeth has become a focal point. Having white teeth gives us confidence when we smile and are talking to others. We all know that brushing and flossing are important in helping to maintain white teeth, but over time, our teeth can become discolored.

guys will take my lunch and take this opportunity to finish an errand and be back…while the rain stopped and lightning and thunder gone…need to go to the post office. Teeth can become stained, or yellow, both on and beneath the surface, for a number of reasons. This is mostly due to the enamel on our teeth becoming thin. If the enamel on our teeth is too thin, they can develop a yellowish appearance. The enamel on our teeth can naturally wear thin due to age, but can also be as a result of consuming foods that are high in acid content or sugar, such as candies and soft drinks. Drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes can also stain our teeth.

If regular brushing and flossing isn’t helping to improve your discoloration, then it might be time to look at some other options. There are some pretty extreme techniques for keeping our teeth white, but following are the best 9 tips to help keep your teeth pearly white:

1). Brush your teeth after each meal

The most obvious way to minimise stains on your teeth is to brush after each meal. Dental hygiene is a critical component in keeping your teeth nice and white. Although it is often not practical to do this after every meal, this is certainly the best way.

2). Avoid food and drink that can stain on your teeth

As mentioned earlier, coffee and cigarettes are the main culprits for the discoloration of our teeth. However, other beverages such as wine, tea and sports drinks can also stain our teeth. Food such as hard candies, berries and even tomato sauce can also play a role in the discoloration of our teeth. To prevent the staining of our teeth, it is best to avoid, or at least minimise consumption of these foods and beverages.

3). Quit smoking

Coffee and smoking general go hand in hand. By reducing or eliminating coffee and also cigarettes, this can go a long way to reducing stains on your teeth. Not only will quitting smoking keep your teeth bright, you will also reap the other health benefits.

4). Change of diet

We mentioned earlier about avoiding certain food and drink, but the inclusion of certain foods in your diet can also assist in the prevention of yellow teeth. There are certain foods that can actually strengthen your teeth. These include the following:

Foods high in magnesium and potassium like leafy green veggies, apples or pears
Food high in calcium such as milk, cheese and yogurt
Free range eggs
Root vegetables including sweet potatoes and carrots
Nuts such as almonds and walnuts
Celery, pumpkin and mushrooms

5). Drinking through a straw

If you are unable to forgo beverages that are known to cause stains on your teeth, then drinking through a straw might be an option. We now know that the consumption of sugar has other effects on our health, not just your teeth. Therefore, it is best to avoid soft drinks completely. However, using a straw can at least help minimise the impact on your teeth.

6). Baking soda

Baking soda is one of the best ingredients that you can use to get rid of yellow teeth. It can also help to remove plaque keeping your teeth nice and white. Following are two of the better and safer methods:

Mix one quarter of a teaspoon of baking soda with a little toothpaste. Brush your teeth with this gritty mixture and rinse with warm water. Use it once or twice a week.
You can also scrub your teeth gently for at least two minutes with diluted baking soda. Do this twice in the first week, and then every 15 days after that. Please note that the use of baking soda can strip your teeth of its natural enamel.

7). Don’t allow your mouth to become dry

There are a number of factors that can cause our mouth to become dry. When our mouths become dry, our supply of saliva decreases. This can affect the enamel on our teeth hence, make our teeth appear yellow. Factors such as smoking, drinking caffeine and certain mouthwashes can actually dry up our saliva. Sugar free chewing gum and regular water intake can help stop our mouth from drying out too much.

8). Lemon and orange peel

One of the methods used to clean our teeth is by taking lemon or orange peel, and rubbing it on our teeth for a couple of minutes prior to going to bed. Lemon and orange juice contain beneficial acids which can assist in cleaning our teeth. However, acid can also wear away the enamel on our teeth. Therefore, it is very important that you rinse your mouth out with water after rubbing the orange or lemon peel on your teeth.

9). Visit your dentist

We all know that we should visit dentist every 6 months for a check up. This helps with the maintenance of our teeth by making sure that decays are kept under control. However, your dentist can recommend a number of different techniques and procedures for also whitening your teeth, we can include bleaching. Everyone’s teeth are different, so if you are finding it difficult to whiten your teeth through some of the natural remedies recommended in this article, you may wish to consult your dentist to discuss other options.