Having white teeth can boost your confidence and make you feel more attractive. If your teeth are currently yellow or discolored, you may be looking for ways to brighten your smile. Here are few ways to whiten your teeth.

1. Home Remedies

Some substances that are found in your pantry or medicine cabinet can be used to scrub away or dissolve surface-level stains. Here are a few:

Baking Soda

Baking soda is naturally abrasive. When moistened with water and used as a toothpaste, baking soda can scrub stains from the teeth. Still, it is best to make a loose paste of the baking soda and not to brush harshly. The abrasiveness of the powder can actually erode tooth enamel if you brush too vigorously.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is a natural bleaching agent. A peroxide solution can be used as a mouth rinse to kill germs and bleach away stains. Still, most over-the-counter solutions only contain about three percent of actual peroxide. Thus, the solution is much less concentrated than most commercial teeth-whitening solutions, which may contain up to 10 percent of peroxide.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil can also be used to whiten teeth. The oil, which is an anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial product, can be used as a natural toothpaste. In addition, coconut oil can be used for oil pulling, which is the ancient Indian practice of swishing oil about the mouth and then discarding it. The oil traps bacteria and helps remove stains from the pores of the teeth. 

2. Teeth-Whitening Gels

Teeth-whitening gels are available over the counter, but they may also be applied by a dentist in an office setting. The gels are designed to bleach stains from the teeth.

Gels that are available at your local drugstore are not usually as effective as those used by a dentist. In addition, professional gels are typically more concentrated.

The gels can remove stains caused by food, drink or tobacco. However, they are not generally effective at removing stains caused by birth defects or medications. 

3. Veneers

Veneers are thin, tooth-shaped slivers of resin or porcelain that can be bonded to the front surface of the teeth to correct tooth color or shape. Since they are tooth coverings, they effectively whiten teeth even if the staining of the teeth cannot be bleached away. 

There are multiple ways to lighten the color of your teeth. If your teeth are discolored, schedule an appointment with a dental office like Elma Family Dental to determine the best teeth-whitening options for you.