Brightening your smile can be done without expensive professional treatments or harmful chemicals. All you need is some food and items from your home!

Baking soda is a mild abrasive that scrubs surface stains away and hydrogen peroxide acts as a natural bleach. Add them together to make a paste and gently brush your teeth.

1. Coconut Oil

Using coconut oil for teeth whitening is a safe and natural home remedy that helps remove surface stains on your teeth. It also helps remove odor from your mouth and freshens your breath. It can also be used to scrub away food stains, coffee residuals and long-term effects of cigarette smoking. To use, place a teaspoon of the oil in your mouth and swish it around. Rinse with water afterwards.

Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which have antimicrobial properties that can kill bacteria in the mouth. This prevents plaque formation and reduces tooth sensitivity (5). Alternatively, you can mix coconut oil with baking soda to create an effective teeth-whitening mouthwash. The alkaline ingredients of the mixture help lighten acid-based stains from foods like red wine, tea and coffee (6). This is a popular remedy that is often recommended by dentists. However, this remedy should only be used as an adjunct to regular brushing and flossing.

2. Brush Your Tongue

Many people are interested in whiten their teeth, but they don’t want to invest the time and money required for whitening gels or in-office procedures. Fortunately, there are natural home remedies that can make your smile brighter and whiter. One of the easiest ways to keep your teeth white is by brushing them regularly. You can use any regular toothpaste or a whitening toothpaste to clean your teeth, but it is important to also brush your tongue. Bacteria that builds up on the tongue can transfer over to the teeth and cause them to stain.

Brushing your tongue may seem like an insignificant part of your oral hygiene routine, but it is crucial for good health. It prevents bad breath, improves your sense of taste, and reduces your risk for gum disease and tooth decay. It also allows you to cleanse parts of your mouth that mouthwashes and gargles cannot reach. To properly brush your tongue, place a dab of toothpaste on the toothbrush and start at the back of the tongue. Brush using back and forth and side-to-side strokes until your tongue feels smooth.

3. Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide

One of the best natural home teeth whitening remedies is baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Baking soda acts as a mild abrasive to scrub away surface stains while hydrogen peroxide lightens them. This is a safe, cheap and effective way to whiten your teeth.

You can use a paste of equal parts baking soda and hydrogen peroxide or simply swish the mixture in your mouth for 30 seconds to 1 minute. This can also help remineralize your teeth and reduce sensitivity.

This method should be used in addition to brushing and flossing, not as a replacement. It is also important to note that while baking soda can whiten your teeth, it does not restore the enamel that has been worn down over time, so regular oral hygiene is crucial. If you are looking for a more permanent solution, consult with a dentist. They can recommend other more effective and safer treatments to whiten your smile naturally.

4. Strawberries

While this popular whitening method is cheap and natural, it can actually do a lot of damage to your teeth in the long run. This is because the strawberries and baking soda mixture contains acid which can erode the enamel on your teeth. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends avoiding this DIY remedy and sticking with those methods that are research-backed.

The idea behind strawberry whitening is that the malic acid in strawberries can break down the particles that create stains on your teeth, and the baking soda helps remove plaque. To use this method, mash up a strawberry and mix in 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. Then dip your toothbrush into the mixture and apply it to your teeth, letting it sit for 5 minutes. After that, brush your teeth with regular toothpaste and floss.

Strawberries and other sour or tangy fruits contain acid, which bleaches the surface of your teeth. This process also causes dehydration, which can make your teeth look temporarily whiter, but the effects are short-lived.