Frugal Teeth Whiteningby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 30 Jul 2008 12:04 PM
If you aren't blessed with perfectly white teeth or if you just want to improve your smile without getting a second job, consider some of these frugal alternatives to teeth whitening. While they may not give you instant results, they can add some sparkle to your smile without the cost. Let's start with prevention. If you drink coffee, tea, red wine or other beverages that stain, use a straw instead of a glass. This means that the drink will bypass your teeth instead of staining them. A good rule of thumb is that anything that might stain your white clothes also might stain your teeth. Drink a glass of water or brush your teeth after drinking any dark beverage to keep the drink from depositing on and staining your teeth. Choose your fruit wisely. Blueberries tend to stain teeth while strawberries have natural teeth-bleaching properties! Isn't that amazing? Consume lots of crunchy vegetables and fruits, such as raw celery, carrots and apples. These foods remove debris from your teeth to clean them. They also make you salivate which cleans teeth. Don't overdoes on the iron. Taking a lot of iron supplementation could permanently stain your teeth. It is harmless but unsightly. Discoloration between your teeth can be taken care of by regular flossing. Make it a habit to floss at least once a day. These in between areas can reflect light when you smile, making your smile brighter. About twice a month, add some baking soda to your toothbrush before brushing your teeth. The baking soda acts as a natural abrasive that can loosen the plaque that might otherwise stain your teeth. As an added bonus, it also can deodorize your mouth. Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. Starting June 1st, don't miss her articles in the Baby Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here. More Great Articles: Make Your Own Frugal Hot Oil Treatment Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments  Valorie Delp (49340) 31 Jul 2008 06:13 PMYou forgot my secret: the pith of an orange peel removes stains and is gentle enough on your teeth that it can be done frequently! Valorie Delp (49340) 01 Aug 2008 08:05 AMYes. . .the white stuff under the zest and I don't find it particularly bitter. I don't find it worse than listerine at least?! ;-) Samual (11722) 01 Aug 2008 02:46 PMYou can get it done on the NHS here, just the bleach though, not the kind where they put the big blue light in your mouth. Community Tags beauty, frugal, teeth whitening, thrifty Discuss this article
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