Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Teeth Whitening using Baking Soda


How to Whiten Teeth With Baking Soda

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Everybody brushes their teeth with normal toothpaste, right? Well, with this at-home product, you can brush your teeth and make them whiter in fourteen days!

Steps

  1. Wet your toothbrush with cold water and dip it into baking soda. All of the bristles should be covered so that your toothbrush is white.
  2. Brush your teeth for five minutes (spitting if necessary) two times a day.
  3. Spit the baking soda toothpaste out and rinse your mouth clean with water. If there is a tingling or burning feeling in your mouth, this is perfectly normal. See "Warnings" for what might not be normal. And please always brush your teeth...

Tips

  • After brushing your teeth, brush your tongue with your favorite toothpaste and/or use a tongue scraper. Bad breath is related to teeth only when they house food debris and plaque. The main cause of bad breath is bacteria growing on the tongue.
  • An alternative method involves putting baking soda on the toothbrush and wetting it with a little bit of hydrogen peroxide (the cheap stuff one pours on cuts). It really does work!

Warnings

  • Do not use this method too often as the abrasive can permanently damage the enamel of your teeth. There are some special toothpaste brands (often for smokers) which contain much gentler abrasives than baking soda. They can be used daily without any risk for the health of your teeth and help to remove not only tobacco stains but also stains from coffee, tea, and wine.
  • Baking soda can dissolve orthodontic glue. Do not use this method if you have braces or a permanent retainer.
  • Best used only 2 or 3 times a month.

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