Who doesn't dream of having white teeth that would make Hollywood stars swoon? Here in this article, tips and recommendations to perfect your daily routine in dental hygiene care and this, through simple, affordable and natural methods.

The teeth, what is it?

The teeth are an organ with a visible part: the crown and an invisible part: the root.

The crown is covered by an extremely hard tissue, the hardest in the body: enamel. This one allows to protect the tooth from external aggressions. This is the same part that can stain.

Next is the dentin, then the pulp, the central part of the tooth in which the nerve and blood and lymph vessels are housed.

There is no such thing as perfectly white teeth. Their color varies from off-white to yellow to brown. Our lifestyle and diet play a major role in the color of our teeth. Moreover, for the same shade, depending on the color of our gums and skin, our teeth will appear more or less white. It's all about colorimetry.

However, there are tricks to perfect the shine on your teeth. Here are some dietary tips to get you started.

For white teeth, the products to limit

Coffee, tea, spices like turmeric, cigarettes are known to color teeth with a yellowish tint. Furthermore, excessive consumption of sugar weakens the enamel of your teeth making them porous. Fragile, they will stain all the more easily and deeply. If you are a big consumer of this type of product, simple brushing with your toothpaste will not be sufficient.

Foods to favor for pristine teeth.

Lemon, apple and pear are rich in citric acid which gives them decalcifying properties.

In addition, dark chocolate lovers will be happy to know that their guilty pleasure is a natural whitener thanks to its theobromine content, which protects enamel and prevents staining as well as stains on teeth.

Green vegetables, almonds, cheeses and other calcium-rich products help keep teeth white while strengthening them.

Whiten your teeth with Sodium Bicarbonate, a natural descaler

Sodium bicarbonate, also known as baking soda, is a must in every home. Its price is very affordable and its usefulness can be found in the kitchen, as a stain remover and whitener for clothes, but also as a scaling agent and it is this last property that interests us today.

• To whiten teeth, put some bicarbonate in a cup then add a a little water or juice from lemon (for shine) to make a paste.
• You can use this paste as a toothpaste regularly but also occasionally as a poultice on your teeth after brushing.
• Stay a few minutes and then rinse. If you swallow a bit of bicarbonate, don't panic, it's edible and is a great remedy for mouth ulcers and heartburn among other things. Be careful, however, not to use baking soda too often at the risk of fragilizing the enamel.  

Powdered Activated Charcoal, a natural whitener

Activated carbon is obtained by carbonization of poplar wood or coconut fiber. When brushing, apply a little charcoal to your toothbrush and then finish your brushing.

To be done every day until the desired result is achieved and then maintained 3 times a week.

The Siwak, the natural nomadic toothbrush

Coming from an oriental tree the Salvadora Persica, the Siwak or Souak is a small branch both soft and fibrous allowing to clean your teeth when you don't have a space to clean them (lunch at work for example). In addition to its mechanical cleaning, polishing action, this rod stimulates salivary secretion thus allowing scaling. In addition, Siwak strengthens and tones the gums.

DIY: recipe for a whitening toothpaste

• In a small glass container with a lid, mix to obtain a paste: white clay powder, coconut oil, bicarbonate, a little sea salt and 1 to 2 drops of peppermint essential oil.

This toothpaste does not foam but has the advantage of cleaning, protecting and whitening your teeth!

White Clay is anti-infectious and extremely rich in minerals and trace elements protecting the quality of your tooth enamel.

Coconut oil is solid at room temperature. Rich in lauric acid, it has an antibacterial action.

Peppermint essential oil for its anti-bacterial action and to provide fresh breath. Not recommended for pregnant and nursing women and children.

That this article does not exempt you from going to your dentist to perform a complete scaling and this, in the rules of art. This will make the above tips even more effective.

In addition, sodium bicarbonate, lemon, coarse salt, activated charcoal or clay should be used as a cure at first and then punctually. These methods are abrasive, which in the long run, with daily use, would considerably weaken the enamel of your teeth.