Everyone wants to have a bright sparkling smile. We see the commercials for the teeth whitening supplies all of the time, but those harsh chemicals can leave your enamel weak, giving you tooth sensitivity. Use some at-home natural products to get the same results that you are looking for.

1. Baking Soda: This is highly effective, but you need to be very careful. Baking soda is an abrasive agent, and your teeth don’t regrow. If you brush hard with baking soda consistently, you’ll wear away your enamel and create sensitive teeth. Use this technique once or twice a week to get a whiter smile over the course of a few months. Take about ½ teaspoon of baking soda, and mix it with a few drops of lemon juice or water to make a paste. Put that paste on a soft toothbrush and brush your teeth like you normally would. It may take a little time to get used to the taste, but you can be confident that you are getting a healthier, whiter smile without the worry of harsh chemicals.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar is great for a myriad of things in the body. To eliminate stubborn stains that won’t go away, you can rub apple cider vinegar directly onto the teeth to buff the stain out. Swish with water afterwards so that the acidic vinegar doesn’t sit too long on your teeth. It can also work as an excellent mouthwash substitute. Take a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and mix it with ½ cup of water. Swish it around in your mouth to kill bad breath causing bacteria.
3. Oil Pulling: This is old Ayurvedic way of keeping your teeth healthy. It’s not the most appetizing thing ever, but there are lots of people who say it works. It’s a similar concept to keeping your car engine clean. You use oil to loosen up the junk and easily remove it. It also is scientifically proven to prevent gum disease. Take any oil and swish it around in your mouth for 10-20 minutes. Use 1 teaspoon of coconut oil, sesame, or sunflower oil for the best results. When you are done swishing, spit the oil in the trash and not down a drain. The oils can easily clog up a drain if repeatedly put down the sink.
4. Activated Charcoal: You may have seen people use activated charcoal to whiten teeth, because it recently took social media by storm. Activated charcoal is good at pulling out impurities in teeth as well as the skin. You wet the toothbrush and dip it into the container. Use gentle and small brush circles over the entire mouth and let it sit for two minutes. Afterwards, rinse your mouth and brush your teeth again with regular toothpaste. You may want to have a rag on hand to wipe out the sink so that it doesn’t stain the countertops.

The one main difference between these strategies and the store bought ones are the speed at which they work. The natural products will work and give you a healthier smile, but it will take weeks to see results. To see your progress and to keep you motivated, do a before and after photo to see the difference you are making over the course of a few weeks.