Reader Digest Version Global
Homepage >

10 Tips for Healthy, White Teeth

Not only do your teeth help you talk and chew, they can make or break your appearance. Here are 10 secrets for keeping your pearly whites in tip-top shape.

from Stealth Health
Loading
←
Credit: © 2009 Jupiterimages Corporation
  • 1 of 11

1. Go on a white-teeth diet.

If you're quaffing red wine and black tea, or smoking cigarettes or cigars, expect the results to show up as not-so-pearly whites. Other culprits to blame for dingy teeth include colas, gravies, and dark juices. Bottom line: If it's dark before you put it in your mouth, it will probably stain your teeth. Brush immediately after eating or drinking foods that stain teeth and use a good bleaching agent, either over-the-counter or in the dentist's office. For convenient teeth-cleaning action, eat an apple.

  • 1 of 11
←
Credit: © 2009 Jupiterimages Corporation
  • 2 of 11

2. Chuck your toothbrush...

...or change the head of your electric toothbrush at least every two to three months. Otherwise, you're just transferring bacteria to your mouth. According to Beverly Hills dentist Harold Katz, D.D.S., the best way to brush is by placing your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle against your gums and gently moving it in a circular motion, rather than a back-and-forth motion. Grip the toothbrush like a pencil so you won't scrub too hard.

  • 2 of 11
←
Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/bo1982
  • 3 of 11

3. Clean your tongue.

Use a tongue scraper every morning to remove tongue plaque and freshen your breath. One major cause of bad breath is the buildup of bacteria on the tongue, which a daily tongue scraping will help banish. Plus, using a tongue scraper is more effective than brushing your tongue with a toothbrush, says Dr. Katz.

  • 3 of 11
←
Credit: © 2009 Jupiterimages Corporation
  • 4 of 11

4. Eat 'detergent' foods.

Foods that are firm or crisp help clean teeth as they're eaten. We already mentioned apples (otherwise known as nature's toothbrush); other choices include raw carrots, celery, and popcorn. For best results, make 'detergent' foods the final food you eat in your meal if you know you won't be able to brush your teeth right after eating.

  • 4 of 11
←
Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/dulezidar
  • 5 of 11

5. Gargle with apple cider vinegar.

Do this in the morning and then brush as usual. The vinegar helps help remove stains, whiten teeth, and kill bacteria in your mouth and gums.

  • 5 of 11
←
Credit: The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc./GID
  • 6 of 11

6. Brush your teeth with baking soda once a week

This will remove stains and whiten your teeth. Use it just as you would toothpaste. You can also use salt as an alternative toothpaste. Just be sure to spit it out so it doesn't count as sodium intake! Also, if your gums start to feel raw, switch to brushing with salt every other day.

  • 6 of 11
←
Credit: © 2009 Jupiterimages Corporation
  • 7 of 11

7. Stay fresh.

To check the freshness of your breath, lick your palm and smell it while it's still wet. If you smell something, it’s time for a sugar-free breath mint. Shopping for mouthwash? Make sure it is alcohol-free. Most over-the-counter mouthwashes have too much alcohol, which can dry out the tissues in your mouth, making them more susceptible to bacteria.

  • 7 of 11
←
Credit: © 2009 Jupiterimages Corporation
  • 8 of 11

8. Practice flossing with your eyes shut.

If you can floss without having to guide your work with a mirror, you can floss in your car, at your desk, while in bed, and before important meetings. In which case, buy several packages of floss and scatter them in your car, your desk, your purse, your briefcase, your nightstand.

  • 8 of 11
←
Credit: © 2009 Jupiterimages Corporation
  • 9 of 11

9. Brush your teeth when you first get out of bed and before you get back in at night.

They're the two most crucial times, says Kathleen W. Wilson, M.D., an internist at the Ochsner Health Center in New Orleans and author of When You Think You Are Falling Apart. That’s because saliva (which keeps cavity-causing plaque off teeth) dries up at night, so it’s best to have all plaque cleaned off the teeth before sleep. It’s also important to brush first thing in the morning to brush off plaque and bacteria (morning breath!) that may have built up as you slept.

  • 9 of 11
←
Credit: © 2009 Jupiterimages Corporation
  • 10 of 11

10. Conceal with color.

Ladies: Choose a medium coral or light red lipstick. These colors make your teeth look whiter, whereas lighter-colored lipsticks tend to bring out the yellow in teeth.


  • 10 of 11

Your Comments

  • http://www.perfectsmiledentalspa.com/cosmetic-dentistry.html Serena Mcelyea

    Wow, ‘detergent foods’ huh? Now, that’s surprising but really interesting. I didn’t know popcorn has benefits for the teeth; although apples are really a miracle food which is very good for oral health. Perhaps the red lipstick trick will help, too. Thanks for these tips!

  • http://mymaryvilledentist.com/dental_services.html Bobby Schaeffer

    I didn’t know that crispy and firm foods are called “detergent foods”. I myself find it intriguing. It’s not really easy to get a healthy white teeth, since it requires a lot of things like properly taking care of it and by watching out the food you eat. Knowing the right way of brushing your teeth also helps.

  • Adsgul

    The best remedy I tried successfully ever is to use honey mixed with vinegar and brush it two to three times a days will not only whiten youe teeth but will give extra health to your teeth and gums.

    • Guest

      Honey can actually cause cavities as it is a sugar and will make your saliva acidic for approximately 20 minutes in which bacteria start to demineralize the outer layer of your enamel!

  • http://smilereef.com/ Las Vegas Dentist

    At least people now aware that apple is not only for diet but as a convenient teeth-cleaning action as well. And of course toothbrush needs to be change every two or three months because the old toothbrush of yours has bacterias already that leaving in the head of your brush. Tips stated above gives people knowledge on how to make their teeth healthy and white everyday. Thank for sharing your post with us. A helpful one.

  • http://www.drazimi.com Implants las vegas

    I knew about the wine and smoking cigarettes but did not know about the black tea. Thanksss

  • http://www.handheldbidet.co Glen

    One very important hygiene tip relates to the use of handheld bidets. I have lived in various parts of Asia and after using the “bum gun” which is used predominantly in countries such as Thailand and Cambodia, i can’t see why we still use toilet paper! I read somewhere that around 80% of infectious disease are passed on through human contact and that only half of us actually wash our hands after using the toilet. One of the reasons why the handheld bidet is a very important  device when it comes to personal hygiene.  Thanks for the useful tips anyway :)

  • http://www.facebook.com/shweta.mishra.39 Shweta Mishra

    toothpste- GLIZER ,gives polished n white teeth

  • http://www.facebook.com/shweta.mishra.39 Shweta Mishra

     wow,detergent foods benefits for the pdl n tooth…thnx for the tips

  • http://www.meetadentist.com/dentalcare/category/oral-care/ Dental care

    Cleaning tongue is necessary because most of the people don’t scrap after brushing which leads  to bad breath & many more oral problems. These are really good tips to take care of oral care.

  • PearlyWhites

    Reader’s Digest, you are WRONG WRONG WRONG! No one should ever brush their teeth immediately after eating anything! Your teeth still have acid on them that can’t be rinsed away, and needs at least half an hour to dissolve. Otherwise when you brush you will ruin your enamel!

  • http://www.whiteteethtips.co.uk/ White Teeth Tips

    Changing your toothbrush every 2 to 3 months is one of the single most important things to consider when looking after your teeth. The amount of bacteria on a 5 month old toothbrush is close to the amount of bacteria on a toilet seat.