We all dream of a bright, white smile that lights up the room but whitening toothpastes and natural whitening remedies really can backfire fast if our teeth aren’t strong to start with.
I learned this the hard way when the whitening toothpastes I used for my yellowing and stained teeth actually caused horrid tooth decay!!
So in this guide I am sharing everything I now - unfortunately - know about :
- Yellowing Stained Teeth
- Whitening Toothpaste Risks
- Whitening Remedy Risks
- Remineralising Teeth Naturally
- Avoiding Teeth Stains
- Natural Brightening Remedies
NB I have NO medical qualifications. This is NOT medical advice. See a dentist for teeth and gum problems.
Table of Contents
Yellowing Stained Teeth
Our teeth aren’t naturally stark white - they’ve got a warm, creamy tone thanks to their combo of enamel and dentin.
Enamel
Enamel is the hard outer layer of our teeth. It's pretty translucent but - if we look after it - tough like a shield.
Dentin
Dentin is the softer, creamy layer underneath - we can think of it as the tooth’s core. It's more vulnerable to damage so it's super critical to keep our enamel shield strong.
Why Teeth Yellow
Our dentin naturally yellows as we age but thinning enamel makes it more translucent so the yellow shows through more and more.
Key causes of thinning enamel are :
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Acidic foods e.g. sodas
- Brushing too hard
- Whitening toothpastes!!
Why Teeth Stain
Our enamel naturally gets stained with e.g. coffee, red wine but as enamel thins it gets more porous with micro cracks and pits where stains build up that brushing can't reach.
If the enamel is breached stains can finally get through to the dentin.
Whitening Toothpaste Risks
Whitening toothpastes can be a short term fix that mean long term trouble!
Despite the claims, whitening toothpastes are pretty often not safe for daily use if we do NOT have strong teeth and many of us don't!!
Daily use on weak teeth can :
- Strip Enamel: Harsh chemicals - like peroxide - wear down our protective enamel shield.
- Scratch Enamel: The abrasive texture of e.g. silica scratches and pits enamel making it thinner.
- Damage Dentin: If enamel’s already thin, the dentin underneath gets exposed and hurt.
Frequent use of harsh whitening toothpastes on weak teeth which lack key nutrients can also - yikes!! - :
- Spike Sensitivity
- Cause Cracks
- Irritate Gums
Critically, some whitening toothpastes only whiten the surface and don't remineralise teeth or rebuild strength so yellowing comes back worse.
Teeth Whitening Remedy Risks
You can find home remedies galore for whitening teeth but watch out!!
Most are total fads - and again they trade short term brightening for very long term damage especially if you've been missing out for years on the nutrients strong teeth need.
Risky natural teeth whitening remedies that do long term damage include :
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Baking Soda
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Lemon Juice
- Activated Charcoal
- Strong Mouth Wash
Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide bleaches teeth white but also erodes enamel and can worse case burn gums.
Baking Soda
Baking soda does scrub and shift stains but it is too abrasive and over time it wears enamel thin.
Apple Cider Vinegar
The acid in apple cider vinegar can strip enamel, making teeth more fragile and hence yellower as damaged dentin shows through beneath the enamel.
Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is super acidic and dissolves enamel fast to such an extent there's little chance of repair.
Activated Charcoal
The gritty texture of activated charcoal can scratch enamel and the verdict is out on whether there is actually any real proof of whitening at all.
Strong Mouth Wash
Most of us reach for the strong mouth wash to tackle gum disease or bad breath. But it can also cause long term problems for brightening our teeth as it dries up saliva which plays a big role strengthening and repairing teeth.
I wouldn't go anywhere near these remedies any longer and focus all my efforts on strengthen teeth through diet and remineralising teeth naturally.
Remineralise Teeth Naturally
For many of us the real secret to a brighter smile is stronger teeth.
Tooth strength and deep repair comes from remineralising enamel and dentin with a nutrient rich diet - strong teeth resist stains and yellowing naturally alongside good regular brushing.
Remineralising Nutrients
The key nutrients for remineralising enamel and dentin are :
- Calcium
- Phosphate
- Vitamin K2
- Collagen
- Magnesium
- Zinc
- Vitamin D
Calcium
Calcium sticks to weak demineralised spots in both enamel and dentin. Then by attracting other key nutrients it fills microscopic gaps with hydroxyapatite crystals to repair and strengthen dentin and restore our enamel shield.
Phosphate
Phosphate - from phosphorus in our diet - is calcium's key partner in this remineralisation of our teeth. It's the two of them combined with healthy saliva that create the hydroxyapatite crystals to patch our teeth with.
Vitamin K2
Little known K2 super cleverly helps direct calcium and phosphate to the tiny vulnerable spots in our teeth for focused remineralisation and repair.
Collagen
Collagen supports dentin remineralisation by providing the organic matrix - about 20-30% of dentin - that anchors calcium and phosphate minerals into the dentin structure. It’s like the scaffolding that holds the mineral bricks in place!
Magnesium
Magnesium helps bind calcium into enamel and dentin during the remineralisation process.
Zinc
Zinc has a duel role as both magnet and glue for enamel enhancing effective deposits of calcium and phosphate into enamel and the actual formation of hydroxyapatite crystals.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is the final key player in the remineralisation team but arguably actually comes first. If we are short on vitamin D we don't absorb calcium into our body properly so there's little available for strengthening our teeth.
Together these 7 players are a winning team but many of us have deficiencies we don't know about. So get tested.
You can then target deficiencies with nutrient rich food for remineralising.
Best Food To Remineralise Teeth
If you discover you are short on any of the remineralising nutrients these are the key foods that can help boost levels :
- Calcium : Milk, Cheddar, Yoghurt, Sardines (canned with bones), Salmon (canned with bones)
- Phosphorus (Phosphate) : Salmon, Chicken thigh, Pork loin, Chuck roast, Eggs
- Vitamin K2 : Natto, Goose Liver, Egg Yolks, Grass Fed Butter, Hard Cheese :
- Collagen : Beef Gelatin, Bone Broth, Chicken Skin, Pork Rinds, Fish Skin
- Magnesium : Almonds, Salmon, Eggs, Chicken thigh, Chuck roast,
- Zinc : Chuck Steak, Red meat cuts, Pumpkin seeds, Shell fish, Poultry & game.
Vitamin D For Bright Teeth
We've seen that vitamin D is critical for calcium absorption but lots of us in northern latitudes go short on Vitamin D because it is only available from UVB light at key times of the year.
To soak it in - safely - we need roughly this much sun with lighter skins needing less, darker skins more :
- Northern U.S.: Apr-Sep, 10 AM-3 PM, 10-30 minutes.
- England: Apr-Sep, 11 AM-3 PM, 15-40 minutes.
- Scotland: May-Aug, 11 AM-2 PM, 20-60 minutes.
If you don't spend plenty of time outdoors it is worth getting checked and possibly supplementing over the winter months to keep calcium levels up for remineralising.
How To Avoid Stained Teeth
Cutting down on teeth stains and tackling them fast is another key way to brighten teeth whilst we are remineralising them.
Teeth Stain Villains
The 5 big teeth staining villains are :
- Sodas
- Coffee & Tea
- Red Wine
- White Wine & Rose (surprisingly)
- Fruit Juice
They are actually so acidic they soften enamel almost instantly - as our old friend hydroxyapatite starts dissolving when pH drops below ~5.5!!
So drinking them with a meal increases the chance they will deep stain our teeth and / or leave our teeth vulnerable to stains from e.g. :
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Curry
- Tomato sauce.
Junking sodas and fruit juice - full of sugar making us sick - is a no brainer but easing up as much as possible on coffee, tea and all wine whilst remineralising teeth is a good idea.
Teeth Stain Hacks
There are also some great old fashioned hacks for reducing teeth staining that help :
- Crunchy Appetisers
- Sip Water Between Bites
- Nibble Bread
- End Meals With Cheese
- Flat White Coffee
Crunchy Appetisers
Crunching appetisers like carrot and celery sticks stimulate saliva - our mouth's natural, real time teeth cleaner - before we even start eating!
Clever saliva even keeps ph levels up in our mouth to stop enamel softening damage of acidic food and drink.
Sip Water Between Bites
Water sips between bites give saliva a helping hand rinsing food off teeth before it has a chance to start staining.
Nibbling Bread
Bread has a bad name these days but nibbling old style sourdough bread - low sugar spike - helps soak up acids in our meal to reduce damage.
End Meal With Cheese
Calcium and phosphorus in cheese neutralise the acidity of wine - and dessert sugars - in our mouth. Studies (e.g. Caries Res, 1991) show cheese post-acid cuts enamel softening by ~20-50% donating minerals to repair micro-erosion on the spot!! Wow!!
Flat White Coffee
Skip the espresso and go for a flat white coffee like grandma did. It provides some instant protection against coffee's staining tannins.
Natural Brightening Remedies
We saw earlier how trendy natural teeth brightening remedies can actually destroy enamel and damage dentin.
But there are some gentle natural brightening remedies that can help including :
- Oil Pulling
- Saliva Boosters
Oil Pulling
Oil pulling is an age old remedy for gently easing stain damage and brightening teeth alongside good brushing. Check out this quick oil pulling guide for more.
Saliva Boosters
Sustaining good levels of saliva throughout the day can help to clean and protect teeth and a dry mouth actually harms teeth. So keep saliva boosted crunching, chewing or sipping :
- Apples
- Carrots
- Radishes
- Celery
- Mint
- Parsley
- Ginger root
- Green tea.
And there you go, everything I learned the hard way about how to brighten teeth through remineralisation without the harsh damage of whitening toothpastes and remedies.
Remember this is NOT medical advice. Brush teeth well. See a dentist for teeth and gum problems.
For more health tips check out my other simple health remedies and follow me on Pinterest.
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