Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror and thought, "Wow, my teeth need to be whitened?" or "I wish I had whiter teeth?" You are not alone. I, too, found myself in that situation recently when I was feeling down about myself, wondering what I could do to fix it. The quest for whiter teeth goes back centuries–even the Egyptians and Romans wanted whiter teeth, as it was often considered a sign of wealth and beauty. But their methods and ingredients were often, well, GROSS. After much research, we made a list of the top 5 best teeth whitening hacks. And not one of them includes any weird ingredients! 

Teeth Whitening 101

Teeth discoloration usually happens in one of two ways. The first way involves what we eat and drink. Certain foods and liquids that come in direct contact with the tooth enamel (the outermost layer of your teeth) can cause yellow stains. Drinks like wine, coffee, dark sodas, and black and green teas can stain the outermost layer of your teeth. Foods like curry, blackberries, blueberries, soy sauce, tomato sauce, and balsamic vinegar have been shown to cause stains as well. Also, if you don’t brush and floss your teeth regularly, plaque and tartar build-up can make your teeth look yellow. Smoking and certain types of medicine can also turn those pearly whites a couple shades darker. This type of staining is usually treated with bleaching-either by visiting your dentist, or by using at-home whitening kits, or using home remedies like baking soda or lemon juice.

The second type of yellowing occurs when your tooth enamel is worn down, revealing the soft dentin layer underneath the hard-shelled enamel. Dentin is naturally yellow, and as people age, their enamel becomes thinner, allowing dentin to show through. Bleaching products won’t help in this scenario because they can’t bleach/affect the dentin. 

Most of us fall in the first category–yellow stains due to what we eat, drink, or how we take care of our teeth. And while at-home remedies like lemon juice, baking soda, and charcoal seem good in theory, these products could erode your tooth enamel, allowing the yellow dentin to show through. But if you’re curious about different at-home whitening techniques, like we were, keep reading! 

 

5 Popular Teeth Whitening Hacks

#1 Avoid Food and Drinks That Cause Stains

This can sound either easy or hard, depending on your lifestyle and what you enjoy eating. It's important to remember that you can still eat these foods, just watch how often you are eating them. But if you don’t want to skip the wine or your favorite soda, consider doing one of the following after you eat to lessen the impact of tooth-staining foods or drinks: brushing your teeth after eating or drinking, rinse your mouth out after eating or drinking, drinking darkly colored liquids through a straw, or using a professional at-home whitening kit. 

#2 Quit Smoking

I know that this sounds like a no-brainer. We all know that smoking can lead to yellow and brown teeth. When nicotine reacts with oxygen, it turns yellow—leaving behind deep yellow stains. So put down those cigarettes! But even if you are working on quitting, no need to wait to get white teeth. We know how important white teeth are, so we designed an at-home whitening kit just for you.

 

 

#3 Use a Whitening Toothpaste

One of the easiest things you can do to prevent stains is by brushing your teeth with whitening toothpaste. This will provide protection and remove those hard surface stains. Whitening toothpaste can be an effective hack, but it doesn’t always work.

#4 Baking Soda

Backing soda can be used for many things, but one of the most common uses is stain removal, and yes, you guessed it, baking soda can remove surface stains from your teeth. Most people who use tooth whitening toothpaste and try baking soda techniques usually end up opting for a teeth whitening kit.  

1. Simply get your toothbrush wet.
2. Dip it in baking soda.
3. Brush.
4. Rinse.

Caution: Doing this more than one time a week can be damaging to the enamel.

 #5 Professional at-home teeth whitening kit

The most effective and quickest way to whiten your teeth is by using a professional at-home teeth whitening kit. These kits can be found online, in stores, or at your dental office. These kits come with professional-grade teeth whitening gel that provide deep stain removal. If you have deep stains that will not go away, this is your best option.

Brytn Smile Teeth whitening kit is a great way to get the results you are looking for quickly.

Teeth Whitening Hacks vs Teeth Whitening Kits

While it may be easy and cheap to use some of the teeth whitening hacks that you have on hand, use caution. When they do work, they often do so at a very slow rate, so it’s hard to see results. Home remedies require patience and persistence. More often than not, the at-home teeth whitening hacks don’t work well, and worse, they can put your teeth health at risk. 

Studies have shown that teeth whitening hacks like charcoal, apple cider vinegar, baking soda, and oil pulling do more damage than good. Charcoal products like charcoal toothpaste can make yellowing worse and their abrasiveness can cause gum damage. Apple cider is highly acidic and can damage tooth enamel. In fact, one study showed that apple cider vinegar significantly eroded tooth enamel after just eight weeks. Baking soda is now a standard ingredient in many toothpastes because of its ability to fight bacteria that thrives in your mouth, but what it won’t do is whiten your teeth since it has absolutely no bleaching ability. In theory, home remedies sound good, but in our experience they ultimately end in frustration. 

On the other hand, teeth whitening kits, like home remedies, are easy to use, and although they are a bit more costly, you make up the difference in effectiveness and safety. If you want whiter teeth, and you need to see results quickly and safely, a professional at-home whitening kit is the best way to go. 

Brytn Smile’s Teeth Whitening Kit: The Ultimate Teeth Whitening Hack

Brytn Smile’s Teeth Whitening Kit isn’t really a hack because it’s backed by science and full of incredible tech. If you want quick results and long-lasting, permanent results, put aside your cheap, at-home remedy hacks and opt-in for something that works. Having a beautiful, confident, healthy smile is REALLY important. It’s one of the very first things people notice about you. You deserve a smile that is radiant, and we can help!

Our at-home kits include both whitening pens and our powerful Red and Blue LED technology. Not only can we get your teeth that just right shade of pearly white, but our technology also tackles bacteria, odor, and discoloration. With 32 Blue and Red LEDs, you get 6x more coverage than other leading brands. 15-minute treatments are all it takes to get the results you’re looking for or your money back guaranteed. 

But the benefits don’t stop there. Our Teeth Whitening Kit is easy to use, quick to administer, doesn’t irritate sensitive teeth, and is portable, so you can use it anywhere you go. Even better, our enamel-safe formula will protect your tooth enamel as it whitens, giving you a whiter, brighter smile. Trust us, this kit is better, faster, and safer than the common ingredients you might have on hand in the pantry! Leave your smile in our very capable hands, and you can kick baking soda out of the bathroom and back to the kitchen where it belongs!