Warning

• Some stain-causing foods are tea, coffee, blueberries, soy sauce, colas and red wine. Any food that causes stubborn laundry stains is likely to stain teeth also. Brushing teeth or even rinsing your mouth with water after consuming these foods keeps stains from forming.
  Smoking or chewing tobacco also causes staining.
  
  

Significance

• Hydrogen peroxide is the main ingredient in most commercial whitening products, as well as the ones used by dentists, because it has bleaching properties. You can use the 3 percent hydrogen peroxide solution found at pharmacies and discount stores for a mouthwash, but be careful not to swallow any.
  
  

Function

• You can also make a homemade teeth whitener mouthwash by adding a teaspoon of white apple cider to a glass of water. The vinegar must be diluted because it can be hard on tooth enamel over time.
  
  

Types

• Lemon juice can whiten teeth, but its acidic nature can damage enamel, so dentists advise against using it. A mashed strawberry is a better idea for a homemade teeth whitener. When combined with a half-teaspoon of baking soda and water, the resulting paste can cause some whitening. You'll want to brush with toothpaste afterward to remove fruit residue, being gentle so you don't cause any damage from the strawberry seeds. Baking soda can be used alone with water also, or it can be mixed with a few drops of hydrogen peroxide. You should use any of these methods no more than once a week because baking soda, like other whiteners, can be hard on enamel.
  
  

Benefits

• Eating crunchy fruits and vegetables scrubs away bacteria that causes plaque, the sticky material that calcifies into yellowish tartar after many hours without brushing. Apples, carrots, cauliflower and celery have fiber, which cleans teeth, and these healthy foods also stimulate saliva production, which keeps plaque from forming.
  
  

Prevention/Solution

• Always brushing after eating, rather than just twice a day, keeps teeth white. Change to a new toothbrush at least every two months because bristles wear down. Flossing every day removes the food residue that eventually can harden into tartar and appear as yellow areas around the gums.