Two Herbs And Spices That May Whiten Teeth
Herbs and spices are primarily used to make food taste better. However, they also have a long history of being used to beautify the skin, hair, and nails. If you want to whiten your teeth but don't have the money for professional teeth whitening or are concerned about the chemicals in over-the-counter whitening products, here are two herbs and spices that may lighten and brighten your teeth.
Turmeric
Turmeric is a spice that's commonly used in Asian and Indian cuisine. However, it's been getting a lot of attention lately because researchers are finding this spice provides a lot of health benefits. For example, turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties that have been shown to reduce arthritis symptoms.
Many people may be surprised to learn that turmeric has also been used as a cleaning agent for teeth and may help whiten them when used on a regular basis. This spice has astringent properties and is abrasive enough to break up stains and help remove them.
To use this spice, place a small amount of ground turmeric on your toothbrush (or on top of your toothpaste) and brush your teeth like you would normally. Be aware; this spice stains most everything it comes into contact with, so your toothbrush will look yellow after using this solution. Because it's so abrasive, this spice should only be used once per day; otherwise, you risk scrubbing away the enamel on your teeth.
Sage
Sage is an herb that's commonly used in Italian, Middle Eastern, English, and even some American dishes. Like turmeric, sage appears to have some health benefits. Preliminary studies seem to indicate sage can be used to improve and enhance cognitive performance and may alleviate Alzheimer's symptoms. Beauty-wise, sage has antibiotic and astringent properties that can help reduce the appearance of stains.
There are a couple of ways you can use sage to clean your teeth. You can brush your teeth with the dried herb. Sage is abrasive, so you only want to do this once per day to avoid damaging your teeth. This herb is also available as an essential oil, so you can use it as part of an oil-pulling routine. Essential oils tend to be strong, so you may want to dilute the sage oil with olive or coconut oil to minimize any tissue irritation using essential oils can cause.
When using these alternative teeth whitening methods, it's important to manage your expectations. At-home and over-the-counter remedies tend to only lighten teeth a few shades and they may not work at all on severely stained teeth. For recommendations on better options to whiten your teeth, contact a cosmetic dentist.
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