Even though you are frugal, you want to look your best. Who doesn’t want a bright, white smile? But cosmetic dentistry can cost an average of $15,000 to $20,000 that is not covered by insurance, and even those home whitening kits can get expensive at $30 to $35 a pop, to be repeated every three months or more.
If you aren’t blessed with perfectly white teeth or if you just want to improve your smile without getting a second job, consider some of these frugal alternatives to teeth whitening. While they may not give you instant results, they can add some sparkle to your smile without the cost.
Let’s start with prevention. If you drink coffee, tea, red wine or other beverages that stain, use a straw instead of a glass. This means that the drink will bypass your teeth instead of staining them. A good rule of thumb is that anything that might stain your white clothes also might stain your teeth.
Drink a glass of water or brush your teeth after drinking any dark beverage to keep the drink from depositing on and staining your teeth.
Choose your fruit wisely. Blueberries tend to stain teeth while strawberries have natural teeth-bleaching properties! Isn’t that amazing?
Consume lots of crunchy vegetables and fruits, such as raw celery, carrots and apples. These foods remove debris from your teeth to clean them. They also make you salivate which cleans teeth.
Don’t overdoes on the iron. Taking a lot of iron supplementation could permanently stain your teeth. It is harmless but unsightly.
Discoloration between your teeth can be taken care of by regular flossing. Make it a habit to floss at least once a day. These in between areas can reflect light when you smile, making your smile brighter.
About twice a month, add some baking soda to your toothbrush before brushing your teeth. The baking soda acts as a natural abrasive that can loosen the plaque that might otherwise stain your teeth. As an added bonus, it also can deodorize your mouth.
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. Starting June 1st, don’t miss her articles in the Baby Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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