How to Whiten Teeth Fast: Don't Brush Your Teeth Too Much
Or too hard. Coffee, wine and tea are common teeth-staining culprits, and trying to scrub them off too hard with your toothbrush can also strip away your enamel, explains Yazdan. "The underlying dentin is yellow so the teeth become yellow." Sands adds that over-brushing can also cause your gums to recede.
However, poor oral hygiene also leads to yellow teeth. So it's crucial to brush efficiently to get off plaque, without stripping off your enamel. "The key is to spend at least two minutes brushing every surface of your teeth, up around your gums where most of the plaque accumulates," says Yazdan. She recommends using Plaque HD, a new color-changing toothpaste that shows you exactly where plaque is. Yazdan says it removes four times the plaque as regular toothpaste.
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How to Whiten Teeth Fast: Turn to Charcoal
Believe it or not, charcoal can help in your quest for pearly whites. This natural teeth-whitening method is a way to whiten teeth at home -- just swing by your local Whole Foods or supplement store and pick up charcoal capsules.
Sands says to empty the contents of one capsule onto your toothbrush and then brush for five minutes. Fair warning: Your mouth will turn scary black (finally, something that will scare the boyfriend more than a sheet mask!), but the charcoal won't stain your teeth. Thoroughly rinse. "The charcoal acts like a stain magnet and draws out impurities and imperfections," explains Sands. You can use charcoal as often as you'd like.
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How to Whiten Teeth Fast: Use This Superstar Oil
Another natural teeth-whitening idea: Swishing with coconut oil for 10 minutes. Yes, the texture will be gross, but the coconut is antibacterial and draws out stains, says Sands. For best results, do this every day. (Bonus: Coconut oil will also decrease the bacteria in your mouth that can cause bad breathe.)
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How to Whiten Teeth Fast: Get Out Your Baking Soda
This is one of the oldest tricks in the books," says Sands. Simply add baking soda to your toothpaste (after you put it on the brush) to give your toothpaste superwhitening powers.
Because baking soda can be abrasive and potentially damage your enamel, you don't want to use it too frequently. Sands says to use baking soda every other day until your teeth are the level of whiteness you want, then switch to once a week to maintain your results.
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How to Whiten Teeth Fast: Grab Some Whitening Strips
If you want a movie star smile, an in-office treatment is your best best, says Sands. While at-home whitening strips won't give you the brighter-than-white results that you can get at the dentist, Yazdan still recommends them, and says they're especially useful for maintaining in-office whitening treatments. "In the dental office, we are able to isolate all of your tissues, and protect them from the bleach, so the result is a much greater whiteness," she explains.
If you smile into the mirror and are self-conscious about your not-so-pearly-whites, you're probably wondering how to whiten teeth fast. Because, honestly, when you barely have the energy to remove your makeup at the end of the day, time is of the essence.
"The main culprits of yellow teeth are aging, smoking and dark foods or drinks such as coffee, red wine, black tea, colas, dark sauces and even various fruits like blueberries," says Dr. Kevin Sands, a celebrity cosmetic dentist who works with everyone from the Kardashians to Emma Stone. "These items are high in pigment-producing substances that stick to tooth enamel."
Don't worry, we're not asking you to give up your morning coffee or evening glass of wine in pursuit of whiter teeth. Because the stains that come from these pigmented foods and drinks are on the outer layer of your teeth, they can be removed, explains celebrity cosmetic dentist Dr. Desiree Yazdan MS, DDS.
Here, we've rounded up all the easy ways you can whiten teeth at home -- from quick teeth-whitening kits to natural teeth whitening ideas. So what are you waiting for? Your megawatt smile is waiting, and it only takes minutes to get whiter teeth.
