Firstly let’s go over the reasons why your pearly whites aren’t so pearly white anymore.

Extrinsic Stains
Extrinsic stains are mainly caused by careless hygiene.

Plaque is a sticky film that forms on your teeth that is full of bacteria, toxins and food particles. Saliva in some people can also increase plaque build up. Things like red wine, caffeine and tobacco can make plaque stains even darker. Thankfully these types of stains can be sorted with a thorough professional polish, more regular visits to your dentist and lots of brushing and flossing, at least twice a day usually after breakfast and before bed.

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Intrinsic Stains
Intrinsic stains are harder to fix as they are inside the tooth.

Even though the enamel on your teeth is the hardest substance in the body, it is porous meaning things like tea, coffee, coke, red wine, certain foods and smoking can all worm their way in and cause discolouration. Chances are if your diet includes any of the above, your teeth are not so white as they once were.
Taking care of your teeth is a never ending process, just like shaving and taking showers, it's an activity you'll have to do daily if you want that beautiful, white smile.

Teeth Whitening
When it comes to whitening you have a few options. Firstly you can visit your dentist for a professional laser treatment (around $1500) or Professional Whitening Trays (around $500 to $1000) however most of us can’t spare that kind of money so for only slightly stained teeth try an at-home teeth-whitening kit - they can work wonders. Within one to two weeks, chemist or supermarket brought products can enhance your tooth colour by up to two shades.

New to town is the Pure White Professional Teeth Whitening System. It’s a professional teeth whitening system that uses a convenient gel strip as opposed to a tray. Pure White whitening strips are coated in hydrogen peroxide, which is an effective whitening agent used by dentists worldwide. The strips are designed to resist movement and to mold to your teeth to remove stains as easily as possible. RRP: $65

If you prefer something a little more natural try giving one of these ideas a go:
Strawberries are known to be a fabulous tooth whitener, try rubbing them on the teeth or mashed up in a paste and brushed on. Leave on the teeth for five minutes. Rinse well. The inside of an orange peel is also good for whitening. You can rub the peel right on your teeth, or take organic dried orange peel and ground bay leaves and make a paste to brush on. Baking soda has also long been used for dental whitening. Many types of toothpaste have baking soda in their ingredients because of its effectiveness. You can make your own baking soda whitener just by mixing baking soda with a little salt - a good cheap teeth whitening home remedy. Some people swear by the lemon juice and salt mixture too.

Getting a beautiful smile is really all about good dental health and taking time out twice a day to maintain healthy teeth and gums.

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