Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at DCU chapter.

 

As a student, it’s way too easy to neglect your health, and therefore, your teeth. Between those constant pre-class coffees to those lunchtime energy drinks and dinner consisting of sugar and junk, it’s way too easy to forget about dental hygiene. So, here are some ways to naturally whiten your pearly whites in no time, without paying a fortune. 

 

  • Lay off the sugar, coffee, smoking and processed foods. 

 

This one is pretty self-explanatory, but easy to forget about. When you’re in a rush and late to class, running late on deadline day or out with friends, it’s easy to get wrapped up in bad habits. Try intake less if you can, your teeth will thank you for it. 

 

  • Always brush after you eat. 

 

It’s so important to brush your teeth after every meal and not just twice or three times a day. As a general rule, after anything enters your mouth, food, sugary drinks, tea etc, a toothbrush should enter soon after. 

 

  • Activated Charcoal. 

 

This is fantastic for helping to remove stains and absorb plaque, brush teeth as usual but with charcoal on your toothbrush and your teeth are sure to look amazing. Also if you don’t want to dip your toothbrush into charcoal, places like lush sell charcoal teeth products that will work just as well! 

 

  • Strawberries. 

 

Certain fruits such as strawberries have natural teeth whitening antioxidant. All hail queen Tyra Banks, who showcased her own little teeth whitening trick back on ‘ANTM’ when she mixed strawberries and used the juice to whiten her teeth. If it’s good enough for a supermodel, it’s worth giving it a try. 

 

  • Coconut oil and apple cider vinegar. 

 

Both of these foods have components that help whiten teeth and clean the mouth too, talk about killing two birds with one stone. Brushing your teeth with these or swirling them around in your mouth for a few minutes can remove stains, clean your mouth and gums and get your teeth shining bright like diamonds super quick. 

 

  • Lemon 

 

Lemon is more than just a great song that features Rihanna, it also has been known to whiten your teeth dramatically. Fruit peels, using fruits such as lemon and orange, have been known to really alter your teeth’s appearance, in a very good way.  

 

  • Baking soda (and hydrogen peroxide.) 

 

I’m sure many of you have seen tutorials in which so many YouTube beauty gurus swear by this trick, and for good reason. Not only does this help to clear your mouth of germs, but the baking soda if used often will help your teeth get shades whiter, and won’t break the bank. 

 

  • At home whitening kits. 

 

If all else fails, there are some great whitening kits available for really cheap. You can find kits that have mouth-guard type whitening plates and even UV blue lights similar to those you’d find in a dentist office but at a MUCH lower price. So, there is no reason not to go forth and start brightening that smile! 

 

Photo by Johnny Martínez on Unsplash

Hey guys! I'm Megan and I'm from Ireland. I'm studying Journalism in Dublin City University.