Healthy Ways to a Whiter Smile

Do you indulge in your one glass of antioxidant-packed red wine a night—and have the tooth stains to prove it? Food and drinks such as wine, coffee, cranberry juice, and mustard can dull even the brightest smiles. But before you reach for the drugstore whitening kit—which often is loaded with toxic ingredients that can weaken tooth enamel over time and make them even more susceptible to stains—look for these natural whiteners:

Look For	Why	Find It
Xylitol	This fermented sugar alcohol has been shown to prevent tooth decay by reducing bacteria in the mouth, which keeps plaque from forming. To reap its whitening benefits, chomp on xylitol chewing gum immediately after drinking red wine or coffee.	ZappGum. Packed with more xylitol per piece than most sugar-free gums, and available in five tasty flavors, this gum hardly feels like a stain-preventing chore. $14.99 for 12 12-piece packs; zappgum.com
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)	Just rubbing a bit of this pantry staple on your teeth twice a week (mix 1/4 teaspoon with a dash of water, and use it like you would toothpaste) will help remove stains.	Wine Wipes. Packaged in a portable case, these wipes come saturated with baking soda, calcium, and glycerin to protect teeth from acid damage on the go. $18 for a three-pack; winewipes.com
Silica	This mineral, found in nature as quartz, works as a gentle abrasive to scrub stains off teeth.	The Natural Dentist Healthy Teeth and Gums Whitening Plus Toothpaste. This blend combines silica with antibacterial peppermint and sage oils. $7.99, 5 oz; thenaturaldentist.com

Related The Dark Side of Beauty Articles

Natural Beauty—Protecting Yourself From Feminine Protection
Conventional feminine hygiene products may raise the risk of toxic shock syndrome and contain more chemicals and pesticide residue than environmetally friendly organic varieties.
What Makes Scents
The International Fragrance Association releases its Transparency List.
Paraben Purge
Many companies are vowing to eliminate toxic paraben preservatives from their cosmetic products due to their endocrine disrupting properties.
11%
Chemical ingredients in personal care products can slip under the radar.
Natural Beauty—Worry-free Tooth Whitening
Tooth whiteners: How safe are they?

There are no comments for this article. Be the first to comment!

Enter a comment related to this article

All comments are moderated.
Please do not leave personal email addresses.
HTML formatted text may be edited or not included.
Get a Gravatar!

All contents © Copyright 1999-2012 Natural Solutions: Vibrant Health, Balanced Living/Alternative Medicine/InnoVision Health Media. All rights reserved. Information presented is of a general nature for educational and informational purposes only. *Statements about products and health conditions have not been evaluated by the US Food and Drug Administration. Products and information presented herein are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional. Your use of this site indicates your agreement to be bound by our Terms and Conditions.