There’s no shortage of tooth whitening products available in today’s stores and online shopping venues. A stroll through the grocery store in Chicago, Toronto, Dallas, Miami or any of a multitude of large and small towns across the United States and you will find the shelves filled with dental tooth whitening systems. Tooth whitening strips, toothpastes and mouthpiece whitening gels are just a sampling of the products out there waiting to take your hard earned cash in return for a brighter and whiter smile. Some of these, like Crest Whitestrips, can take up to an hour a day, with varying results. Complaints of pain and discomfort are common. They are not good for your mouth!

Another option is to have your teeth professionally whitened by a dentist. Tooth whitening dental procedures could make use of Hollywood laser treatments such as Zoom or Britesmile, or a system of peroxide gels. Though these professional dental tooth whitening systems are sometimes effective, the trip will be expensive and the systems cost much more than the average consumer is willing to spend for glowing white teeth.

If you’re not willing to spend hundreds of dollars for a professional job, and aren’t confident in the numerous drugstore tooth whitening systems then you may feel you’re out of luck in the bright smile department. Luckily, nothing could be further from the truth. There are a number of things each person can do to whiten their teeth naturally.

• One of the biggest causes of tooth stains is coffee drinking. You can whiten your teeth considerably simply by cutting back on the amount of coffee you drink.

• If you smoke, this can also cause nicotine and tar to stain your teeth, stealing their pearly goodness and hiding it away under layers of gunk. Quitting smoking can not only improve your overall health, it can do wonders for your breath and teeth.

• Finally, if you’re a cola drinker consider switching to a clear carbonated beverage instead.

Limiting your intake of coffee and cola is only one of the things you can do to procure a white smile and practice natural tooth whitening at home. Strawberries and lemons have been proven to clean your teeth naturally and remove stains. Some people turn to tartar control toothpastes, but the wise consumer will be wary of these products, as they can lead to tooth sensitivity and painful gums. Using a natural toothpaste or teeth whitening product is the best alternative to these as commercial tooth pastes and mouthwashes can contain harmful ingredients.

Though our aim here is to help you make choices that can lead to whiter teeth without having to schedule an appointment with the dentist or buy an expensive tooth whitening system, a couple of regular dental checkups a year is a necessity. Good luck and remember, you only get one set of teeth, so make sure you take care of them.