If you’re like many Americans, you struggle to keep your teeth clean. From stains to tartar buildup, keeping your mouth in great form can be pricy. So, what can you do to reduce the cost? You can create a beautiful smile by using common household products.
Below are products purchased by most people that do double duty as plaque busters. These products are not only inexpensive, but effective. They’ll help you keep your teeth in excellent condition.
1) Easy Cheese. According to the Dow Institute of Dental Studies at the University of Iowa, eating a little less than an ounce of cheese (about 5 grams) before meals eliminates the acid production of plaque.
2) Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel. Place a dab of Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel on a toothbrush and brush your teeth. This gel will help heal your gums and reduce plaque.
3) Arm & Hammer Baking Soda. Wet your toothbrush, dip it in Arm & Hammer Baking Soda and coat the bristles with a thick layer, then brush your teeth. You should concentrate on the gum lines. This acts as a gentle abrasive that will neutralize acidic bacterial waste while deodorizing your mouth. It will also polish your teeth.
4) Dentyne. If you can’t brush and floss your teeth in between meals, chew a piece of Dentyne sugarless gum for twenty minutes. The act of chewing gum causes your mouth to salivate which cleans your teeth and neutralizes the acid in the plaque.
5) Lipton Tea Bags. Do you love tea? Make sure the next time you brew up a batch, you use black tea. Scientists at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, discovered that black tea inhibits the bacteria that cause plaque and, thus, acts as a natural fluoride. Tea also can be used as a mouthwash.
6) Hydrogen Peroxide. Make a solution of equal parts of hydrogen peroxide (3 percent solution) and water. Then, rinse with it for thirty seconds to inhibit bacteria. Be sure not to swallow.
7) MasterCard. Scraping your tongue several times from back to front will remove the bacteria and toxins living in your mouth. If you’re in a pinch, the edge of a MasterCard will act as a great scraper.
8) McCormick Food Coloring. To find plaque on your teeth, put ten drops of red food coloring into a glass, add one teaspoon water, and swirl it around. Swish this solution around your mouth and spit it out. Then, fill the glass with clean water and rinse your mouth well. The remaining red stains on your teeth are plaque. You need to focus on these areas and brush well.
9) Listerine. Listerine is clinically proven to help prevent and reduce supragingival plaque and gingivitis. You should use it regularly to help maintain great oral hygiene.
10) Vegemite. Vegemite is not a common household product, but if it is something you enjoy as a sandwich spread, you should know it also can be used as a mild abrasive. You can use it to reduce the amount of buildup on your teeth.
Fun Facts
* In ancient Egypt, Egyptians brushed their teeth with a ‘chew stick.’ It was a twig with a frayed, soft end that was rubber. It was the Egyptians who also invented dental floss by using thread.
* In 1948, the Chinese created the first bristled toothbrush. It was made from bristles plucked from the backs of hogs’ necks and fastened to bamboo or bone handles.
* Maine is the toothpick capital of the world.
* Thirteen percent of Americans brush their teeth from side to side.
* The most common noncontagious disease in the world is gingivitis which is the result of an excessive buildup of plaque on the teeth and gums.
* Colgate-Palmolive unwittingly introduced a toothpaste called ‘Cue’ into France. It happened to be the name of a notorious French pornography magazine.
