6 Ways to Get Whiter Teeth

Get The Right Five A Day

Fruit sugars mean tucking into a bowlful can cause problems. But pick the right salad and you can keep your teeth gleaming. Strawberries and apples both contain malic acid, which is a natural tooth cleanser, says dentist Dr Richard Marques, of Wimpole Street Dental.

Just steer clear of heavily pigmented fruit and vegetables, like blueberries and beetroot. “Their colourings can stain your teeth by binding to the tooth surface.” Ditto for curry, red wine and black coffee. Better known as your weekend.

Upgrade Your Toothpaste

Ordinary whitening toothpastes rarely work, according to research by the Advertising Standards Authority. But you can supercharge your goo by adding baking soda. “It’s a natural cleaning and oxidising agent,” says Marques.

Alternatively, he recommends a toothpaste containing charcoal, like Diamond Whites Black Edition. Counter-intuitively, the activated coconut shell charcoal whitens your smile. “It strengthens gums, removes toxins from the mouth and absorbs bacteria.” Dipping your toothbrush in barbecue ash probably doesn’t give the same results.

Plug In

Your manual brush isn’t up to scratch. Especially since most people ignore the advice to replace it after three months and end up cleaning their teeth with a bacteria farm. Electric brushes may seem an outlay at first, but you’ll make that money back in avoided fillings.

“Electric toothbrushes can remove up to 70 per cent more plaque than manual brushes alone,” says Marques. He recommends the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean; offering 31,000 brush strokes per minute, it outguns your arm speed to help shift stubborn stains and tartar.

You just need to take care you smile doesn’t dazzle anyone.

Philips DiamondClean Rechargeable Sonic Toothbrush, available at John Lewis, priced £114.99.

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Tom Banham

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