Do you feel self conscious about your smile due to having yellow or discolored teeth? If so, then here are four all-natural ways to whiten your teeth that you might want to consider trying.

1. Use Straws 

Whenever possible, you should try to drink beverages such as tea, coffee, red wine, or soda through a straw. The reason for this is that these particular beverages tend to leave stains on teeth. Using a straw helps create a barrier between your teeth and the fluids that you're drinking which helps to prevent these stains from forming. 

2. Try Oil Pulling

Oil pulling can be used for a wide variety of different reasons. Many people like to use oil pulling to help whiten their teeth. Whitening your teeth with oil pulling is really easy to do. Just take a tablespoon of either sesame, coconut, or olive oil and swish it around your mouth for approximately 20 minutes. If doing this for 20 minutes is too difficult for you, you can still reap many of the same benefits by swishing the oil around in your mouth for just 10 minutes instead. You should make sure not to swallow the oil and rinse your mouth thoroughly with water once you're done. 

3. Eat More Crunchy Veggies and Fruits

Eating more veggies and fruits is not only great for improving your overall health but it also helps to whiten your teeth. These foods typically require a lot of chewing. This helps increase saliva production which helps to wash away plaque and prevent stains from forming on your teeth.

Strawberries are not only delicious but they tend to work especially well at whitening teeth. This is due to the malic acid that is found in them. Using strawberries to whiten your teeth is really quite simple. Just take a strawberry and mash it into a fine pulp. Next, leave it on your teeth for approximately 5 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with water and then brush your teeth with toothpaste just like you normally would. 

4. Don't Forget To Floss

Flossing your teeth is absolutely essential when it comes to maintaining good oral health. Flossing is also an excellent way to help your teeth appear whiter. Although flossing doesn't actually whiten teeth, it makes teeth look whiter by removing any food particles that are stuck in between your teeth. 

When you feel good about your appearance, it can really go a long ways in helping to improve your self confidence. Hopefully these tips will help you get a whiter and brighter smile that you can really feel proud of. For more information, talk to a dentist like Louisville Family Dental.