How many of you have to regularly visit dental hygienist or such for tannin removal? I don't mean tartar buildup but darkened edges of teeth. I had my teeth cleaned today by our communal dentist - she didn't turn down my theory of secretor connection with this problem. I think if I was to keep my teeth spot on all the time I would have to visit some independent dentist and pay for it quite a bit. I'll try now a special toothbrush that is supposed to have some polishing action as well. Just please don't suggest giving up green tea

Green tea is very successful at staining our teeth!  

After deciding that I would just have to live with stained teeth, I tried something different, just as one last try.  I dipped my wet fingertip into baking soda, and rubbed it on a tooth.  It became noticably whiter.  So I tried it on all my front teeth.  Voila!  I have to do it almost daily, since I drink green tea daily, but it is keeping my teeth a uniform light shade.

What a neat trick, Victoria!  Thanks for sharing that.  

Good tip- I´m going to my dentist tomorrow.... maybe I should try that before I show him my teeth

I drink (sip) my teas with the help of a straw, I use the stainless steal straw from my yerba mate equipment and that has helped.

Then there is Crest tooth whitener.  It works.  My dentist recommended (after pointedly saying my teeth were exactly what it is meant for).  I think (totally non-scientific) it helps if you have tongue problems (aka candida or something coating your tongue).  I discovered the hard way that cheaper brands do not work.  If you decide to do this, get the good stuff.  

I have somewhat yellow teeth compared, perhaps, to most, but whitening has never helped mine.  My childhood dentist loved to see all of us (7) troop in and get our teeth cleaned once a year because we drank well water with lots of interesting minerals which made our teeth yellow and very hard.  Between the five of us kids we have a total of about 5 cavites, little ones at that.

Proto, I'd love to hear your story---and how the BTD has helped you.  I used to work with children with autism and was delighted to see great changes when we'd take them off wheat, dairy and corn.  I didn't know about the BTD then.  Will you tell us a little about yourself?

Walnuts are also very good teeth stainers...  I started eating walnuts and stained my teeth really well just before my last cleaning appointment.  When I told the hygienist that I knew it was the walnuts, she told me to brush with baking soda after eating them.  It has worked very well.  I get the benefit of the walnuts and still keep my teeth reasonably white.

I am really happy because they were really gray internally for many years and have whitened during the last 3 years...  When I them brown, I was not happy.  Fortunately, it was a surface stain and I can keep them clean.

I've been curious about teeth stainers for a while now. My teeth have become more stained since starting the BTD, even though before it I drank coffee and black tea.

I know red wine, green tea and walnuts stain teeth, but I wonder, do other recommended foods? I'm wondering particularly about blueberries, cherries, figs and prunes.

ABJoe, do you use plain baking soda to clean your teeth or a baking soda toothpaste?

I'd love the health benefits of the BTD to show up in my smile!

Quoted from Ribbit

I have somewhat yellow teeth compared, perhaps, to most, but whitening has never helped mine.  My childhood dentist loved to see all of us (7) troop in and get our teeth cleaned once a year because we drank well water with lots of interesting minerals which made our teeth yellow and very hard.  Between the five of us kids we have a total of about 5 cavites, little ones at that.

Very interesting Ribbit!!! My teeth are yellowed as well. Not from lack of brushing them. I even had Zoom done. Nothing. I always assumed it was from an antibiotic given to me as a child. Now I'm wondering about the well water. We didn't have it all the time, but how much does one need to do the 'trick', ya know?  
As for Crest tooth whitening strips, wouldn't put those on my teeth and gums for nothin' , unless someone here can convince me they're ok!!  

So what would be bad in the Crest things?  You don't swallow anything, and I believe it is mostly a way to deliver peroxide.  Interested, maybe they are not so good.  

I don't know specifically about the whiteners, but if it's got fluoride in it, I'm not going to use it.

Quoted from Ribbit

 Will you tell us a little about yourself?

Sure and sorry for my delayed response. Oh and I didn't realize my other favorite wallnuts could cause tinting too but it makes sense if you take a look how the soaking water turns out if prefer to soak nuts before consumption or further preparation. I left wheat out of my diet already before starting with BTD but kept on substituting it with this and that like corn for examble. Didn't work very well as it turned out a couple of years ago that I'm a nonnie. Now I have gradually getting better and even thinking about getting a job at our local rehab center. I tend to take loads of fatty acid in the form of E-EPA because it seems to lift my mood. And calcium citrate because I can't really consume dairy without getting loads of mucus. I live with my partner and her two teenagers and it is a bit of an daily challenge, I guess. I have fixations and currently I'm really into bicycling. Doesn't look like a fixation during summer but now when it's sub zero temperatures it may seem odd - that's around 15 degrees F today.

Quoted from ABJoe

Walnuts are also very good teeth stainers...  I started eating walnuts and stained my teeth really well just before my last cleaning appointment.  When I told the hygienist that I knew it was the walnuts, she told me to brush with baking soda after eating them.  It has worked very well.  I get the benefit of the walnuts and still keep my teeth reasonably white.

I am really happy because they were really gray internally for many years and have whitened during the last 3 years...  When I them brown, I was not happy.  Fortunately, it was a surface stain and I can keep them clean.

Walnuts stain ur teeth ???
Really ??!!

TY

This thread is cool... I just recently started to notice that my teeth were getting stained too, because they were actually pretty white before the BTD.  I did the Crest white strips about a year ago and they worked great, so I will probably do it again even thought I'm sure the chemicals are horrible for you.  I figure once a year isn't bad....  if only you could say that you ate avoids once a year, eh?     Anyway, I thought it had something to do with my new electric toothbrush, but I guess the green tea makes sense, 'cause I'd never had it before BTD.   Either way, my teeth are getting yellow and it makes me sad

Wouldn't brushing teeth with baking soda work just as well?  It is supposed to be better than using commercial toothpaste

Quoted from Rochelle

ABJoe, do you use plain baking soda to clean your teeth or a baking soda toothpaste?

I wet the toothbrush and dip it into a baggie of Plain baking soda.  I don't use a commercial toothpaste!

Quoted from Elizabeth

I believe it is mostly a way to deliver peroxide.

Rinse with plain Hydrogen Peroxide, or cut 1/2 & 1/2 with water for about 10 minutes, then expectorate.  Very refreshing!

It you want to whiten your teeth... use Plax or pre-rinse...

I noticed this on my sister... she is a big coffee drinker and many years ago I was a soda drinker... it cuts the film build up on teeth...

If you teeth have been damaged then the only way is professional whiting...

I also use a sonicare toothbrush.... makes my gums more pink which makes your teeth be seen as whiter... another tip is use a tongue scraper.. with a pinker tongue teeth look whiter

One more tip from Tira Banks show.. blue on lips before lipstick make teeth look whiter... I have not found where to get blue shades that I could put under lipstick so I can't help you on that one... but with lipcolor my teeth do look whiter

Quoted from lblackbu

One more tip from Tira Banks show.. blue on lips before lipstick make teeth look whiter... I have not found where to get blue shades that I could put under lipstick so I can't help you on that one... but with lipcolor my teeth do look whiter

Try Manic Panic at http://www.manicpanic.com/

Quoted from lblackbu

I also use a sonicare toothbrush.... makes my gums more pink which makes your teeth be seen as whiter... another tip is use a tongue scraper.. with a pinker tongue teeth look whiter
One more tip from Tira Banks show.. blue on lips before lipstick make teeth look whiter... I have not found where to get blue shades that I could put under lipstick so I can't help you on that one... but with lipcolor my teeth do look whiter

In what I've seen, this is only true if you use a pink shade of lipstick. Orangey and even brown shades tend to make them look darker.    As you mentioned in the same post, pinker tongue, pinker gums make your teeth look whiter. So too the pink shade of lipstick.  
Another tip: be sure to pair you make up (eye shadow and blush) w/ the color lipstick you wear. Cool eye shadow and blush w/ cool lipstick and the same w/ warm colors. Really brings together a professional look  

Hello Everyone,

Here's my secret to avoid brown stained teeth: No More Green Tea or any herb tea for that matter.

Cocoa powder and hot water with maybe a little agave nector and soy lecithin. Voila-No more stained teeth and energy to boot!  Just what I needed after giving up my 2 cups of coffee in the AM.

Our dentist warned us not to brush with either baking soda or salt as they both cause abrasions on the tooth enamel.  He did say that brushing the gums with a combination of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda was beneficial.

Just finished my hot cocoa drink and I'm up for a brisk walk--O Style!

Quoted from lola

I drink (sip) my teas with the help of a straw, I use the stainless steal straw from my yerba mate equipment and that has helped.

Hi Lola,

That was my suggestion (unposted) as well, (lol) so I'm wondering how you clean your re-usable straw. I also felt the SS was better with hot/warm liquids than plastic straws but I am reluctant to use any re-usable straw because I don't feel one can really clean the inside of the straw.  For that reason I have continued to drink my tea from disposable plastic straws only at a much cooler temperature than most people drink 'hot' tea. I know you can swish and rinse them out but you can't wipe or otherwise scour the inside. How do you clean yours?

Quoted from Margaret

Here's my secret to avoid brown stained teeth: No More Green Tea or any herb tea for that matter.
Our dentist warned us not to brush with either baking soda or salt as they both cause abrasions on the tooth enamel.  He did say that brushing the gums with a combination of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda was beneficial.

I think I'd rather drink thru a straw than give up the beneficial goodness of green tea. But that's just me  
Kinda confused - don't brush w/ baking soda or salt, but it's ok to brush w/ baking soda/ peroxide combo?  There's baking soda either way, so how is one ok and not the other? Does the peroxide negate the harshness of the baking soda?  

I think dry baking soda can be abrasive, but when it is mixed with a liquid, it melts and is more gentle.

Quoted from Victoria

I think dry baking soda can be abrasive, but when it is mixed with a liquid, it melts and is more gentle.

I used it twice yest and didn't find it to feel abrasive. Of course my teeth may have another opinion.    I used it once dry and once wet.