5 Tips For Whiter Teeth
From a holistic-minded, registered dental hygienist & tooth nerd at heart
What you’re about to read is not a flex by me. It’s a fact I’m sharing to make a point, mmmkkay?
One of the most common questions / comments I get in my DMs is related to my teeth — “How do you get your teeth so white?” or “Please share your dental routine.”
Contrary to what some may assume, I have not achieved stain-free, uniformly white teeth at 36 yrs old by whitening them with professional gels and trays. Have I ever used those? Sure, but really only a few times. Never consistently.
I honestly can’t remember the last time I whitened. I also can’t remember the last time I had a cavity filled. Believe it or not, these two things are related.
What the average person probably doesn’t realize is that what makes teeth healthier overall, also improves their whiteness.
So in this blog, instead of ranking a bunch of whitening products, I’m going to do ya one better… I’m going to share my best tips for healthier AND whiter teeth.
My Dental Background
I graduated with honors from dental hygiene school in 2013 and began practice in a fast-paced, fancy West Seattle dental office right away. I absolutely loved being a dental hygienist, and I was good at it. I think one of the qualities that helped me stand out —if I may be so bold — was my genuine care for patients and commitment to education. I wasn’t just saying, “You need to brush and floss better.” It was my goal to enroll each patient into being their own advocate and understand the WHY behind my recommendations. And I wasn’t just thinking about their teeth, I was also writing down and sending them with supplement recommendations, podcasts to listen to and books to read based on what was going on in their life.
In 2019, I stepped away from dental hygiene practice to focus on my own well-being. After my divorce in 2016, I was in a very rough spot mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically. Basically I looked like I was killin’ it, but was a shitshow on the inside. I needed to get out of Seattle and focus on my health as my top priority. My own need led me to my eventual passion for holistic health, as well as entrepreneurship.
Now these two worlds overlap for me. All of my dental recommendations are also rooted in the holistic values I’ve adopted for myself — without being psychotic. I do not align with online “influencers” who won’t even use hand soap because they believe it’s toxic…I’m looking at you Paul Saladino. It’s too much.
Say it with me…BALANCE.
Ready For The Tips?
A small disclaimer before we jump into the dental tips: Some of these will be things you’ve heard. But just trust me, the WHY may be new to you.
Trade ‘I already know’ for ‘What am I missing?’ and watch your world expand (and your teeth get whiter!).
If I could summarize all my dental tips into one answer it would be, “My teeth are white because I keep them clean and mineralized.” Which segues into my first tip!
1.Use A Toothbrush That Really Works
Newsflash: not all toothbrushes are created equal. After cleaning thousands and thousands of teeth over many years, I have seen what generally works well and what doesn’t.
This is the front and center #1 tip because if you haven’t optimized your brushing habits, you have no business looking for whitening products. That’s like spraying perfume on your body every day instead of showering to clean yourself.
The plaque that gathers on your teeth is sticky AF and will attract pigments from your food and drink like a wellness influencer to free product. You must must must remove the plague effectively and often to reduce staining over time.
What to use?
I’m going to pick on Paul Saladino again. He uses a boar bristle manual toothbrush. This might be “natural,” but I bet if he was laying in my dental chair with his mouth open I’d see a lot of calculus built up behind his teeth. This is calcified plaque.
Manual toothbrushes do not cut it in my opinion compared to high quality electric toothbrushes. For example: In two minutes, a Sonicare delivers about 62,000 brush strokes versus roughly 400–600 strokes with a manual brush. Huge difference!
Difference in brush strokes per 2 minutes. More brush stroked = more plaque removal.
Do electric toothbrushes (ETB) cause or increase recession? No, not if used correctly with soft or extra soft bristles. I actually saw more recession with medium or hard bristled manual toothbrushes. People think they need to scrub their teeth hard to get them clean, but this damages your very soft gums significantly. ETBs do all the work for you; you should not be applying much pressure at all. The bristles should be angled slightly towards the gumline and should be moved in gentle circular motions. You don’t need to “scrub.” I’ve been using an ETB 2-3x /day for about 20 years and don’t have one area of recession in my entire mouth.
Side note: If you are chuckling or rolling your eyes at the fact I’m giving brushing instructions to grown adults…you’d be surprised how many grown adults have been taught the wrong brushing technique, or none at all. Or how many are still using a medium or hard bristled toothbrush, having no idea that they are damaging their gums! This stuff is not always intuitive.
Also, having excess bacteria in the mouth that degrade gum tissue and bone levels is one of the primary causes of recession. Another reason for a ETB.
Another reason ETBs are more effective is the built in timer — people tend to brush longer. Hand someone a manual toothbrush and ask them to brush for two minutes which is the recommended minimum. Most people overestimate the time the’ve been brushing — they get bored or tired and put it down wayyyy too early. This is especially true for kids, teens and overtired adults.
For reference, I brush for 3 minutes, 2-3 times per day.
Recommended Brands of ETBs:
There are a bunch out there, and I’ve tried quite a few of them! I keep coming back to Sonicare over and over. They don’t pay me, I just love the way they make my mouth and teeth feel so clean. And I’ve seen better patient results in my dental operatory.
Pro tip: If you can, purchase one from Costco, like this one. They have an incredible return / replacement policy. An added bonus is that they usually come in a 2-pack so you and your partner, or kid, or BFF can have shining pearly whites and healthier gums together.
But honestly any ETB is better than nothing. If you love Oral-B, you do you boo. Get what you can afford, but make sure it’s one you plug in to charge, not a battery powered $9 Crest Spin Brush. They are not the same.
2. Flossing Really Does Matter
Some of you are ready to scroll right past this one. If you do, you’ll be missing a huge part of the whiter teeth game. If you want uniformly white teeth then you need to start flossing daily. Floss is not just for removing that chunk of steak from your molars — it’s so much more.
I understand that it can feel messy, or difficult, or pointless, or even painful (side note: if your gums are healthy and you use correct technique it should not hurt at all). I’m going to address all of these excuses hindrances in just a minute, but first, the WHY.
If you skip flossing, you are neglecting 35-40% of the tooth structure. Brushing only without flossing is like washing your butt cheeks in the shower, but completely neglecting your crevices. Cute, huh?
Regarding whiteness: sticky plaque builds up under our gums and between our teeth every day all day. Bacteria don’t rest. When you eat or drink anything with pigment — soda, blueberries, red wine, berry smoothie, beets, coffee, etc., those pigments cling to that sticky plaque and over time cause staining in between teeth. As a hygienist I will look at someone’s smile and can tell if they floss or not simply because of their staining patterns.
Regarding gingival health: there is a significant amount of harmful bacteria that build up under your gum line and in between the contacts of your teeth. Leaving it there leads to gingivitis, decay (cavities), bad breath, and eventual bone loss. Not good things if you want to limit your time and $$ spent and the dentist office.
Which kind of floss is best?
Just like toothbrushes, flosses are definitely not created equal. You want to avoid any sort of silky, glidey, soft flosses (like Glide brand floss). They may be more gentle on your gums, but what makes them so soft is a Teflon coating. Teflon is a carcinogen, friends.
Not only that, but silky flosses don’t work well. Remember that plaque is sticky AF, so if you use a floss with close to zero friction, that plaque isn’t going anywhere. The analogy I used with patients was, “Using Glide type floss to remove plaque is like using a silk rag to clean the scum off a bathtub. It just doesn’t work well.”
Just say NO to Glide type floss.
Instead, you need a floss with some grit and friction. When you run it through your fingers, it should feel a little gritty, like a tiny rope. This will provide the scrubbing action you need to remove that sticky plaque, reduce staining, improve whiteness and gingival health.
Brands I use and love:
Superteeth Prebiotic Floss. This is one of my favorites. If you click on that link, you’ll see that it markets itself as a “soft floss.” It’s a very different “soft” than the flat tape style Glide floss I just told you not to use. It’s spongy rather than silky, and it works really well — especially if you have some tight contacts. It’s coated and imbibed with prebiotics — great for balancing bacteria levels — and hydroxyapatite — great for promoting mineralization and cavity prevention. (Use discount code: MEDICIN)
Burst Oral Care Expanding Floss. This is another great option I’ve been using for years. It’s black so it shows you exactly what you are removing! It has a minty natural waxy coating with a little xylitol to provide further friction and cavity fighting properties between the teeth. People DM me all the time after trying this and call it the best floss they’ve ever used. (Use discount code: MEDICIN)
Let’s talk about other flossing tips for success. I’ll address the most common questions (and excuses) I’ve heard from patients.
“Flossing hurts my gums.” This is a sign you need to floss more, not less. If your gums are unhealthy and inflamed they will be tender. The more often you floss, the healthier your gums will be, and the less pain you’ll feel.
"I don’t like sticking my hands in my mouth.” Sp wash your hands before and after. It’s your own body, so you kinda just need to get over that.
“It’s too difficult / I dont’ know how.” Cut a piece off that’s about 12-14 inches minimum. Gently wrap the end around your left index finger 1-2 times. Allow 4-5 inches of floss space before you wrap around your right index finger. Use your middle (longest) finger to direct the floss between the teeth and under your gums, in a C shape around the tooth, and scrub gently up and down 4-5 times on each side of the triangle shaped gum tissue (papilla). See below. Move between each tooth, adjusting the wrapped floss as you go so that each contact gets a fresh piece of floss. Start with the same tooth each time you floss to maintain consistency.
“I always forget at night / I’m too tired.” You can floss any time of day, not just immediately before bed. I like flossing after dinner to ensure food is not sitting in there overnight. But I recommend flossing when it doesn’t feel like a burden to you. For example, keep the floss on your coffee/side table so you can floss while you’re watching Netflix. Chase and I take a piece of floss with us on our after dinner walk. We walk and floss. The key is to find an anchor in your day when it doesn’t feel like a burden.
“I like the floss picks better than regular floss.” The disposable plastic floss picks are better than nothing, and work well for kids learning to floss, or for elderly people with compromised dexterity, but do I recommend them for the average adult? No. The floss they use is the cheapest of cheap low quality, and usually not gritty enough. Also, you’re using the same 1/2 inch of floss for every contact in your mouth! Bleh. If you have a flossing emergency, fine, but other than that…we can do better, folks.
3. Keep Your Teeth Mineralized (w/o the fluoride)
This is something people completely overlook when trying to keep their teeth white. The easiest way to do this is to use toothpaste products with hydroxyapatite (HAp), which is the mineral that makes up 96% of your tooth structure. AKA the bioavailability is high and your teeth recognize it as a like molecular structure. This is one reason why I recommend HAp over fluoride. The other reason is that the fluoride used in dental products is literally an industrial waste product that can cause mineralization of the thyroid gland and the pineal gland. No thanks! Not when there is a safer alternative that works great.
Side note: There is hydroxyapatite and nano-hydroxyapapatite. I use both, and both have mineralizing benefits. One is simply smaller on a molecular scale. I use the term HAp as a universal term to describe both.
Here are a couple reasons why teeth mineralized with HAp stay whiter over time:
It plugs the pores that catch stains. Early demineralization creates micropores that scatter light (think frosted glass), making teeth look dull and giving stains places to latch on. HAp fills these pores and micro cracks and can form a thin enamel-like layer on top. A smoother, denser surface reflects light more uniformly, so teeth look naturally brighter.
Healthier enamel = whiter over time. Strong, well-mineralized enamel resists erosion and abrasion, which preserves the thickness. Thinner enamel lets the dentin show through, which is yellow naturally; preserving enamel keeps the tooth looking lighter.
Bonus: HAp also decreases tooth sensitivity by occluding dentinal tubules.
HAp toothpastes I use and love:
Superteeth Nano Hydroxyapatite Prebiotic TP. This toothpaste contains anti-cavity friendly ingredients like nano-hydroxyapatite, sodium bicarbonate, coconut oil, spearmint oil, peppermint oil, xylitol, CoQ10 and prebiotics. The sodium bicarb. (baking soda) helps loosen stains with its slight abrasiveness, and also gives it a slightly salty flavor which I absolutely love. This is a great, affordable option if you are wanting to support mineralization without breaking the bank. They also have a version w/o baking soda that kids love with mint & strawberry flavors. (Use discount code: MEDICIN)
Living Libations Triple Mint Enamelizer TP. If you want the bougiest, high quality TP without any fillers, Living Libations is for you. They are a wellness brand known for excluding any gums, preservatives, or controversial ingredients. We used this brand exclusively for five years and still use it. We love it, but it is pretty expensive compared to other brands. The flavor is also quite strong and salty (which I absolutely love) but kids usually don’t. We interviewed the founder, Nadine Artemis, a few years ago which you can listen to here. If you choose to try Living Libations, use the link above and the discount will apply at the last stage of checkout.
4.Manage Bacteria Levels Well
This is key to keeping teeth healthy, mineralized and white. Harmful bacteria contribute to an acidic environment, demineralization, and decay. Brushing well, flossing regularly and using HAp will help you do this, but there is another thing that makes a gigantic difference — using prebiotics and probiotics.
Think of it like tending to a garden: prebiotics are like the fertilizer for the ideal plants and the probiotics are like planting the ideal plants. If your garden is full of the ideal plants (AKA good bacteria) then there is less room for the weeds (AKA harmful bacteria).
First and foremost, eating a diet that is high in nutrient density, and low in sugar will help you achieve this — meat, eggs, nuts, avocados, cultured/fermented foods, fruit, vegs, etc. Harmful bacteria that contribute to cavities and pitted, dull teeth, thrive on sugar.
Another way to tend to your oral garden and get these pre/probiotics is the Superteeth Pre + Probiotic tablets. I use these daily to ensure I’m supporting my beneficial oral bacteria. They come in mint and strawberry flavors. Mint is just like a very nice cool, poppy mint that freshens your whole mouth with no bad aftertaste. Strawberry is like a little candy, not super sweet but definitely more candy than mint experience. If you are a parent, I’m gonna push you to grab some of these for your kid asap. They will be willingly supporting their oral microbiome daily, and think they are getting a treat.
Use discount code MEDICIN at www.GetSuperTeeth.com
Most days I pop one in after my lunch time toothbrushing because it’s best to have after brushing and flossing. We also keep both flavors in the glove box in our car, to pop one while on the road . This would be a great place for parents to keep them — give your kids one on the way to school!
5. Align Your Teeth
This one may make you raise an eyebrow, but hear me out.
I started my dental career in orthodontics (before hygiene school) and the Seattle dental office I was at for the majority of my career was one of the most successful providers for Invisalign in the entire region. My grandfather was also an orthodontist. I have had a significant amount of experience inside the world of orthodontics and have seen how it changes lives.
If you want whiter teeth, aligning them is going to make that goal much much simpler. The more crowded teeth are, the harder they are to clean, the more plaque will build up, the puffier gums will be, the more bone loss will happen, and the more stains will be present. There are simply more hard to reach areas where your toothbrush will not reach effectively.
Which one do you think is easier to keep clean?
This is not to say that all crowded teeth will always have a ton of stain, and all aligned teeth will be perfectly white. Not at all. I’m saying it’s an odds game. And as a hygienist, I’ve personally never seen a patient with severe crowding have dazzling white teeth (without hardcore whitening). Ever.
So if you want whiter teeth, but have moderate to severe crowding, it’s going to be an uphill battle. Aligning your teeth not only supports whiteness but also gingival health, periodontal (bone level) health, fresh breath, mineralization, and proper tooth anatomy — crowded teeth wear and erode in unnatural ways.
I realize that this is a long term decision. It can take a year or more, whether through Invisalign or traditional braces, to achieve an ideal smile. But any dental professional who is properly educated on the matter will tell you aligned teeth generally have fewer problems than crowded ones. You will never regret aligning your teeth.
If this is something you are interested in, talk to your dentist. Some dental offices offer Invisalign or other dental aligners, or they may have a good recommendation for an orthodontist in your area.
6. Bonus: What about actual whitening?
I know someone will ask, so here ya go! If you have the previous tips down and still want to explore whitening agents, here are some thoughts from me:
Do it after a dental cleaning. Your hygienist will remove the plaque, calculus and stain during your dental cleaning that prevent whitening agents from working well.
At home vs. professional. Having whitening done in your dental office will be more expensive, time consuming and potentially painful depending on how sensitive your teeth are, but the results will be quicker. Doing it at home take a little longer to see significant results, but you’re in the driver’s seat.
Start slow. My brother in law once slept with Crest White Strips on his teeth overnight. He could barely chew for a week. Do not not not go outside the recommendations no matter what type of whitening you choose. You’re better off cutting the time short to prevent sensitivity and damage to your teeth.
Also, I never recommend Crest White Strips.Use hydroxyapatite afterwards. Whitening agents, whether they have a hydrogen peroxide base or a carbamide peroxide base are acidic in nature, so you want to follow up any sort of whitening with remineralizing pastes, like Superteeth. This will also help with sensitivity if you get on it quick.
Consider Burst Oral Care. Burst has a few different at home whitening options that work well including pre-filled trays and non-slip strips. You can see them HERE. Overall the Burst whitening ingredient list is pretty clean and has really good reviews. I’ve used them and can see a slight difference after just one use. I’d be hesitant to use the whitening pens or breath strips. (Use discount code MEDICIN)
This is definitely the longest blog post I’ve ever written, ha! But I hope you received a ton of value here.
I’ve made it my goal to not tell people what to do in their health journeys. I share my experience and say, “Do what you want. If what I share helps you, great.”
BUT…
This may be the only area of life where I will say this: If you follow my dental advice to a T…
Use an electric TB like Sonicare 2-3x/day, for at least 2 min
Use good quality floss daily
Use mineralizing toothpastes like Superteeth
Balance beneficial bacteria
Align your teeth if necessary
If you do these things, you WILL see improvement in whiteness, gingival health and overall longevity of your teeth. Your hygienist will be impressed, honey.
