
Here are some at home hints that will make your mouth sparkle if your pearly whites are a little lack luster.
You may be able to get rid of superficial stains yourself with an at home remedy. Tooth whitening products available on drugstore shelves use mild bleaching to brighten yellow teeth. Toothpastes use abrasives and chemicals to remove surface stains.
Kits: A home tooth whitening kit contains peroxides, a bleach that can remove both deep and surface stains -- and actually changes your natural tooth color. If you have coffee-stained teeth, a tooth-bleaching kit can help.
Strips: Tooth whitening strips will help get rid of tooth stains. You wear them a few minutes daily for a week or more. Results are visible in just a few days, and last at least a year. The results with strips are not as dramatic as with teeth whitening kits, but the strips are easy to use and pretty much fool-proof.
Toothpastes: Over-the-counter toothpastes, gels, and liquids help remove surface stains. Many of these products contain mild abrasives, chemicals or polishing agents. Unlike bleaches, they don't change the color of teeth. Some whitening toothpastes work with peroxide and baking soda -- whitening teeth through mild bleaching.
Home Remedies: Some people still prefer the age-old home remedy of baking soda and a toothbrush to gently whiten teeth at home. Also, some foods such as celery, apples, pears and carrots trigger lots of saliva -- which helps to scrub away stains on your teeth. Chewing sugarless gum also triggers saliva, which help eliminate teeth stains.
There are also measures you can take to prevent staining. With aging, the outer layer of tooth enamel wears away. The underlying layer, called dentin, is more yellow. That's why it's important to avoid teeth stains in the first place – especially after whitening. If you take care with foods and drinks that cause tooth discoloration, the results of teeth whitening may last up to one year. Smoking is one of the worst offenders when it comes to teeth stains. Keep in mind that anything that can stain a white cotton T-shirt can stain teeth.
Source: webmd.com