Having a healthy-looking, brilliant smile can take years off of your appearance. Because of wear and tear, the aging process, and lifestyle choices that we make can all take a toll on the color of our teeth. Many Americans have opted to select one of the many options available for teeth whitening.

An easy way to keep teeth whitened is to brush after consuming something that tends to stain teeth. Common culprits are coffee, sodas, wines, teas, berries, and sweets. If you brush immediately after consuming these items, you prevent the stain from setting into your teeth. This will help you to keep your teeth white without having to resort to expensive treatments.

If you're a pregnant or lactating mother, you should not undergo any teeth whitening procedure. It can have many negative effects on the baby. Before having your teeth whitened, you should consult with your dentist and let them know up front if you're pregnant or lactating. They'll be able to say for sure whether it's a danger to the baby or not.

Rinse your month with water after drinking coffee, tea, cola or red wine. These substances are notorious for staining teeth and the stains can be very difficult to remove. Rinsing with water will wash away any residue left on your teeth preventing the substances from having prolonged contacted with your teeth and causing stains.

Many people say that using orange and lemon peels on your teeth can help bring them back to their original pearly white state. Take the orange or lemon peel and rub the back part of it on your teeth. Adding a little salt also helps when you are using this technique.

Surprisingly, baking soda is almost as effective as most long term teeth whiteners and is much cheaper. Mix about two table spoons of soda to one table spoon of water to form a paste, then, brush your teeth with this paste. If you do not like the taste, substitute a mouthwash for the water.

Be careful with excessive whitening of your teeth. If you have repeatedly whitened your teeth, you may be causing irreparable damage to the teeth. You should avoid using powerful whitening products repeatedly. If you are not receiving the results from the whitening, consult your dentist to find other ways to whiten.

Whether you choose to whiten your teeth in the comfort of your own home, or as you relax at the dentist's office, you will no doubt be pleased with the results! A tremendous amount of what we look like has to do with our smile, so go treat yourself!