Yellow teeth? Here's 7 ways to make them look white.

Hi Nicky, I’d like to know what I can do to whiten my teeth (but not TOO white) for my daughter’s wedding next month. I don’t have a big budget so I can’t afford something like a Zoom treatment. Thanks, Trish.

First up, congrats on the impending wedding! And you’re right, Philips Zoom is the Rolls Royce of whitening treatments but at $800-$1000 (it will last up to two years) it isn’t a viable option for many of us.

I’d be remiss of me not to say that if you want to whiten your teeth more than one or two shades then it’s recommended you visit a professional. But since you’ve mentioned that elusive white-but-not-Real-Housewives-of-Atlanta-white then I’ve got some good news: there are plenty of fantastic at-home treatments that will work within your time frame and budget.

1. Whitening Toothpaste

I first found out about this product at a beauty industry event when two insiders were whispering about a brand new whitening toothpaste that actually works. I hovered around the hors d’oeuvres table long enough to catch the product’s name, Oral-B Pro-Health, and they were right, it does make your teeth whiter. More than 15 years in the making, this toothpaste is a game-changer in the oral health market. I use it everyday.

Cost: $6.

2. Teeth Whitening Strips

Peel off and stick on; these thin transparent strips dissolve while whitening your teeth in less than 10 minutes.

I’m not going to lie, the first time I tried these I didn’t make it to the recommended period because the strips turn into a weird gel-like consistency in your mouth. As a result, I drooled more than the 13-year-old me over photos of Julian Escott in Dolly magazine.

But alas, even though I didn’t make it to the full 10 minutes a few hours later my teeth were noticeably whiter. The reason? This product contains six per cent hydrogen peroxide, which is the highest percentage available over the counter.

Cost:  CleverWhite Dissolving Whitening Strips$29.95 for 45 strips.

3. Paint-on gel.

Like Liquid Paper for your teeth a paint on gel like Pearl Drops Hollywood Nights can effectively whiten your teeth in under a week.

Cost: $30.

4. Baking Soda.

You’ve probably heard of baking soda to remove stains on teeth and seen it as an ingredient in toothpastes already on the market. A simple mixture of equal parts baking soda and water can be effective as a “mild abrasive” but dental experts warn you should use caution to prevent damaging your tooth enamel. It also won’t work on older, deeper stains.

Cost: $2.25 for 125g.

5. More strawberries, less coffee.

I know, it sounds like a healthy living challenge but if you’re looking after your teeth (brushing and flossing twice a day) but regularly drinking lots of tea, coffee and soft drinks like Diet Coke you’ll erode precious tooth enamel. One way you can counteract this is with strawberries, they contain malic acid, a naturally occurring whitening agent. And also, they’re delicious.

Cost: $3 a punnet (depending on the season.)

6. Fake tan.

If you’re loathe to try at-home whitening treatments there is some make-up trickery you can employ to make your teeth appear whiter. Applying fake tan like ModelCo’s Face Tan Self Tanning Gel can make pearly whites seem a few shades well, pearlier without even touching them. Face Tan provides a light, natural-looking colour while being fast-drying, non-greasy and long-lasting – great for long events like a wedding.

Cost: $29

7. Red lippie.

One of the easiest ways you can ‘whiten’ your teeth is to apply a blue-based red lipstick. The blue (as opposed to a warmer shade) cancels out the yellow in your teeth. My favourites are Clinique’s Chubby Stick Intense in Mightiest Maraschino, Revlon Matte Lipstick in Really Red, L’Oreal Infallible Le Rouge in Ravishing Red and MAC Red Lipstick in Ruby Woo and RiRi Woo.

Cost: from $21.95.

Nicky x.

Can you help Trish with any more suggestions? What teeth whitening treatments have you had success with?

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