These days it seems that everyone wants a dazzling Hollywood smile, but cosmetic whitening treatments can be expensive.  However, there are a few simple and inexpensive ways in which you can brighten up your smile by visiting your local supermarket, rather than the dentist's chair.

Banana skin

Bananas are a great source of potassium; that's why dieticians recommend that you include them as part of a healthy diet.  But, did you know that potassium can actually whiten your teeth?  It's just one of many minerals contained in bananas that have teeth-whitening properties. 

Here's what to do:

1. Choose a ripe, yellow banana and peel it from the bottom up.
2. Take a small piece of the peel and rub the inside of it against your teeth for at least two minutes.
3. Now brush your teeth as normal.

You should see results after a couple of weeks of regular banana peel treatments.

Strawberries

Continuing on the fruity theme, strawberries are the next teeth whitening tool in your fruit bowl.  Strawberries contain malic acid which is great for eliminating discolouration and stains from your teeth. 

Here's what to do:

1. Choose three or four large, ripe strawberries.  Mash or puree them to release the malic acid.
2. Put the puree in your mouth and keep it there for a few minutes before swallowing.
3. Rinse your mouth out thoroughly.

For a more extreme clean, add a teaspoon of baking soda to the strawberry mash. Baking soda is often added to toothpaste as a mildly abrasive stain-remover.  It's not advisable to swallow it though, so spit out the mash and rinse your mouth out thoroughly afterwards.

Foods that whiten and protect

Some natural foods whiten teeth because they are fibrous in texture and take lots of chewing. They act as natural exfoliants, removing staining as you chew. Foods like raw carrots, celery and apples are all great, healthy teeth whitening foods.

Including plenty of greens like broccoli, lettuce and spinach helps to prevent staining too because when chewed, these foods create a biofilm over your teeth, which acts as a barrier, preventing the molecules that cause staining from adhering to your teeth.

Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is not just extremely effective for removing staining from your teeth, it also kills the bacteria that live in your mouth that can cause the formation of plaque and lead to tooth decay.

Simply brush your teeth or gargle with apple cider vinegar, and then rinse well with clean water.

Extra virgin olive oil

Olive oil kills the bacteria that live in the mouth and cause plaque and bad breath. 

1. Take one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and swill it around your mouth for a few minutes before spitting it out.
2. Rinse your mouth with warm water.

So you see, you too can have a Hollywood smile at a faction of the cost of a visit to your dentist simply by using ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen!

If these tips aren't producing results quickly enough for you, you can contact a local professional for more information.