How to Get a Brighter Smile

Surprise! These foods actually whiten, shine, and strengthen teeth to reverse years fast.

Have a pre-wine nibble.

Help yourself to an ounce of cheddar cheese before sipping teeth-staining red wine. One study found that the cheese’s natural waxy coating creates a protective barrier that “fills in” teeth’s pores to prevent the wine’s color from seeping in.

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Brush with strawberries.

Mix together 1 mashed strawberry and 1 tsp. of baking soda and brush onto teeth every other day for two weeks. The berries’ malic acid lifts surface stains while baking soda’s mild abrasiveness gently sloughs away tooth-dulling buildup.

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Munch on a veggie.

Snack on raw broccoli between meals. The crisp florets act as tiny bristles, breaking apart plaque and bacteria that get lodged between teeth and result in tooth decay, gum disease and tartar buildup. Plus, broccoli’s iron fortifies teeth over time.