White teeth, bright smile- these are things that help make us attractive, make us sexy. We pay nearly anything to get it, from expensive dental procedures to the latest in herbal health care. There are two schools of thought out there, when it comes to teeth whitening: naturally and chemically. The natural way of teeth whitening is…well…natural. No bleaches, no possible side-effects and no pain. The chemical method of whitening teeth can be less expensive, less time-consuming and more pleasant for you and your mouth. Here are a few options for both:

Naturally Natural White Teeth

A lot of the natural remedies can be cost-effective, like hydrogen peroxide or baking soda. There’s also bamboo powder, if you can find it. Or lemons and strawberries, though with strawberries the seasonal element could make it difficult. Silica is one of the best whiteners, and it doesn’t rub your enamel raw- which some bleaches do. Sodium chloride or calcium carbonate are also used by some, but again, the availability can make it difficult. Some other downsides to whitening your teeth naturally are that lemons and strawberries are acidic- eroding tooth enamel- and the flavor isn’t as pleasant as fresh, minty toothpaste. It also takes a long time, so you need patience.

Blinding Bright White Teeth, Man-Made

For an ‘artificially’ white smile, it’s a time-effective solution to getting white teeth. The prices range from inexpensive (whitening toothpaste) to fairly expensive (porcelain veneers), which can be off-putting for budgeters. The whitening toothpastes are like one-stop shopping though: they include sodium chloride, calcium carbonate or silica in combinations, without the hassle of chasing down each one. The whitening process of getting your teeth bleached at the dentist has instant results, with long-term whitening effects and very little effort on your part. And bleaching at home combines cost-effectiveness with white teeth over a much shorter time than naturally whitening your teeth.

It’s nice having both options available to us for whitening our teeth. When choosing, there’s pretty much just one question you should ask yourself: which do I have more of, time or money?