My #momsays brush your teeth with salt to make them shine bright like a diamond. And science agrees!

From being unable to resist eating even after brushing my teeth at night, to skipping this night dental-care ritual altogether owing to laziness, to my undying love for coffee—there are too many reasons that simply turned my smile into a full-fledged frown—all thanks to my once-bright-as-light-super-white teeth to become yellow, yellow-dirty fellow!

In fact, this change in the colour of my teeth seemed more drastic than that of change in colours in a chameleon and simply drove me to the point, where I was ready to spend big bucks on a professional teeth-whitening/bleaching treatment. 

Everything was set: The time, the date, and the finances—but mom wasn’t. Blame it on her kanjoosi or her unshakable confidence in her sasti-tikau and side-effects-free home remedies.

Also, read: Are you brushing your teeth right? Take this quiz to find out

Enter: Mom’s ‘salty’ advice
“Kya aapke toothpaste mein namak hai?”, quips a lady with a mike in her hand as she breaks into a man’s washroom without an iota of shame.

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Perhaps, it was this rubbish advertisement’s influence that made my mom disrespect my privacy in the wee hours of the morning, with a teaspoon of salt in her hands.

Nope, the commercial couldn’t convince her to actually spend money on the holy “toothpaste with namak”, but it did remind her of the age-old home remedy of brushing your teeth with salt in order to whiten and brighten them.

Was it worth the trouble?
If someone would’ve asked me this even within the first week of brushing my teeth with salt once a day post brushing my teeth with my “unsalted” toothpaste every morning, I would have still given this one a thumbs up. Because you know what? It actually works.

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As days went by, the plaque and the yellowness went away and so did the weird stains on my teeth here and there.

P.S. The “salty” advice has science’s sweet support
According to a study, published in the American Journal of Dentistry, the salty sensation in the mouth post salt brushing or a salt-water rinse can boost the production of saliva in the mouth, which is a natural disinfectant for the mouth and promote good oral health by cleansing the mouth, neutralising acids, and above all–preventing bacterial growth. 

No points for guessing, without germs your teeth are only going to shine bright like a diamond. 

Additionally, the salt’s grainy, abrasive texture can even act as a “scrub” for your teeth and rid them of the deposited plaque and germs and thus, turning them white from yellow. 

In fact, a study conducted at the Government College of Dentistry, Indore revealed that a salt massage can be great not just for the teeth, but also for the gums—all thanks to its antimicrobial properties.  

But, you’ve got to remember not to go overboard and end up eroding the precious top layer (enamel) of your teeth. 

Once a day initially and once in two-three days eventually should be able to maintain the balance, you see.