Let’s face it: Life is Food. And to eat food we need our teeth. Somehow, we do not give our teeth due care and some of us need visits to dentists. Now, that is one visit I just hate! I get so scared and it’s almost always a bit painful. Apart from the cavities and other problems which make eating uncomfortable, teeth are also a part of our looks.
The shape of our teeth plays a role and present day people are lucky to have access to orthodontics to improve what nature has given. But, besides shape, the colour of our teeth also impresses the onlooker. Teeth are supposed to be white but many of us find our teeth yellow, brown, etc.
I come from a family with bad teeth. We have teeth which grow messily and which need a dentist often. My husband, who is from Kerala, has hardly visited a dentist in our 34 years together. I attribute this to the wonderful habit that many Indians, especially those from Kerala, have of gargling after meals. In fact, I’ve known a person who gargled even after tea! My mother in law, who passed away in her late 80s, had her own teeth all her life-no dentures.
I have had discoloured teeth from the time I lost my milk teeth. It could be due to the antibiotics which were in vogue when I was a girl. It definitely looks worse nowadays as I smoke and eat paan. I also no longer brush my teeth as often as I did as a young woman, before marriage. So, now I have very dirty looking teeth.
I went for one free teeth cleaning session but it seemed to make things worse. I’ve been buying several toothpastes which promise to whiten my teeth. I’ve saved information about how to use baking soda to whiten teeth. Only I can’t make out which is baking soda and which is baking powder in the many dabbas in which I kept them.
To cut a long story short, I bought Pepsodent Germi Check Whitening this month and I noticed, today, that my lower front teeth, the most discoloured, are looking much cleaner. I’m really thrilled! I’ve started brushing twice a day.
Unilever’s oral care’s Pepsodent has a range of toothpastes for various needs. Pepsodent Germi Check Whitening toothpaste is supposed to "whiten teeth, protect teeth from cavity, fight germs and bacteria and freshen breath." Apparently, it contains Perlite, "an effective polishing agent which helps to remove discolorations and stains. Its formula is clinically proven to bring back and maintain the natural whiteness of your teeth in just 2 weeks."
Ingredients: Calcium Carbonate, Water, Sorbitol, Hydrated Silica, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, Potassium Nitrate, Flavour, Cellulose Gum, Sodium Silicate, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Saccharin, Perlite, Sodium Monofluoro Phosphate, CI 74160, CI 74260, CI 77890.