If you're looking for more natural ways to whiten your teeth, you may be looking at foods that can help your smile look more dazzling. Some foods have the ability to deal with substances that make your teeth look less white than they should. In some cases, this may be down to the natural ingredients in the food; in others, it may be down to the way the foods work on your teeth when you eat them. For example, some people believe that regularly eating sesame seeds can whiten up your teeth. How does this work and what kinds of results can you expect?

How Sesame Seeds Work on Your Teeth

Sesame seeds, like other seeds and nuts, have a relatively hard exterior that breaks up when you eat the seeds. If you crunch down on a small spoon of sesame seeds, the texture of the seed and the pieces it breaks into while you chew will scrub gently against your teeth as you eat. This gentle abrasive action cleans off your teeth with a little more oomph than your toothbrush, rubbing away sticky plaque and stains from your enamel.

Tip: For extra sesame seed power, you can start to chew the seeds to break them down a little and then use your toothbrush to clean your teeth with the seeds. It may also be worth cleaning your teeth with water or toothpaste or flossing after a sesame seed session. The tiny size of a sesame seed makes it a prime candidate to get stuck between your teeth, giving you a less than attractive smile

How Effective Are Sesame Seeds at Whitening Teeth?

Sesame seeds can help you remove the film of plaque that often sits on your teeth between brushing sessions and makes them look a little grey. Getting rid of this plaque may make your teeth look a little brighter and whiter. The abrasive properties of sesame seeds may also help you tackle stains, which may be covering up the natural colour of your teeth.

While eating a spoon of sesame seeds may clean up your teeth more effectively than regular brushing by adding some abrasion to the mix, you shouldn't expect the seeds to significantly boost the shades of white on your teeth. The primary advantage of sesame seeds is the fact that they clean up everyday deposits and work on minor staining. Eating these seeds may unleash the natural colour of your teeth; however, they may not add whiteness to them.

Plus, the seeds may not work so well on plaque that has turned into harder set-in tartar; they may make slow inroads into older or extensive staining. If you have a lot of tartar and old stains on your teeth, you may find it useful to have your dentist give you a scale and polish to clean up your teeth in one go. Your dentist can also give you advice on whitening options if you want to boost the natural shades of your teeth.