Examining a few classic remedies as homemade teeth whitening, let's see what actually helps and what actually hurts.

* Lemon Juice - as mention in several tooth whitening sites, lemon is a good remedy for discolored teeth. It contains mild acid that breaks down stains. However, it also breaks down the off-white calcium of your dental enamel, causing your teeth to quickly decay.

* Hydrogen Peroxide - basically, once a week (although some people admit to doing it as often as twice a day), you gargle a capful for a minute or so, swishing it all around your mouth. Afterward, you should immediately rinse with water and brush with your regular toothpaste. In addition to whitening your teeth, it will also disinfect any small abrasions in your mouth and will freshen your breath.

* Strawberries - has malic acid that helps to safely loosen dental stains. There are strawberry toothpastes actually. However, there is sugar in strawberries and that in strawberry toothpastes baking soda is also present making the compound tastes foul.

* Wood Ash - outstanding for lifting stains, many have suggested using wood ash to clean your teeth. On the other hand, it works because hardwood ash contains a large amount of potassium hydroxide, also known as lye. In addition to potentially scarring your gums, it will break down your teeth over time.