Tartar is something that accumulates on your teeth - everyone's teeth, no matter how much you brush and floss. No one is immune from a little tartar buildup. Of course, routine care will help prevent that much buildup, but sometimes we need a big treatment to get rid of it.

If you're looking for a simple whitening treatment, you really don't need to remove plaque. Check out 6 ways I keep my pearly whites pearly white!

You can go to the dentist, and in fact you should visit a dentist about every 6 months for a checkup and routine cleaning to keep your teeth healthy and strong. But removing tartar is a mostly cosmetic thing and I know I don't have that kinda time and money to drop on something like that. Of course, a large buildup of tartar can definitely impact your oral health, so don't take it too lightly. But if it's just a little bit, I do this little home treatment instead. It's easy. You need only 2 ingredients.

You will need:

  • 1 spoon
  • 1 cotton ball
  • 1 bowl
  • 1 medium organic lemon
  • Baking soda
Instructions:
This is an overall simple process to explain. Baking soda is naturally abrasive. That's why it's such an excellent household cleaner. What the baking soda will do is break down the plaque on your teeth.
The lemon juice is acidic, which helps burn off some of the plaque as well. But because of the acidic, abrasive nature of this treatment, it is not to be repeated very often. Overdoing it will burn off your enamel, causing irreparable damage.
First, clean the lemon, chop it in half, and juice it. Strain the juice to make sure there's no pulp. Next, add enough baking soda to make it into a paste, similar to a toothpaste.
Once you have your paste all mixed up and ready to go, dab it onto a cotton ball and apply to your teeth. Leave the mixture on for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, thoroughly rinse the mouth with warm water.
After this, I recommend simply brushing your teeth thoroughly with your normal toothbrush and paste.