Julia Roberts brushes with baking soda to get that megawatt smile

Over the years, Julia Roberts has taught us there’s nothing wrong with being a sneaker-clad runaway bride, how not to act at a best friend’s wedding, and that traveling the world to eat, pray, and love solo is an absolute must. But one of her most important lessons of all? If you want to get her famous megawatt smile, you don’t necessarily have to shell out the big bucks on cosmetic dentistry. Rather, just reach into your pantry for some household items.

Since day one in the limelight, the actress’s ear-to-ear grin has been completely infectious and sought after by fans to re-create. But, it turns out her secret is simple: brushing with baking soda. Yes, seriously—even with all the luxuries she has at her disposal, Roberts is adamant that nothing beats the hack that’s been used passed down in her family for generations.

“I brush my teeth with baking soda,” she tells InStyle. “My grandfather would put a big heaping mound of it on his toothbrush. He had only one cavity in his entire life.” Of course, other components of dental hygiene weigh into the likelihood of getting a cavity, like flossing, so be sure to care for your teeth using more than just the multitasking ingredient.

Her pearly-whites secret is simple: brushing with baking soda.

Still, if you want to see if Julia Roberts’s hack could work for your grin, you could always go with her grandpa’s method—or you could put together a homemade toothpaste that only has a couple ingredients: baking soda and coconut oil, which makes getting your teeth squeaky clean a little easier (and less messy!) to get your teeth squeaky clean. And get ready to be on your way to Pretty Woman-worthy chompers in no time.

Here are three dentist-approved ways to whiten your teeth, no bleach required. Or, find out how to keep your teeth healthy if you grind them in your sleep.