I understand the need for white teeth. As an awkward middle-schooler, I used to brush my teeth up to five times a day to ensure that my pearly whites would stay white forever. Unfortunately, my obsessive-compulsive brushing started to wreak some major havoc on my gums, so I quickly reduced it to a much-normal amount to prevent irreversible damage.
That aside, my predilection for drinking a strong Americano every morning and my fondness for red wine isn’t exactly helping the white sheen of my teeth, and I’m not about to shell out the money for expensive in-office whitening treatments. I’ve used over the counter treatments before, but with our focus at-home beauty remedies this month, I decided to look into some less-expensive at-home treatments to whiten teeth.
The most common at-home remedy? Using hydrogen peroxide to get them pearly whites shining. Read on to find out more.
How Hydrogen Peroxide Whitens Your Teeth
This little brown bottle found amongst many a bathroom cabinet is actually a very common ingredient in the world of dentistry for teeth whitening. When applied to teeth, hydrogen peroxide breaks down, releasing unstable oxygen radicals that stabilize themselves by stealing electrons from neighboring pigment molecules found in the enamel-dentin junction and the dentin, which is the calcified layer between the enamel and the pulp of the tooth. By breaking up the pigment molecules, hydrogen peroxide is able to effectively bleach the tooth (Photomedicine and Laser Surgery).
Typically, professional bleaching involves about 25% to 45% hydrogen peroxide, which is then accelerated by using an LED light or laser. Over the counter whitening products, on the other hand, usually contain carbamide peroxide, which breaks down into urea, an acid, and hydrogen peroxide. A 10% carbamide peroxide solution will yield about 3.5% hydrogen peroxide, which is close to the same concentration found in your sturdy brown bottles – 3% (American Dental Association).
The Side Effects of Hydrogen Peroxide
Typical side effects from hydrogen peroxide-bleaching include increased tooth sensitivity and gum irritation. Using hydrogen peroxide can affect both the surface and inner structure of the tooth because of its low molecular weight, which allows it to easily penetrate into the enamel, causing inner oxidative damage that can affect the outer surface (Journal of Dentistry).
Swallowing hydrogen peroxide can also do some serious damage to your esophagus or internal membranes (OSHA). Even worse, as it breaks down, it could produce large quantities of oxygen which could expand your stomach or esophagus, thus causing severe damage (Center for Disease Control).Â
Verdict: Treat (Maybe)
Using store-bought hydrogen peroxide to whiten your teeth isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and it certainly will work. But the problem is that you’re not really in control of what’s happening to your teeth; you’re almost certainly not being precise in the amounts you’re using and you might be using it for too long. The over the counter treatments I’ve used in the past lasted for a maximum of fourteen days, which is more than enough time to make your teeth at least a little sensitive. So while this would technically work, it’s not something I’d generally recommend.
If you’re looking for an at-home teeth whitening treatment, I’d recommend going for something along the lines of the Crest 3D White Whitestrips Gentle ($24.95, amazon.com), which gently uses hydrogen peroxide to whiten your teeth for five minutes a day for 28 days. If you’re looking for something a little bit on the faster and more expensive side, look into the GLO Brilliant Personal Teeth Whitening Device ($199, amazon.com) which uses an LED light to accelerate the whitening effects of its 6% hydrogen peroxide gel. As always, I’d recommend speaking with your dentist first so s/he can determine your individual needs and what would work best for you.
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