Why Can’t I Just Whiten My Teeth with Peroxide?
Posted by writeradmin
I know that dentists whiten teeth with a peroxide gel. Why can’t I just buy some peroxide at the store and whiten my teeth by rinsing with it? It would save me a ton of money.
Jessie
Dear Jessie,
I can see the logic behind your question. Peroxide does whiten things. You can rinse with the peroxide and it will make some difference. However, there are two things to consider before you move forward with this plan.
First, the peroxide will need to stay on your teeth about 15 minutes to make any real difference. If you tried rinsing for minute, you’d probably find it annoying. Fifteen minutes would feel like torture, and you’d need to do that for weeks. Plus, the peroxide you get at the store is only 3% peroxide. That’s not very strong. Even the over the counter Crest Whitestrips are double that and they barely whiten your teeth.
Second, peroxide is great at killing bacteria. That sounds like a good thing, right? Except that peroxide does not distinguish between good and bad bacteria. That means the good bacteria in your mouth will be destroyed as well. Some of those bacteria prevent an oral yeast infection. Without that, you will likely end up developing thrush.
This will not save you money.
When you get your teeth professionally whitened. You don’t have to worry about any of those problems. First, the strength of the whitening gel your dentists provides, is at least 33%, whitening your teeth much faster. Second, your dentist will provide you with custom fitted bleaching trays. This keeps the whitening gel on your teeth and away from the rest of your mouth, thereby protecting you from thrush.
I hope this helps you.
If you’re looking to improve your smile and you’re wanting more than just whiter teeth, then you may want to look into porcelain veneers. They’re not cheap, but they can give you a complete smile makeover, changing the shape, size, and color of your teeth. This is what celebrities use to get their Hollywood smile.
This blog is brought to you by Arnold, MD Dentist Dr. Meredith Esposito.