Nowadays, whitening trends such as DIY teeth whitening or take-home whitening kits have become a popular trend.
But, are these DIY hacks or products effective?
Furthermore, are they even safe?
The convenience of whitening your teeth yourself might seem attractive. However, you hardly have a clue about the long-term damage that you might do to your oral health if you continue down the path of at-home teeth whitening. Whether these home remedies are good or bad for your oral hygiene is for you to decide after reading this article.
Dangers of Teeth Whitening
There are various types of teeth whitening popular in the market. Listed below are some of the most trendings, yet hazardous teeth whitening ingredients to avoid that we hope you will dissuade from trying.
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Whitening strips
These are popular because of their reasonable price and quick results. However, excessive use can cause your teeth to become more sensitive. They leave a white residue on gums. Their sheer inability to reach the farthest crevices of your mouth makes them inefficient. Research has proven that hydrogen peroxide, the active ingredient in whitening strips, can harm the dentin tissue that lies beneath the tooth’s protective enamel.
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UV kits
UV kits can lead to health-related problems in your stomach and mouth, causing toothache, gum shrinkage, and nerve damage. It is best to steer clear of these kits as they can also cause spotted or patchy teeth due to an uneven spread of bleach. UV light treatment, in particular, has proven to expose users to four times more radiation in comparison to sunbathing. Additionally, it can cause severe damage to your eyes and skin because they remain unprotected during the procedure.
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Whitening Pens
These are quite commonly used to color individual teeth that you want to make whiter. Side effects of whitening pens may include a reduction in tooth enamel. That may temporarily increase tooth sensitivity inducing mild irritation in the soft tissues of the mouth and mainly gums. Although both these conditions are temporary and will disappear within one to three days of stopping or ending treatment, it is best to avoid using them altogether.
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Bicarbonate of soda toothpaste
The bicarbonate of soda is a natural teeth whitener. Yet, continued use of toothpaste made from it can damage your enamel. If used frequently, over time, they can leave your teeth extremely sensitive and cause tooth decay. And remember, these cavities are irreversible and only get worse with time.
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Oil pulling
Despite the tremendous health claims of oil pulling, it is still a pretty misleading procedure to follow for whiter teeth. Unknowingly using oils with toxic ingredients is one of the primary risks associated with oil pulling. Most of the medicinal oils contain harmful levels of lead, mercury, or arsenic.
Ultimately, no over-the-counter or DIY teeth whitening method will be more effective than professional teeth whitening procedures followed by your dentist personally. These are guaranteed to achieve faster and more reliable results. The treatments that your dentist caters to are personalized to suit your oral health. Your dentist will use a special gel with higher concentrations of hydrogen peroxide and whitening chemicals. These will then be applied under controlled conditions making the treatment safe and effective.
You can read more to understand why professional teeth whitening will work better than DIY kits.
We hope this article was able to lure you away from DIY teeth whitening. These hacks may not deliver the results you were hoping for and even prove to be harmful, which is why you should always check with your dentist.
It comes down to one primary understanding, your dentist and only your dentist knows the most reliable way of teeth whitening, which will get you your desired bright smile.
Dr. Anu Isaac, DMD, runs a successful dental practice in Salem, MA. Dr. Isaac strives for quality on a daily basis and this commitment to quality is reflected in her constant pursuit of advanced training. Her firm belief that even experts need to stay updated about what’s new in the dental field, enables her to provide every patient with optimal oral care. As the founder of Coral Dental Care, she is dedicated to creating healthy, beautiful smiles for her patients and also to educating dental and non-dental community with her engaging articles on all things related to oral health,recent dental innovations, and latest treatment modalities.