Is it Safe to Whiten Teeth with Hydrogen Peroxide? (2024)

FAQs

Is it Safe to Whiten Teeth with Hydrogen Peroxide? ›

Like many chemicals, hydrogen peroxide is only safe in small doses. While hydrogen peroxide is generally recognized as safe for whitening, the key lies in using it in appropriate concentrations. Anything stronger than a 3% concentration is dangerous, and many whitening products dilute the solution even further.

When used carefully, it can be an effective way to whiten your teeth. But if used incorrectly — in concentrations that are too high or if used too often — it can cause serious and sometimes expensive tooth damage. If you choose to whiten your teeth with hydrogen peroxide, do so cautiously.

Choose the right concentration: A low concentration of Hydrogen Peroxide (around 3% to 6%) is safe to use for teeth whitening usually without any side effects. Hydrogen Peroxide can produce certain side effects like gum or tooth sensitivity if used often in high concentration.

Conclusions: Tooth color shade can be substantially improved using a dedicated device with 6% hydrogen peroxide only.

That's because hydrogen peroxide is very reactive. Using it in high concentrations or for a long period of time may damage your gums and teeth. If you're considering using hydrogen peroxide regularly, only use it in low concentrations.

Baking-powder eliminates stains on the surface of your teeth and lemon juice as we already said has multiple components that lighten teeth. Just mix a teaspoon of baking powder and a teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice and brush your teeth with the paste this mixture will work wonders in just two minutes.

Today, most dentists use hydrogen and carbamide peroxide gels between 10-40%, which are chemically activated or by different light sources, such as halogen light, laser or plasma arc [9], See (Table ​1).

As the baking soda only removes stains from the surface level of the teeth and not the enamel it can be passable at removing light stains such as coffee and food, but you might not notice a big difference for four to six weeks.

Hydrogen peroxide

This compound is an effective way to combat gum disease. However, it should only be used once per day. There are some precautions that you should take before using hydrogen peroxide on your teeth. You should brush your teeth thoroughly after using the product.

Do you rinse your mouth with water after using hydrogen peroxide? ›

You should limit your hydrogen peroxide usage to one treatment at a time to reduce the risk of harm. It is typically safe to swallow small amounts of low concentration hydrogen peroxide, but an even better practice is to spit and rinse after use to limit the amount of time that the compound is on your teeth.

We recommend offering White Dental Beauty 6% hydrogen peroxide, the strongest EU accepted gel. Recommended wear time is 30 to 90 minutes.

However, combining hydrogen peroxide from your medicine cabinet with toothpaste to make a homemade teeth whitener is not recommended. Peroxide in toothpaste and other dental products bleaches teeth to make them whiter. However, the concentration of peroxide in these products is low and carefully controlled.

However, since hydrogen peroxide can sting, people with sensitive teeth and gums should discontinue using this paste if they experience pain or discomfort. Note: Use the baking soda and hydrogen peroxide mixture for only one or two weeks at a time to protect tooth enamel.

When whitening treatments cause sensitivity, it is because of the bleaching agent in the treatment. All forms of tooth bleaching may cause inflammation to the pulp, which results from exposure to peroxide.

Risks of Hydrogen Peroxide

The website Dentaly.Org stated the following "The dilution of hydrogen peroxide considered safe to use is 3%. Any higher, and you could risk damaging your enamel for good. Even then, using it for prolonged periods of time can still cause damage.

Hydrogen peroxide can be damaging to your gums, your tongue, and your tooth enamel, leading to painful decay that could be costly to repair. Like many chemicals, hydrogen peroxide is only safe in small doses.

Although hydrogen peroxide can be beneficial for certain situations, you should only use it a few times a month. Rinsing with undiluted hydrogen peroxide can burn your organs and cause internal bleeding.

Whitening mouthwash contains hydrogen peroxide and low concentrations of other bleaching agents like sodium hexametaphosphate. The effects are only temporary and usually work on surface stains, lasting approximately 24 hours.