You’ve tried everything – whitening toothpaste, apple cider vinegar, activated charcoal, and everything else you can think of. You’re starting to think white teeth might be genetic – and the genetic odds will never be in your favour.
Then you learn about hydrogen peroxide, the magical ingredient that whitens teeth from the inside out. Could this be the panacea to your yellow teeth problems?
All hail hydrogen peroxide
It’s true – hydrogen peroxide can penetrate the enamel of your teeth and whiten it so that your teeth are truly whiter.
This is unlike whitening toothpaste or other remedies that merely remove stains from the surface of your teeth.
It can also eliminate bacteria from the mouth, reduce bad breath and ailments such as gingivitis.
Hydrogen peroxide has side effects
It can cause gum irritation and sensitive teeth. If you love ice cream or an ice-cold drink on a hot sunny afternoon, your pain levels can shoot from 0 to 100 real quick with sensitive teeth.
Would you give up all your favourite icy drinks for whiter teeth? If you already have sensitive teeth, pain is an old friend for you. You definitely don’t want to make it worse with hydrogen peroxide.
And let’s not forget the horrific scenario where you accidentally swallow the hydrogen peroxide. It can injure your gullet and cause gastrointestinal issues which are NO fun at all.
Don't try this at home
The concentration of hydrogen peroxide that is deemed safe for whitening teeth is between 0.1% to 6%. It is extremely difficult to accurately mix this concentration at home and you might end up suffering the side effects of hydrogen peroxide.
You might end up corroding your teeth like a science experiment gone wrong! In Singapore, the Health Sciences Authority mandates that teeth whitening products sold to consumers can only have a maximum concentration of 0.1% of hydrogen peroxide.
Dental whitening treatments can use up to 10% hydrogen peroxide but don’t forget that these are undertaken under the supervision of a dentist.
Your dentist also needs to check there are no cracks or cavities in your teeth so the hydrogen peroxide does not come into contact with the dentin of your teeth and cause irritation.
Let carbamide peroxide handle it
Instead of mixing your own hydrogen peroxide solution, you can:
- purchase whitening kits with safe concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, or
- get whitening kits with carbamide peroxide, which breaks down to form hydrogen peroxide.
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Why bother with carbamide peroxide?Â
It acts more slowly, releasing part of its whitening effect over two hours and the remaining over six hours.
Hydrogen peroxide, on the other hand, breaks down quickly and releases all of its effect within an hour.
We all know slow and steady wins the race, so carbamide peroxide may be a better option for a long-lasting whitening effect.
If you have sensitive teeth, you’ll have a greater appreciation for carbamide peroxide as it can be present in higher concentrations of 0.6% to 18% without hurting your teeth.Â
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