Why You Should Avoid DIY Teeth Whitening

It’s understandable that people are tempted by the idea of DIY tooth whitening products and recipes. Everyone wants a dazzling white smile, and yellowing teeth can put a real dampener on your confidence levels. However, many of the products available on the market for at-home use are ineffective and sometimes dangerous. When it comes to your precious teeth, it’s always better to stick with the experts.

Potential Wear and Tear

The notion of whitening your teeth with a natural, supposedly safe solution sounds great, right? Unfortunately, things that sound too good to be true usually are. Many of the at-home DIY tooth whitening solutions recommended by certain websites and magazines are potentially dangerous for your teeth.

For example, many non-professional websites recommend using lemon juice as a whitening solution that you can use cheaply and easily at home. Though lemon may sound natural and harmless, the citric acid in this fruit can have corrosive effects on your tooth enamel. The citric acid in lemon is highly concentrated, so it can very quickly erode your enamel and leave you vulnerable to cavities and decay.

Some people also recommend brushing your teeth with a solution of strawberry combined with baking soda to get a glistening shine. Like lemon juice, strawberries contain citric acid which can erode enamel, as well as a substance called malic acid, a lesser-known ingredient which can also damage your teeth if used in excess. The baking soda may remove plaque, but this combination is unlikely to have any effect on the actual colour shade of your teeth, and is certainly a waste of your time and energy.

Short-Term Savings, Long Term Losses

In their desperation for a brighter smile, some people have taken to buying at-home DIY bleaching kits that are applied to the teeth and then left overnight, with the aim of whitening and adding shine. These bleach kits may be cheaper than a professional dental kit, but the short-term savings could lead to long term problems.

If accidentally swallowed, these bleach solutions can put you at risk of a range of health problems, from an upset stomach to infections, while those with tooth decay risk the bleach seeping into the cavity into your gums, roots, and nerves. This will cause the decay to worsen and could lead to a substantial increase in pain and infection.

Because the bleach is being applied at home rather than by a trained professional, the results will often be uneven and messy, certainly not the desired result promised by the product.

Luckily, there is a clear solution. The professionals here at The Townsville Dentists are experts in safe and effective teeth whitening. Contact us now for more information about how you can experience real results with none of these unpleasant risks.