So you want a pearly white smile and you’re thinking about buying an over-the-counter whitening kit. Before you turn to DIY whitening, let’s look at whether it’s actually dangerous for your teeth. There are some DIY teeth whitening kits we’d consider safe, but we’ve seen some kits that need closer inspection.

You Often Get What You Pay For

Cheaper kits often don’t contain sufficient active whitening ingredients to be effective. These kits may not cause any actual harm but they end up being a waste of money as they don’t deliver the teeth whitening results suggested by the photos on the packaging.

Irritated Gums

It’s not unusual for us to see patients who’ve tried DIY teeth whitening and end up with sore, irritated gums. Ill-fitting teeth whitening mouthguards mean the teeth whitening gel used to leaks onto gums and can lead to irritation. The only way to avoid gum sensitivity is to use a custom-fitted mouthguard so whitening gel can be distributed precisely and safely onto teeth. It also delivers a much better whitening result.

Wait…Is That Legal?

Some whitening kits’ ingredients deviate from what’s legally recommended. And that can be quite harmful. For example, some kits contain chlorine, which can eat away at your gums and tooth enamel and must be avoided if you want to whiten your teeth safely.

What About Baking Soda?

The truth: Baking soda on its own is likely to have little to no effect when it comes to whitening your teeth. For any effect it needs to be mixed with an activator like lemon juice or hydrogen peroxide. The problem, however, is these mixtures become highly acidic when used on the teeth at home and can damage the tooth’s protective enamel layer.

Frequent Dental Check-Ups

As a general rule we’d advise against following any online advice on DIY teeth whitening. If you want a beautiful white smile, schedule an appointment today.