Everyone wants a beautiful, healthy-looking smile. Luckily, teeth whitening treatments can help you achieve that for yourself. However, if you’re trying to save money with some trendy social media-driven products, you may not like the results.
Continue reading to find three big reasons why do-it-yourself teeth whitening could be hazardous to your oral health.
1. Unregulated Ingredients
The active ingredients in many DIY treatments are completely unregulated. The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for overseeing what is put into dental products before they go to market. Sometimes, however, social media trends take off and create whitening agents out of household items.
Lemon juice, for example, is highly acidic and can wear down tooth enamel. Likewise, activated charcoal has become popular, but hasn’t been properly tested.
2. Unproven Results
Other trends like oil-pulling where you swish sesame or coconut oil in your mouth for 20 mins yield unproven outcomes. While it has been touted as a remedy for plaque and gum disease, oil pulling hasn’t been proven reliable in clinical research.
This lack of results is shown by a research team at the Department of Pharmacy at Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital. Their findings show little difference in plaque density or gum health. As far as a tooth-whitening agent is concerned, it has also yet to prove its effectiveness.
3. Tooth Sensitivity and Gum Irritation
Another popular way to achieve whitening is by using hydrogen peroxide and baking soda together. While these ingredients are used in professional teeth whitening treatments, it’s concentrated, carefully measured, and applied with skill.
Putting the chemicals together without careful measurements or processes could be disastrous for your teeth and gums. With too much, they can erode tooth enamel and damage gum tissues. This will make your teeth sensitive to pressure, heat, and cold as well as pave the way for gum infections.
It’s always best to see your dentist for approved teeth whitening treatments. If you’re looking to brighten your smile at home, your dentist may have teeth-whitening kits available at their office. These kits are safe and highly effective. There’s no guesswork involved in your treatment, and you’ll be supervised by a dental professional. Call today and make the change!
About the Author
Dr. Nelson Y. Howard has dedicated his life to preserving smiles and helping people. He’s been fixing teeth and restoring confidence for almost 40 years. Dr. Howard graduated from the UCLA School of Dentistry and has since filled out his career by serving on several dental boards and being an active member in multiple professional organizations. To schedule an appointment at Nelson Y. Howard, D.D.S., call (714) 465-5589 or visit the website to discover other services they provide.